Finding Purpose, step 1 | Conor Neill

How to get clear on your Purpose, step 1...
Write something down. Anything.

What do you want to do during your life? Bucket list, problems you want to fix, experiences you want to have.

Write them all down.

That’s step 1.

My friend David Tomas and I went to a 3 day workshop with Dr John DeMartini about 10 years ago called “Your Master Life Plan”. For 3 straight days we sat in silence in a room in London and we wrote a plan for our life. Mine is 150 pages of word document. It is exactly what I described – a big list of every place I ever wanted to go, every thing I ever wanted to learn, every person that matters, every teacher that impacted me, every dream I have… and a set of financial plans that would allow me to make it happen.

I haven’t done everything that is in the document. I get demotivated and forget to review it often. I have days where I ask myself “what is it all about?”

I have a map and a compass (this document) that can get me back on track.

You have to write it down.
…and then you iterate it many, many, many times. You come back to it regularly and add things that are even better and delete things that don’t resonate any more.

After 100 iterations you have something that can re-motivate you about why you are here.

After 1,000 iterations you should start to have something that really reminds you what is important and how to use your time.

Is there a shortcut?
…of course not. This is too important an aspect of your life to cut corners. Imagine if you just copied someone else’s purpose document? You’d end up living a great life, for them.

…and iterations are vital – because often what you think is important or meaningful when you are young turns out to not quite be the experience you expected.

Put it where you will see it often
It is not the writing down that matters. It is the iterating and repeatedly reminding yourself of what you think is important.

The problem is not that you don’t know what matters to you and what activities are most important – it is that you forget or get distracted so often.

Hi, I’m Conor Neill, I speak and write about Persuasion, the art of Moving People to Action. I have the privilege of being father to two great little daughters. I live in Barcelona, Spain.

Conor is a sought-after keynote speaker on Leadership. He teaches Leadership Communications at IESE Business School and is the President of Vistage in Spain, part of the world’s leading CEO organisation. As an entrepreneur, he has founded 5 companies, selling 16 private jets and building the 3rd largest fleet of private jets in Spain. He is a visiting professor at University College Dublin, the University of Montevideo and Permanent Faculty on Entrepreneurs’ Organisation’s Global Leadership Academy.

What is Persuasion?
* What does it take to move people to action?
* What does it take to have impact when you communicate?
* How can I inspire the people around me to be the best version of themselves?
These are questions that I answer. I answer these questions with tools that work for politicians, business leaders, entrepreneurs and professors.

Where do I begin?

Speak as a Leader is an email driven course. You will learn to deliver speeches that are interesting and lively so that you can capture and maintain your audience’s attention.

[alexanderhalili]

Superb reflections once again my mentor Connor...Learned a lot from you sir keep them coming....A very nice place as well...

[herath]

Climbing to the highest and speaking to the highest

[Titanassaurus]

Thank you..Once upon a time..I was on my journey to find my purpose and I found Islam...and I found Allah...I hope you do too

[michalispapyrakis]

I am trying to find a video, a speech from you that I wouldn't engage and disagree :-), thank you Conor, valuable staff generously shared as always..

[pavolvarga]

Thanks for your hart, open for sharing your thoughts,
but above all that mentioned in the video,
all that is to me quite sad - what I want, what I want, ...

Recently, I am thinking, what is the best what I can do in my life,
what will be the best to-do, how to spend my life and give a meaning to it -
I am close to thinking, that it could be - spend my life - for others.

And I just wonder,
that pursuing the meaning of life is maybe one of the main attribute,
what makes the man different from an animal.

[franramos_franbuesa]

Thanks for sharing your Demartini experience!. I just had to wait 11 months to read about it ;) 50 people paying someone watch them while they reflect about themselves..., but the experience and his presence probably brought to you all much more, right?. I just read his books and did the exercises and it already made an impact on me.


(From Picos de Europa, just know the Cares side, different and yet so beautiful too!)

[catherinecatto]

The perfect vehicle for doing exactly what you have described Conor, is at www.allicantellyou.com. Here you can put together your life story and keep an interactive journal, with features and support to make the very most of our precious time on earth and to become emotionally resilient.

[MrBraffZachlin]

why does he always look like all he is thinking while he reads que cards is - "don't forget to smile...don't forget to smile ...don't forget to smile"

[salvadorg]

Clean up my clutter that is my purpose in life