Aligning with Your Purpose
Deirdre Dalton Brodeur (a good friend and successful business coach) and I recently had the opportunity to discuss the topic of maximizing one’s true potential. When I asked Deirdre’s expert advice on how to keep peace, balance, and prosperity in your life when challenged with tough economic times and a demanding, never-ending TO-DO list, this is what she had to say:
Throughout all the gloom and doom talk of the economy and taking brisk actions to overcome our financial challenges, it’s easy to forget the matters of the heart. To quote Robert Bolles, ˜Your mission is where the world’s deepest hunger meets your heart’s greatest gladness.” Stephen Covey echoes this sentiment in his book The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness, where he talks about what he calls ˜finding your voice.” There is great power in doing what you love for a living, and much greater potential for being richly rewarded.
When you take stock and remember WHY you chose the career or business you are in, can you tell if your actions are in alignment with what you had originally intended? For example, you might be pushing a sale because money is tight, rather than simply offering to solve the prospect’s problem because your true intention is to help. Buyers really notice the difference and typically choose the passionate person with clear intentions.”
From my own experience as a business owner, I can definitely say that she hit the nail on the head with that one. People like to do business with friends, plain and simple. Or, at the very least, they like to work with others they could consider friends people they trust, that obviously have their best interests at heart. And this generally requires working with those who genuinely feel good about what they do and want to pass that sentiment on to their clients.
Even though I do have my own sales goals to reach, it’s so much more important to me that I spend the time to take a good look at each situation to determine what is the best outcome for the individual. I have witnessed my own greatest prosperity in life from empowering others, who came to me feeling stuck or defeated, to make positive changes which, luckily, is what I love to do. Yes, times are tough, and the list of daily tasks to complete is long, but you must remind yourself to look past that stressful to-do list to and remember why you are doing what you do in the first place. If you’re not so sure about the answer, it may be time to get some help in looking elsewhere.
Deirdre also says, “Staying true to your intentions and your mission is a mindset shift that can help you weather through tough times and prosper even more in good times. Remember, your mindset must shift before your behaviors and habits shift (Ah ha! I know you have heard this from me before!). Take the first step by taking stock. Once you adopt this foundational mindset of Purpose, learning the business tools to implement your dreams becomes matter of fact.”
