Dylan Cornelius Management, LLC

Create a Purposeful Life in Three Simple Steps

Howdy! I know you’re here because you’re interested in a purposeful life, and I’m excited to know that because I, too, have a genuine interest in a purposeful life.

Purposeful life
Purposeful life

At one point in my life, I was in the doldrums and not having a great life.

Certainly, it wasn’t a purposeful life as I would define a worthy, Purposeful life.

I started looking for an answer to figure out what was missing, what was wrong, and what wasn’t working so I could put in a fix, if you will.

What took me several years, approaching a decade, I can help you get there in 10 hours, ten days, ten weeks, and certainly less than ten months. You don’t need to spend as many years as I did. It’s pretty easy.

The problem is there are few classes on it, and very few people are making a living helping others live their best lives. Many industries and people in sectors of the economy are all about ensuring they have enough resources and labor and marketing in the marketplace to support themselves.

Unfortunately, all of this works against those of us who are trying to live a more purposeful life.

However, there are three things I’ve learned about having a purposeful life. They’ve made a significant difference in my quality of life, and I know they can make a difference for you too.

1. Purposeful life starts with a self-awareness inventory

The first element of a purposeful life, we often don’t get the opportunity to put in place or think about. Unfortunately, there are very few organizations or people in the world that exist to enable people to live purposeful lives. Usually, they want you to go to school and support them or a specific part of the economy.

Has anyone asked you before to define how you might want to live a purposeful life?

Instead, there’s a lot of focus and commitment around getting people educated the right way, according to current standards, and often not in a way that is best for the person. After that, the focus is on getting people into the job economy, with the existing jobs, and without consideration for other jobs, or for what may be the best, most purposeful life for any given person.

Why would anyone encourage you to take a job that they don’t need you to fill?

Your purposeful life is going to come down to finding YOUR purpose, and that starts by asking yourself some questions.

Do a self-assessment, self-awareness inventory, where you ask yourself questions like:

  1. What are the elements of my life that I have enjoyed and not enjoyed?
  2. What are my strengths and weaknesses?

Indeed, your purpose is more likely to be in the area where you have expertise and appreciation, and where you enjoy putting your time and energy.

Your purposeful life will be in an area where you enjoy spending your time. If it’s like work every day, and you don’t want to do it, it’s probably not your purposeful life.

Exercise

There are four types of questions to ask yourself in that self-awareness inventory and there are around 15 questions in total. There’s a blueprint down below, the Life Purpose Blueprint, which I’d love for you to have and get some value from.

2. Your purposeful life will include self-determination

The second element of a purposeful life is to take a long view of things. Take an engineering perspective, a design-driven approach. Start with the end in mind, as if planning from the end of your life. At that time:

  1. What purpose will you want to have fulfilled?
  2. What results do you want to have delivered?

If you have lived a purposeful life, you will have delivered on some purpose.

Thinking long term, what does that look like?

What do you want people to say about you when you’re gone?

Your purposeful life should lead people to say what you want them to say about you.
A related goal is to avoid having people say things you don’t want them to say.

That’s something you can consciously put into practice. It doesn’t have to be an accident or coincidence or a contradiction after you’re gone.

Thinking with the long term in mind, you’d want to think about it 30 or 40 years in the future.

  1. What do I want?
  2. What results do I want to have delivered?
  3. What do I want to have achieved in my life?

Then step it back a bit in order of magnitude. What do you want in three or four years?

  1. What do you want to have accomplished?
  2. What would be progress toward your 30- or 40-year goal?
  3. What would demonstrate that progress?

Then bring it back another order of magnitude. What do you want in three or four months?

What do you want to have accomplished that would be indicative of progress toward that three or four year goal on the way to a 30- or 40-year goal?

Each of those steps gives you an opportunity to clarify your purposeful life.

All of this enables you to be in a position to create a plan for living.

3. Purposeful life starts with an action plan

The third element for purposeful life is to have a plan.

Create a personal strategic plan that’s specific around fulfilling your objectives for your purposeful life.

That’ll help you get and stay focused and not be distracted by other people’s concerns and problems.

A caution about strategic planning for your purposeful life

Also, be aware that other people’s concerns and problems are real and important. They may be part of your purpose in life. Mine is helping people manage and deal with their problems, however they think about it.

However, it’s impossible to create a strategic plan and define your life from the point of view of other people’s concerns and problems if you haven’t taken yours into account first.

You will only be effective in helping others once you have given yourself a stable foundation to live your life first. You will only have a quality of life worth living once you ensure you are cared for first. It is nobody’s job but yours.

At that point, you can create a plan that ensures you are cared for even as you begin to care for others and expand your impact on the world.

At the end of the day, living a purposeful life absolutely requires you to have a plan and are taking regular action, and making progress in the direction you have concluded is your purposeful life.

Plan for your purposeful life with the Life Purpose Blueprint

Click the link to get the Life Purpose Blueprint: https://dylancornelius.com/life-purpose-blueprint-offer

A purposeful life starts with clarity. Take the first step now! Download the Life Purpose Blueprint.
A purposeful life starts with clarity. Take the first step now! Download the Life Purpose Blueprint.

Finally, I want to say lots of people have a lot of advice and programs about purposeful life.

They have a purpose for you. That purpose is too often to do their thing.
They want you to attend their school. They want you to pursue their chosen career.
You are expected to do whatever they want. They want you to attend their church or whatever they deem appropriate, and that’s supposed to be your purposeful life.

Well, you get a choice, and if those things are working for you, then kudos. However, if that were true, you wouldn’t be here.

Don’t buy the one size fits all approach.

You are here seeking information on how to live a purposeful life. The reason for this is that you are exploring other options and alternative ideas that may work better for you than the ones you’ve so far been offered.

Please join us. Get connected, and participate. Let us help you. We’re here for you toward your purposeful life. I look forward to meeting you soon.

Purposeful life

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

The Author
Dylan Cornelius
Dylan Cornelius

Hi, I'm Dylan Cornelius.

I help mid-career knowledge workers and entrepreneurs execute their strategic plans using the career acceleration blueprint, even if they don't know where to start, they've never been a manager, and don't have a team. I'm the creator of the Career Acceleration Academy.

I've led small and large collocated and remote teams, delivering more than $40 million in revenues and cost savings. My teams and I have delivered ground-breaking products and services that still power successful businesses today.

I've worked as a recruiter, manager, and team leader in Silicon Valley and around the world. I have more than 30 years of experience in business management and leadership, plus psychology and business degrees from top universities.

I'm glad you're here! Take a look around and let me know what help you need.

Lastest Posts
%d bloggers like this: