Pursuing purpose = living my life of excellence

For years, I pushed through my hectic life, rushing from one commitment to the next: work, family, friends, church, and much, much more. I finally paused long enough to take stock of my life overall. Through the help of my personal coaches, I realized what was the cause of my unrest. I wasn’t living a life of excellence, something I deeply desired. But what did that even mean? I set out on a journey to find out.

As a person of deep faith, I knew that God had something more for me. But what was that “something more” I pondered? James 1:5 gave me the first step:

“But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”

Pray! That was my first step: I sought wisdom from God, resting on the fact that He promised it to me through His word. Over time, the fog of my busy, distracted life lifted. I began to picture myself living a different kind of life, one where I put “first things first” as I believed they should be. But could I move from this vision to the reality of living a purpose-filled life?

I needed a plan, a map to show me the stops along the way in the journey to living out my purpose. Charting out the stops was important, but determining and taking the best first step was next.

I sought help, resources to support me in moving through the fog toward my destination: people, tools, and processes. I kept notes about my journey and where I was moving forward successfully and where I had breakdowns beside the road. I kept re-evaluating as I went, looking for the places where I needed to shift gears or change lanes.

There were times I wanted to give up and stick with the status quo because it was the easiest, most familiar route. But I am so thankful I didn’t do that. I had the support I needed spiritually and deep investment from my amazing family and coaches who partnered with me to help me not give in to the temptation to stay “stuck.”

And here I am today, finally living out my purpose, my sought after “life of excellence.” It is such a freeing, life-altering experience for me.

But what about you? Are you living out your purpose?

I’ve been where you are, wondering if it’s worth reaching for, worth the work to transform. I can say with unshakeable confidence: It is!

Go for it: Pursue your purpose today!

Need a place to start? Here’s a quick glance at some of the steps I took; let me know how they work for you!

1. Pray for wisdom!
2. Seek answers from God.
3. Envision yourself living in that purposeful place.
4. Map out your journey, identifying the action steps. Then, take the first step!
5. Seek resources to support you.
6. Keep a record of your progress, and review it regularly.
7. Re-evaluate and keep progressing: Don’t forget to celebrate your successes along the way!