There are many ways to live life. One approach is to focus on a purpose, follow your principles and work towards achieving your picture of success. This can sometimes lead to having a sense of peace.
This is an approach that can be followed by individuals, teams and organisations. Here we are looking at how a person may follow it in their own life and work. Let’s explore these themes.
Purpose
Some people love to have a sense of purpose. Sometimes this can be something big. Such as caring for their loved ones, following a spiritual faith, their life philosophy, their vocation or a sense of mission.
Sometimes this can be something smaller. Such as doing a fulfilling task, tackling a stimulating challenge, creating something beautiful or working to achieve a compelling goal.
Different people develop a sense of purpose in different ways. They may focus on doing things that give them positive energy, work towards their life goals or encourage people during their time on the planet.
Can you think of a purpose you would like to focus on? This could be big or small. It could involve following your life philosophy or working towards achieving a specific goal.
What may be the reasons why you want to focus on this purpose? What may be the benefits to yourself or other people? If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme.
Principles
Some people then clarify the principles they want to follow to translate their purpose into action. Much depends, of course, on the goal they are aiming to achieve.
An educator may aim to help each student to build on their strengths, do satisfying work and take charge of shaping their future career.
A sports coach may aim be supportive and help each athlete to develop their talent, keep improving and become they best they can be.
A hospice worker may aim to be kind, fully present and help people to, as far as possible, have a good death.
Different people aim to follow their principles in different ways. Martin Seligman and Christopher Peterson focused on a related theme in their book Character Strengths and Virtues. Here is one definition of virtues:
Virtues are behaviours showing high moral standards. They are how we practice and demonstrate character. They are how we translate our values or principles into action.
Working with a team of researchers, they studied examples of positive traits and moral excellence that are admired across different philosophies, religions and cultures.
The researchers interviewed over 15,000 people in different cultures. After extensive research, the team settled on six key virtues – admired ways of behaving – though these are obviously interlinked. Martin explains their approach in the following way.
When we look we see that there are six virtues, which we find endorsed across cultures, and these break down into 24 strengths.
The six virtues that we find are non-arbitrary – first, a wisdom and knowledge cluster; second, a courage cluster; third, virtues like love and humanity; fourth, a justice cluster; fifth a temperance, moderation cluster; and sixth a spirituality, transcendence cluster.
We sent people up to northern Greenland, and down to the Masai, and are involved in a 70-nation study in which we look at the ubiquity of these.
Indeed, we’re beginning to have the view that those six virtues are just as much a part of human nature as walking on two feet are.
Let’s return to your own life. Imagine that you have clarified the purpose you want to focus on. What are the principles you want to follow to translate this into action?
If you wish, try tackling the exercise on this theme. This invites you to complete the following sentence.
Picture Of Success
Some people clarify their purpose and principles. They then aim to channel their energy in an effective way. They aim to be selective to be effective.
Sometimes this means setting specific achievable goals. Bearing in mind what they can control in the situation, they take they following approach towards achieving their aims.
They clarify the real results they want to achieve and translate these into a clear picture of success;
They clarify the strategies they can follow to give themselves the greatest chance of success and translate these into a clear action plan;
They clarify how they can get some early successes, perform superb work and do their best to achieve the picture of success.
Such people also build in times to reflect, recentre and refocus. They make sure that they keep returning to their aims by asking themselves the following questions.
What is the purpose? What are the principles I want to follow? What is going well and how can I build on these things? What can I do better and how? What else can I do to achieve the picture of success?
There are many ways to live life. Some people focus on a purpose and follow their principles. They then aim to do something each day to work towards achieving their picture of success.
Let’s return to your own life. Imagine that you want to follow elements of this approach in your own way. This could in your personal or professional life.
If you wish, try tackling the final exercise on this theme. This invites you to clarify the reals results you want to achieve and how you can do your best to achieve your picture of success.
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