In my last article, I emphasized the value of purpose for your business. I kinda made it seem pretty urgent. But that’s just because I love you, I’m in your corner, and I want to see you absolutely excel as an entrepreneur!
I equated purpose to fuel that drives your work every day. I also pointed out that it affords you a sense of true north helping you to stay focused on why you exist while enduring the challenges of business. But how do you define your business’s reason for being?
Here’s a great verse for thinking about purpose:
The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out. —Proverbs 20:5 NIV
I think the Bible is telling us that bringing your unique purpose to the surface of your life and work is difficult, but possible with determination and insightful help.
To begin capturing your business’s purpose, take time to examine why you started doing it in the first place. Think about why you reacted the way you did to the problem you experienced or the opportunity you discovered. Why did it frustrate you? Or why did it excite you?
To get at the root of what drove your reaction, try asking yourself “why?” four or five more times in response to every answer you give yourself. Young children know a thing or two about this exercise. They relentlessly ask “why?” and innocently cause us to challenge what we think we understand.
Once you feel like you’ve gone as deep into your reasoning as you can with those why questions, turn your last answer into a declaration of purpose. Summarize it in a single, short, actionable sentence. Swap words like “Because I believed…” with a word like “To…”
For example, the reasoning “Because I believed technology could make life easier for working mothers” becomes the declaration of purpose: “To use technology to make life easier for working mothers.”
It’s inspiring, can rally people around your work, is easy to remember, and more than a little ambitious. All attributes of a great business purpose! It gives you and your business the flexibility to fulfill this purpose through any number of missions or business models.
Now read that statement to someone you know and trust. Preferably someone who has watched your journey as an entrepreneur for a long time. Someone who really knows you, what you do, and what you’re about. Ask them if the statement rings true, or if it just sounds like business fluff. If it doesn’t feel true to them for you, ask them what might. It’s not that you have to take and use what they share, but it can be a good tool for further digging.
Be patient, you’ll get to those deep waters soon enough. And once you do, you’ll have the power to drive your business forward with a confidence of purpose and a guide to navigating the road ahead.
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