Napoleon Hill is said to have interviewed hundreds of the most influential people of his time about success formulas for individuals. One of the conclusions in the study was that a definite defined and written purpose in life was a key to success. It was one of the common denominators in successful peoples’ lives.

We all follow our Life Purpose in some way, whether we know it or not. If we are not clear on that purpose, the path can be difficult and erratic. If we know our Life Purpose, we can live it lightly and happily. It’s a matter of personal discovery. Think, “What am I doing right now that fits a purpose in life for me? If exploring my passions helps me discover my purpose, how do I express my life passions right now in different aspects of my life?” Most express passions in several ways to different degrees: with words, with actions, with thought and emotion. Expanded thinking is a key to discovering a purpose in life.

Napoleon Hill talks of Life Purpose right from the first pages of his book, Think & Grow Rich. His first chapter is entitled “Thoughts Are Things,” and the very first words of that first chapter are: “Truly, thoughts are things, and powerful things at that when they are mixed with definiteness of purpose....”

“Definiteness of purpose!”

You can’t get stronger than that. A well-defined Life Purpose is the most important step on the road to success. Unfortunately, Think and Grow Rich does not have a section on how to develop a Life Purpose. So let us see how you can develop your Life Purpose.

“I am the dance of a candle-flame. I play, illuminate, tease! My world is so amazingly abundant I sparkle like a child in a toyshop. Life is to explore and have fun with, and I delight in provoking others to do the same. Excellence is my Guiding Principle for excellence is the path to success however I choose to measure success. I take pride in achieving excellence: I enjoy attracting wealth. Yet, my happiness is not outside to be gathered in; it is inside, a product of my own vibrancy. I strive for elegance and eloquence, and always manage to be surprised by the results. I am a voyager: along the way I meet other travelers and add to their bounty however I can. By being faithful to my principles I earn respect and honor, but what I cherish most is the simple satisfaction of a job well done.”

You will notice a Life Purpose statement starts with a Personal Icon - mine is the dance of a candle flame. The body of the statement explains my purpose. It then ends with what I expect to get back from living my purpose - for me, that is honor, respect and satisfaction.

Below you will find a brief explanation of how you can create your own Life Purpose statement —

1. Determine your values

List as many "value" words you can think of - words like – ...Gratitude... ...Freedom... ...Adventure.... ...Beauty... ...Fulfillment... ...Growth... ...Love... ...Excitement... ...Courage... ...Health... ...Learning... ...Self-esteem... and so on. Especially, write words that are meaningful to you. Are you an adventurous person or is security more important to you? Do you like to learn new things? Is freedom important?

When you have a list of 40 or more words, circle those that are most important to you, the values that speak to you and describe you as a person. You want the values that are most important to you. Go through the list again and again and keep crossing out the values that you consider less important.

Keep doing this - eliminating and refining - until you have five values – your five most important values.

Then pick the most important one - your single most important value. This most important value has probably had more effect on your life to date than anything else! Together, the list of five values is a blueprint for your life.

2. Write your Basic Sentence

String your values together in a single sentence with the most important value first, like this —

I am......... (first value) ......... who is ......... (next value) ......... and ...... (next value) ........ and ........ (next value) ....... and ....... (next value) .......

Use your actual values like this -- "I am ...confidence... and ...adventure... and ... health... and ...humor... and ...honesty." This would become -- "I am a confident person who loves adventure; I am grateful for my health and strive to maintain it; I see the humor in life and deal with life honestly, and expect others to be honest with me.

Next we will add color, excitement and passion to your basic Life Purpose statement. You will make it inspiring, motivating and very personal by adding an icon to give visual aid to the words you have developed so far.

3. Pick a Personal Icon

In the next step of the Life Purpose statement, you are to look about for a personal icon. By that I mean some item or concept that captures your essence. What is your favorite color? What sports do you favor? Which is the best movie you ever saw? Or favorite book? Is there a particular shape that resonates with you? Are there any hobbies that might serve. Any of these things may spark a thought that points to your personal icon.

4. Write your Life Purpose Statement

Now rewrite your first basic statement in terms of your personal icon. Like this —

"I am a dolphin, confident and adventurous. I bubble with gratitude for my health and playfully maintain it. Life's humor is like a sea to me, leaving me awash with happiness and contentment. I confront the waters of my world truthfully, travel the oceans honestly, and expect fellow travelers to be honest with me."

Of course, you will do this using your own values and your own icon. You might want to spend some time writing it over and trying different words and more meaningful expressions. Just keep experimenting with it until you have made it perfect.

Doesn’t that sound fabulous? Your Life Purpose statement is now motivating, inspirational and so utterly personal and true, you will wonder how you ever got along without it.

Next comes your mission statement. Your mission flows from your purpose. Discovering your Life Purpose guides you towards creating an appropriate mission, a mission that allows you to live your Life Purpose. Think of these like a compass and a map - Your Life Purpose sets the general direction while the Mission Statement leads you from A to B. We will do the Mission Statement in the next article.

The above is a brief description of how you can discover your Life Purpose. The process is dealt with more extensively in the book, Keep Your Eyes On The Prize.