How Purposeful Are You?

“Cat: Where are you going?
Alice: Which way should I go?
Cat: That depends on where you are going.
Alice: I don’t know.
Cat: Then it doesn’t matter which way you go.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

This quote from Alice and Wonderland is a great example of what it looks like to be aimless. On the flip side, to be purposeful is to be determined, resolute and intentional… but as this quote suggests, you must have a goal in mind to direct your energy. Once you have decided on your goal, then you can use mindfulness to focus your efforts to

achieve that goal. In the big picture, this goal can be your overall purpose in life; but on a smaller scale, this can apply to professional or personal goals. Want to feel more confident in public speaking? Commit to that goal, come up with a plan to achieve it, and then be purposeful about implementing your plan — persevering through challenges and setbacks.

This week’s Challenge: This week, I will determine my top goal, and work towards it in a purposeful manner.

Avoiding being Intolerant (overuse): Being focused on achieving a goal drives achievement, but when overused to the point of excluding all other ideas and approaches, being purposeful turns into intolerance. So while cutting out superfluous noise is important to focus, it’s also important to balance that out with a dash of openness to information, ideas and suggestions so the goal you are working on so diligently is still relevant.

Commendable Trait: Purposeful
Underused: Aimless
Overused: Intolerant
Strength: Focus
Quadrant: Wisdom