<< Back to the Archive >>

Issue 12             Linda K. Liebold          www.CoachToSuccess.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Achieving Your Dreams: Planning for Success Part I.  Defining Your Purpose Many of us have participated in a business strategic planning program, but how many of us have developed a strategic plan for ourselves?  The same strategic planning process used for a business can be applied to oneself.    Personal strategic planning takes you though a process that helps you determine: Who you are.  (purpose/personal mission statement) Where you want to go. (dream/vision) How you are going to get there. (goals, objectives and strategies) A personal strategic plan keeps you focused on what is important to you.    This issue will focus on who you are -- defining your purpose. The next issue will be about where you want to go – realizing your dreams, your vision. Who Are You?  How do you determine who you are -- your purpose – your raison d’etre?  One way is to think about what you love to do and to remember the times when you have felt great enjoyment and satisfaction from what you were doing. Listed below are questions that will help you define your purpose.  What do you love to do? Here are what some of my clients have said:  I love…  to teach, to learn, to be with my family, to take risks, to have fun, to dance, to win, to create.   Identify three times in your life when you felt on top of the world…when you were exhilarated and passionate about what you were doing. It can be something you did on your own or with others.  Examples:  having my first child, attending a peace rally, skiing down an advanced run, buying my first house and feeling so proud of myself, receiving an award for my documentary, teaching a child how to read.    Referring to your three situations, what was so fun, so stimulating and so right?  Examples:  creating something beautiful, joining others to stand up for a cause, challenging myself and achieving a goal, being independent and feeling empowered, being recognized for my creative efforts, helping someone learn something new.   What is common about your three situations?  What words or phrases come to mind? Examples:  taking action, living passionately, empowering others;  taking risks, being challenged, achieving;  being with others, speaking my voice, making a difference.   Look at the words or phrases you came up with in number four and create a purpose statement.  Below are two examples of creating  purpose statements from your common words and phrases. Common Words & Phrases Purpose Taking action, living passionately, empowering others To live a life I truly love and to empower others to do the same Taking risks, being challenged, achieving To continually push myself beyond my expectations More purpose statements:  To be adventurous. To be a continuous learner. To perform to the best of my ability. To help others see their potential.              Now it’s your turn.  Complete this phrase:  My purpose in life is to… Writing a purpose statement may take several attempts, but each time you try, you will get closer to defining your purpose in life. Living “On Purpose” Everything you do should relate to your purpose.   Marcia Wieder, in her book, Making Your Dreams Come True, provides a wonderful example of living “on purpose.”  “Let’s say you have a passion for learning and your purpose statement is ‘to learn constantly.’ In this case, the next time you are stuck in rush-hour traffic, you can say to yourself, ‘What was my purpose again? Oh, yeah, to learn constantly.’ Then you can play a language tape or a book on tape and feel good that you are doing something that matters to you.”  Living on purpose centers you.  It helps you focus on what matters most to you.    If you are not living “on purpose,” you are off-kilter.  You are generally unhappy and unfulfilled.  For example, if your purpose in life is to be adventurous and you are bored with your job, you are not living “on purpose.”   If your purpose in life is to achieve and you are not feeling success in one or more aspects of your life, you are unhappy and unfulfilled.  When you are living on purpose, you know it.  You are completely you.  You are passionate about what you are doing.  You feel satisfied and content -- and others around you feel it, too. Dare to Dream  The next step in the personal strategic planning process is to dream.  Just as businesses have visions, we, as individuals, have dreams – our hopes, desires and aspirations.  In the next issue of Leadership & Life Tips, we will take you though a process where you will identify your dreams and devise strategies to achieve them.  Over the past two months, we have offered several free “Achieving Your Dreams” tele-forums.  The response has been so positive, we’ve decided to offer it again on Wednesday, February 18, 1:00 – 2:00 pm ET.  See below for details. Free Tele-Forum: Achieving Your Dreams Date:  Wednesday, February 18, 2004 Time:  1:00 – 2:00 PM ET (12:00 noon CT, 11:00 am MT, 10:00 am PT) Facilitator: Linda Liebold, M.A. Registration: Email:  Dream@CoachToSuccess.com Registration Deadline: Tuesday, February 17, 2004 Fee:  Free! Would you like to make your dreams come true?  Are you ready for more joy and fulfillment in your life?  By attending this free, introductory coaching session, you will   Learn more about yourself; Get more clarity about your passion and purpose; Identify your personal and professional dreams; and  Begin designing strategies to make your dreams come true.  To participate, you must register at: Dream@CoachToSuccess.com.  Upon registering, you will receive the phone number to call.  If you have any questions or would like further information, please contact; Linda@CoachToSuccess.com Recommended Resources   Making Your Dreams Come True by Marcia Wieder, published by Harmony Books, New York What Do You Want to Do When You Grow Up? Starting the next Chapter of Your Llife by Dorothy Cantor and Andrea Thompson, published by Little Brown and Company, New York Wishcraft:  How to Get What You Really Want by Barbara Sher with Annie Gottlieb, published by Ballantine Books, New York     ----------------------------------------------------------   Grow Your Business with SmartMatch Alliances™.  Would you like to discover… a smart and fun way to grow your business or organization? a way to partner and learn from like-minded people in your profession, industry, niches, and specialties?  a method of establishing a strong, memorable brand for yourself, your organization, your products, and your services?    You can, with SmartMatch Alliances™.   Contact Linda  for more information about creating a powerful marketing strategy and growing your business or organization. Interested in a customized program for your organization?  Would you like to learn more about this topic and others like it?  l will be happy to talk with you about creating custom on-site workshops and tele-forums for you and your group. Contact me. Free Coaching Session If you would like a complimentary, 30-minute, no obligation coaching telephone session, send an email to Linda@CoachToSuccess.com. Share Your Tips If you would like to share your own tips and recommended resources, please send them to: Linda@CoachToSuccess.com and they will be included in an upcoming issue of Leadership & Life Tips. About the Author Linda Liebold, M. A., is a business, career and life coach. As founder of Coach To Success, Linda motivates and empowers individuals and groups to be the best that they can be personally and professionally.  Linda has 25 years of experience as a coach, consultant, manager, trainer, speaker, and facilitator.  Since 1984, she has headed Liebold & Associates, Inc., a strategic planning, marketing and communications consulting company. She has worked with hundreds of individuals in over 60 organizations nationwide. She is affiliated with Coach U, Coachville and the International Coach Federation. She is certified in administering the Myers-Briggs Type Inventory (MBTI), Strong Interest Inventory, the California Psychological Inventory (CPI), and other personality, management, team, and individual assessments.  For more information click here. ------------------------------------------------------------- © 2008 Linda Liebold All rights reserved. Please forward this e-zine to others. Reproduction for publication is approved, provided the copyright information is included along with the following attribution: From CoachToSuccess.com, an e-zine by Linda K. Liebold, M.A., 410-544-3655 , Email: Linda@CoachToSuccess.com and website: www.CoachToSuccess.com   ------------------------------------------------------------- Leadership & Life Tips is a monthly e-zine featuring professional and personal strategies for success.  Each issue offers thought-provoking and practical tips, tactics, and resources to motivate and empower you to be the best that you can be in your career and in your life. If you wish to subscribe please send an email to subscribe@CoachToSuccess.com, or to unsubscribe please send an email to unsubscribe@CoachToSuccess.com. Privacy Policy: We take your privacy seriously. We will never sell or share your personal information with any third party. Periodically, we may send you customer service questionnaires or information about special events such as tele-forums. If you do not want to receive email from us in the future, please let us know by sending an email to info@coachtosuccess.com. 14 White Oak Court   |   Severna Park, MD 21146