Who are you? How does that impact your daily decisions?
According to a recent study published in the journal Biological Psychiatry Global Open Science, the effects of the pandemic on emotion and decision-making centers in teen brains mirrored that of chronic and toxic stress, revealing premature aging as a result of isolation during pandemic lockdowns. “Researchers have reported that… the psychosocial and health consequences of the pandemic have been more severe among individuals from socially marginalized groups.”
As a former Lean Startup Organizer, I coached entrepreneurs on how to validate their business ideas or inventions in under 48 hours in order to attract the right angel investors and launch!
But what about life validation? I wondered if there was a way to help teens validate (or invalidate) the paths they plan to take in life. Could I develop a process that would help improve how Teens discover and invest in themselves? find healthy pursuits? And could the process be accelerated to help them move more efficiently forward in their lives?
No matter your age or stage of life, you might ask yourself: Will I ever become what I wish to be? Am I pretending? Sadly, too often we settle for how we look to others instead of developing who we really are at our core. Social media is really a secret hiding place where anyone can project their ideal self while holding back their true identity.
After studying a handful of the best bios in the world--those belonging to philanthropists, advocates for the developing world, artists, and spiritual leaders--I uncovered five common denominators of a life of purpose. I discovered that these common denominators could provide a pathway for anyone to not only land on their purpose, but also state it clearly and live out their mission with meaning.
What made these people successful? They didn't name-drop or show off grand achievements. Their bios weren't long. They didn’t jam in every possible fact of their life to prove themselves worthy. Here's what they did: in a nutshell, they expressed the “how”, “why” and what” of their pursuits! Everything mentioned was steeped, like a good cup of tea, in purpose! These folks—their lives were missional! That’s the secret.
In the beginning, you must assess:
The How - How do you see the world around you?
The Why - Why do you think and feel the way you do?
The What - What are you doing about it?
In 2017, I had an opportunity to pilot my very first Landing On Purpose elective course at a private high school. Two years later, I instructed over 200 Newark charter high school students in the Landing On Purpose method—just before schools were shuttered due to COVID-19. (These students were fortunate to go home with missional meaning and purpose in mind.) One year later, I was sharing these same principles with 750 middle school students in Philadephia—in the thick of the pandemic.
Storytelling is a strategic practice toward healing. Providing space for a student to express their story as a kind of opportunity for review and relaunch is culturally responsive. Teens empowered to tell their stories but also equipped to find the redeeming threads of hope, vision, and purpose within their stories will set intentional steps toward healing and leading positive, impactful, and influential lives.
Starting with step 1, each teen wrote down the 3 things they value most in life.
So what are your top 3? Who and/or what do you value? Where, how, and with whom do you spend your time? Do these match your values? Knowing your values is a major key to unlocking your mission and practicing your values goes a long way in living out your purpose.
Imagine if you could filter your daily choices through the funnel of your purpose. Imagine determining your major in college in light of your life’s mission! Discover what you're meant to do here on Earth and you won’t have to imagine it.
The outcomes were goosebump-inducing! My fellow colleagues and I witnessed major pivots in attitude, behavior, decision-making, and outlook among teens. After coaching students through this course, I began doing the same with teachers. Everyone wants to land on their purpose and discover the meaning of their lives. And if by doing so we can reduce burnout, increase clarity and focus when making key life decisions, develop fruitful passion in the area of our calling, and simply show up daily in our relationships with our single-sentence mission always in mind, then we land on the best way of engaging in our day-to-day lives.
---- (originally published June 2017; updated Feb 6, 2023)
Inspired by April Peters' Workbook: Landing On Purpose: 5 Steps to Discover and State Your Passion
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About the Author
April is the CEO and author of Landing On Purpose, a 5-step approach to mission- and message-mapping.
She successfully trained entrepreneurs and led projects for successful brands, CEOs, and startups before becoming a Founding Member of Women Techmakers North Jersey, Google's global program for women in technology, and a full-time classroom educator. April is applying her 5 simple strategies to help individuals, with little time, learn how to live and work with purpose in no time, for the good of themselves and their community.