Be Obsessed With Your Purpose

Most of the world sees obsession as something bad. When someone labels you as obsessed, it’s almost always a negative connotation. They mean to tell you that you should think about something different because you spend too much time on that thing. They could be right if your obsession is doing you harm: drugs, wasting time on social media, a bad relationship—the list can go on and on. Many people are obsessed with the wrong things and it’s harmful. That said, there are many positive obsessions that you need to have in order to thrive on planet earth.

You can be obsessed with losing weight, getting in shape, or doing a cleanse. You can be obsessed with supporting a charity, conceiving a new baby, or helping an ill parent. When I talk about obsessions, I am talking about those obsessions that are worthy of your attention because they support your purpose on planet earth. Your purpose and your obsession are related but not the same: I was obsessed with getting rich because my purpose was to make sure my family never had to worry, scraping and struggling in the middle class like I did as a child after my dad died. 

Purpose is the holy grail of the obsessed and the reason for doing something or the reason for which someone or something even exists. It is the big “why” of all whys and the fuel for your obsessions. It’s vital to know your purpose and identify those things worthy of becoming obsessed with. You don’t need to love your job or even do what you are passionate about to become obsessed enough to be successful.

What obsessions are worthy of your attention? For me, I begin by asking myself good questions. I’ll list some of them below, and as you answer them, don’t second-guess yourself. Answer with the first response that comes to your mind—without judgment or trying to figure anything out. Just be honest with yourself:

What If . . . 

• If I were going to write a book, what would I write about? What inspirational lessons would I draw from my own life? 
• If I knew I couldn’t fail, what exactly would I do?
• If I could be known for just one great thing, what would I want it to be? 

Lifestyle 

• What makes me feel really good?
• What gives me endless energy?
• What bad habits do I have to stop?
• What good habits do I need to start?
• What do I need to do more and more of that would make me feel better about myself? 

Skills and Talents

• What can I do better than just about anyone? 
• What are some of my native skills? 
• What have I always been great at? 
• What have I always been terrible at? 
• What skills or talents do I have that I often ignore?
• What are the skills I have to develop? 

Money Motivation 

• What am I willing to do for free?
• What would I like to do for a bunch of money?
• If money had nothing to do with my life, how would I spend my time? 
• What specific amount of money would give me the security I need?
• What dollar amount would I need to have choices?
• What amount of money would I need to really make a difference for the better on this planet? 

These are just some of the questions you should be asking yourself to find your purpose. Get my new book Be Obsessed or Be Average where I include even more questions, dealing with your personal interests, market research, legacy, and inspiring people. You don’t ask these types of questions just once—ask them repeatedly over periods of time because you might come up with some new answers. You’ll see surprising patterns or be reminded of a dream that was buried years ago. 

Remember that you won’t just have one purpose from this exercise. You have the capacity to be obsessed with many things. The purpose of these questions is to help identify positive obsessions that will lead to purpose. Obsessions worthy of your attention will support your purpose in life. When you identify why you want to achieve something, you can fully move forward completely and get obsessed with achieving it. 

Be great,

GC

Grant Cardone is an American entrepreneur, New York Times best-selling author, speaker, motivator and online sales training expert. Cardone is a respected, highly regarded master salesperson whose passion is to teach people how to sell themselves, their products and services regardless of economic climate. His books, audio packages and seminars provide people of all professional backgrounds with the practical tools necessary to build their own economies towards the path to true freedom.

“Success is your duty, obligation, responsibility."