Ever wake up and wish you were someone else?

     Many of my clients come to me asking what their purpose for living is. I have heard it a thousand times: “Why am I on this earth?” “What am I doing with my life?” “Why am I here?” This is part of the human experience: figuring out who we are and what our job is as human beings. Unfortunately, there is no silver lining – life is hard! But there are a lot of ways to figure out who you are, which is just as important as knowing why you are on this earth and what your mission is.

Develop A Mission Statement

     In the business world, in order to prove one is worth funding, you must develop a business plan. With every business plan comes a special section known as the “Mission Statement.” This section is reserved for one purpose: to delineate what your company’s goal is. I urge everyone who meets me to develop a “Life Business Plan,” which looks pretty much the same as a standard business plan…except this is for you! You have to prove you, as a person, are worth funding.

     When I worked at iLookin.com, we had a special module reserved for this purpose. We urged individuals to draw up in a Word document their life goals, key objectives, and even going as far as trying to get family members and friends to sign it – just like an investor would do with a company. When trying to craft your business plan, start with the mission statement. What is your purpose?  Well, sometimes to find this we need to work backwards.

     The best way to do this is to ask yourself: what do you enjoy? That is what life is about: enjoying what you do. If you can locate what you enjoy, you can find what you will be best at. That is what being good at something requires: joy when doing it. If you can think of three things you are good at, your chances of finding your life’s purpose will be that much simpler!

Determine Your Funding Needs

     Another crucial portion of the business plan is to determine your funding requirements. This does not mean you need actual  money to succeed in life; rather, it means that you need to develop reasons for why you need purpose. What is it that is currently missing from your life? Is it purpose? Is it meaning? Is it love? Is it work? Well, if it is love you are missing, your funding requirements are a soulmate; if it is work, your funding requirements are a job. This will help you figure out how to get from Point A (now) to Point B (happier you).

     You have to prove why, however. Why is it that you need love? Is it because you feel you are missing something? Can you find a less expensive (figuratively-speaking) way to fulfill your needs? Same with work: why does this fulfill you? And is it any job, or do you have one in particular that you wish to see as your career choice? How hard is it to get both, and which is the one you feel you are meant for? This is a funding requirement: proving why you need something!

What Can You Make From It?

     Any great business plan has a Sales Forecast: the portion of the plan that discusses how you can make money, but in this case we will discuss how to make happiness! You have to look at life as a sales forecast: a series of figures that determine how you will be happiest. What is in it for you? In the above example, how does getting a job truly make you happier? This is far different from asking “Why,” as now you are asking “How.”

     There is a big difference.

     When you ask “Why” you are trying to figure out what the point of that asset is…but when you are asking “How,” you have to itemize your happiness and make sure you are not going to get your new job, only to find you are not satisfied with it! This means looking deep within yourself and figuring out what it is about a new job (or any scenario) that would make you happy, and what it will provide that makes it worth doing. When developing your Sales Forecast, remember to prove every aspect of it. Don’t just put something down and then assume it will work out; figure out what it is about something that will make you happiest!

Get Signatures!

     Because we are not shooting for actual money here, we must be able to stand before a group of friends of family members, and pitch the idea to them! Read up on “elevator pitches,” which are 30-second summaries of the business plan. Then, go all-out! Make this a big part of your life, and prove your Life Business Plan to them! Why should they sign? What questions do they have that are not answered? When this occurs, go back and adjust the plan when a valid point is made.

     When you feel happy with your Business Plan, ask 5 family members or friends for signatures. This is their way of proving they are not only there for you, but also that they feel the plan will work for you as an individual. Choose the right investors! If you are trying to be a better father, pitch the idea to your children; if you are trying to be a better worker, pitch it to people in the same job or career path as you. Choose these people wisely, as only the ones with something similar to what your business plan pitches will be able to successfully ask and answer questions.

In The End…

     In the end, it is on you. I have been offering this Life Business Plan lecture – in its full format – for years through Valiance Coaching. If you want help getting this successfully accomplished, sign up for my free course: “Developing A Life Business Plan” by contacting me and asking for the link. I will sign you up for the next course!

     It’s on you…

Author: Ryan W. McClellan

Entrepreneur, Author & Business Consultant With A Background In Multimedia & Content Development View all posts by Ryan W. McClellan