The Importance of Having a Clear and Specific Purpose

“Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows that it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning, a lion wakes up. It knows that it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death. It doesn’t matter whether you’re the lion or the gazelle – when the sun comes up, you’d better be running.” – Author Unknown

So, to be clear, the story is not just about running. It’s about something far more important. The story underscores the importance of having a clear and specific “purpose” that you will focus on at the beginning of every day. Both the lion and gazelle start each day with a clear and specific purpose. Do you? Do you know what you need to do each day that will move you and your organization closer to your goals? Or, do you start each day dealing with whatever comes first whether it’s important or not? Are you prone to activity just to convince yourself that you are busy or is your activity directed towards the achievement of your purpose? Be honest with yourself.

When you lack a clear and specific purpose, you leave yourself open to any one of the following scenarios:

You start the day slow, stay slow and so does everyone around you. Nothing gets done.

You start the day with a less than acceptable attitude and no enthusiasm whatsoever. You are unhappy and easily frustrated with the smallest problems. You end the day the same way you started it and bring it all back with you the very next day.

You waste time and money, accomplish very little and end the day exhausted with little to show for the time you were “working”.

You position yourself to be a victim of your circumstances and give up being a master of them. You attract others who are also victims. They add to your misery!

There is nothing more powerful to your workday and your business than knowing your purpose and executing it in an efficient and effective manner. Knowing and acting upon your purpose will not only excite you but everyone with whom you have contact. So, like the story, “when the sun comes up, start running,” know and act upon your purpose!