THE PURPOSE-DRIVEN MINDSET
MINDSET
Mindset is a person’s mental response towards a situation which determines their interpretation and action (response). Mindset determines the different reactions of different people to the same/exact situation.
Mindset is an important concept in personal development, as it shapes our beliefs, thus, the right mindset can end up shaping our lives towards mastering success. Having the right mindset towards achieving your goals is a key factor in your personal development journey.
What then is the right mindset towards personal development?
It is the “Growth Mindset”, which can better be referred to as the “Purpose-Driven Mindset”. This kind of mindset is consciously aware of persistent and consistent growth and invests in the process, despite circumstances that may act as limitations (e.g., failure). The purpose-driven mindset responds to anything that brings you one step closer to achieving your purpose in life.
How do you attain the purpose-driven mindset?
You do this by first identifying your Purpose in life.
PURPOSE
Purpose can be defined as the reason for which something or someone exists, which influences their identity and gives their life meaning.
Purpose is a larger cause that is bigger than you, and usually serves others.
Purpose is not something you get from your environment, neither is it influenced by people.
Purpose is inside you and comes from within.
So how do you find/create your Purpose?
“Finding purpose comes from deep reflection, heightened awareness, and a desire to effect change in a way that only you know how to.” — Edirin Edewor
Note that passion and purpose are two different concepts and do not have the same meaning. Passion is enthusiasm towards something that serves you, while purpose is a strong emotion towards something that serves others.
PASSION
Passion can be defined as a strong desire, love, determination, or conviction that can get you to accomplish amazing things.
Developing your passion for something and transforming it into something bigger is a great boost towards achieving personal development.
A person’s purpose can be linked directly or indirectly to his/her passion, and likewise is the profits as well. For some others, the three concepts are totally different and separate.
For you to be able to develop your passion or achieve your purpose effectively, you need to invest in goals and action plans set. This would help give you the necessary guidance and focus needed.
GOALS
“A goal is an idea of the future or desired result that a person or a group of people envision, plan and commit to achieving.” — Wikipedia.
Goals are set in other to achieve the desired end result (e.g., a vision, dream, or purpose), but then, they have to be SMART.
SMART goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Resolute, and Time-Bound.
A Goal is a dream with a deadline set in place, and a plan of action towards accomplishing it. In this context, Personal Development in itself cannot be referred to as a Goal, as it is neither specific nor time-bound.
However, activities and tasks that need to be carried out during the personal development journey can be set as goals.
For example:
“I want to become good at running ads” and “I want to become good at running Facebook ads by next month”.
From the above examples, it is clear enough that you will be motivated to achieve the second goal because it is SMART! Also, when setting SMART goals, you need to back them up with intentions.
Intentions are action plans that drive the achievement of these goals, and this step cannot be skipped else the whole process of personal development becomes flawed in the long run. You’d end up tired and worn out with the whole process because your goals lack direction.
A Goal can therefore be referred to as the end result achieved from a series of Planned Actions.
ACTION PLANS
Action plans are basically intentions set in place in other to achieve a goal, after breaking it down into mini-goals and tasks (just like the divide and conquer method). It gives you direction and focus, makes the process easier and flexible, and you tend to achieve so much more.
“Vision Boarding” and “Productivity Boarding” are two concepts that would take your goal setting and action plan game to a whole new level in the course of your personal development journey, so make sure you leverage on them.
Now, how can you set SMART goals and achieve the purpose-driven mindset towards personal development?
• First, identify the kind of mindset you currently possess; is it a fixed mindset or a growth mindset?
• What is your passion, what do you love doing and can it be developed into something bigger?
• Do you have your purpose figured out already? Is it linked directly or indirectly to your passion? Is it something you have to find/create? Is it something you see yourself doing in the next 3–5 years?
• What goals do you need to start crushing in order to accomplish your purpose?
• Revisit those goals and check if they are SMART. Next, break them down into mini-goals and smaller tasks.
• Clearly write out your intentions and commitment strategy on how you plan on achieving those mini-goals, set deadlines, give the process direction, and watch yourself grow!
Cheers to the Success of Your Personal Development Journey!
