Living your purpose through your priorities

“If you’re alive, there’s a purpose for your life.” — Rick Warren

 

One of golf’s immortal moments came when a Scotchman demonstrated the new game of golf to President Ulysses S. Grant. Placing the ball on the tee, he took a mighty swing. The club hit the turf and scattered dirt all over the President’s beard and surrounding vicinity, while the ball placidly waited on the tee. Again, the Scotchman swung, and again he missed. Grant waited patiently through six more tries then quietly stated, “There seems to be a fair amount of exercise in the game, but I fail to see the purpose of the ball.”

 

Welcome to 2022 along with all the resolutions, diets, and goals that come with it. It’s a new year full of endless possibilities and a chance to hit the reset button. 

 

As you contemplate this new year you don’t want to find yourself in a situation like Grant and see a lot of swinging and missing and failing to understand the purpose of the ball — or in this case, the purpose of your goal. You want to be focused, know your purpose, and hit your goals along the way.

 

Remember the lines from Lewis Carrol’s “Alice’s Adventure in Wonderland?” It went like this: 

 

“Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?”

 

“That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,” said the Cat.

 

“I don’t much care where,” said Alice.

 

“Then it doesn’t matter which way you go,” said the Cat.

 

And this is precisely why you have to connect your purpose to your priority. With it, you can chart the course and get there; without it, you drift.

 

I would like to share with you something that I came across a few years ago by Gary Keller titled: “Goal Setting to the Now.” It’s perhaps one of the most practical examples I’ve seen on goal setting that works. It goes like this:

 

Someday Goal: What’s the One Thing I want to do someday?

 

Five-Year Goal: Based on my Someday Goal, what’s the One Thing I can do in the next five years?

 

One-Year Goal: Based on my Five-Year Goal, what’s the One Thing I can do this month?

 

Monthly Goal: Based on my One-Year Goal, what’s the One Thing I can do this month?

 

Weekly Goal: Based on my Monthly Goal, what’s the One Thing I can do this week?

 

Daily Goal: Based on my Weekly Goal, what’s the One Thing I can do today?

 

Right Now: Based on my Daily Goal, what’s the One Thing I can do right now?

 

Goal setting and goal execution are two different things. By using this model, you can think and plan long term while doing your One Thing right now to make it happen.

 

Final Thoughts

 

Living your purpose through your priorities is essential for your success. Who you surround yourself with is just as important. Make sure your priorities and the people around you are aligned properly for maximum success in 2022.

 

© 2021 Doug Dickerson

For more content visit Doug’s website at dougdickerson.net/.