A Life Purpose Worksheet
Snippets of actionable wisdom by: David Deida, Micheal E. Gerber, and Naval Ravikant & ancient Japanese wisdom of origins unknown.
These tools have helped me on my journey of self discovery, perhaps they'll help you too. This document is intended to help bring the fragments of your dreams, aspirations, and life purpose from the depths of your mind and heart out into the physical through the act of writing. If you can see a way to improve this process please let me know.
To begin with, here's some Deida to get you in the mood:
“If your purpose is to liberate yourself and others into loving freedom, then you should do whatever magnifies the love and freedom in your life and in the lives of those whom your actions effect.
- What do I need to give so I can die complete?
- What do I need to be so I can die complete?
- What do I need to do so I can die complete?
Next, some thoughts to help you isolate your ‘Specific Knowledge’, as described by Naval Ravikant
- Specific knowledge is knowledge you cannot be trained for. If society can train you, it can train someone else, and replace you.
- Specific knowledge is found by pursuing your genuine curiousity and passion rather than what is hot right now.
- Building specific knowledge will feel like play to you but will look like work to others.
- When specific knowledge is taught, it’s through apprenticeships, not schools.
- Specific knowledge is often highly technical or creative. It cannot be outsourced or automated.
What is your specific knowledge?
Next, spend time in deep, undisturbed, focus on the following diagram. It is designed to help you find your Ikigai. Ikigai means “Reason for being” in Japanese. On a separate sheet of paper, draw and fill it out.
Can you express your Ikigai in one concise sentence? What is it?
Final project:
Take your time answering the following questions as thoughtfully as you can. Ideally, print this and take it with you somewhere in nature or wherever you deem your ‘sacred space’. Be grounded, look inside.
“Questions for life” - From the E-Myth by Micheal E. Gerber:
What do I wish my life to look like?
How do I wish my life to be on a day to day basis?
How would I like to be with other people in my life?
- My family
- My friends
- My business associates
- My customers
- My employees
- My community
How would I like other people to think about me?
What would I like to be doing two years from now? Ten years from now? Twenty years from now? When my life comes to a close?
What specifically would I like to learn during my life?
- Spiritually
- Physically
- Financially
- Technically
- Intellectually
How much money will I need to do the things I wish to do? By when will I need it?
This concludes the Life Purpose Worksheet. If you have any feedback on it please let me know via Email.
Built on the work of: