Posted on October 7, 2011 by Dan Weigold
“The soul which has no fixed purpose in life is lost; to be everywhere, is to be nowhere.” Montaigne
Many people seek coaching when they realize that life is just going by. Just going bye.  When life doesn’t feel purposeful or there isn’t a reason for life at some point, people start wondering, “what is life all about?”. It can be a scary thought to realize that so much time has passed and so little meaning has been created.
In many cases people are seeking a new job, a new relationship, or a new direction without first considering why they are looking for something new. When we experience discomfort, for many, the first thought is getting relief and it doesn’t matter what the remedy is, the goal is to relieve the pain. The pain relief might come in the form of buying things with the hope that the pain will go away. It might be time to form some new relationships while abandoning the old ones. When there is enough pain, external change is usually the first action taken and in most cases, it doesn’t work.
Coaching is often used to help individuals find out how they can create a meaningful life. It is never too late to start living a purpose filled life. Having a purpose statement for your life is a way to start living a life on purpose. Think about people who have lived a purpose filled life. Mother Teresa is one example of someone who lived a life filled with passion and purpose. Philip Lawler wrote this of Mother Teresa, “What was the secret of this powerful little woman? It was her purity – the purity of heart and of purpose that enabled her to focus every ounce of her energy on her simple and unswerving purpose in life: to do, to make, to be something beautiful for God”.
When our purpose is aligned with our passion, strengths, and abilities then we all have the opportunity to live a meaningful life. When we come to the end of our life do we want an answer to the question “Did my life matter?”. I think most of us do want an answer to that question and we want to do something that does matter.
Here’s a simple process that will help formulate your specific and special purpose for life.
1. List the things that you want to do with your life.
2. List what it is you want to be.
3.  Finally, write the things you want to do, with what you want to be and create a powerful result, a “so that” statement.
Mother Teresa desired to be something beautiful for God and she did it for a reason. Your purpose should be tied to a reason, a “so that” , which will allow you to live the life of meaning you are seeking. What is your purpose statement?
When do you want to start living a life on purpose?