Purpose 1. The object toward which one strives or for which something exists; an aim or a goal. 2. A result or effect that is intended or desired; an intention. The Free Dictionary by Farlex |
What I love about that definition are the questions that arise in me as I read it.
For what do I exist?
and
Am I achieving the intended result?
So much of life, if you don't pay attention, can be lived out in survival mode.
What do I have to do today to get from A to Z?
Believe me, I know.
That's how I've lived for far too long.
I think that sort of happens without even a conscious thought.
Especially for us multi-tasking mamas.
Well, I desire to break out of that way of life...care to join me?
First, we'll need a goal, an intention.
How do you wish to live?
What do you want your life to say?
These are the questions that prompted my husband and I to think about our purpose as a family, which then led us to draw up our own family purpose statement.
I told you about that here yesterday.
This can be done no matter the season of life you find yourself in, whether single, married with out children, or, like we are, married with 3 young boys. The point is to take the time to consider who you are and how you'd like to live your life. It's getting down on paper what you're all about and what's important to you.
Now, when thinking about your family's purpose, remember a couple of things as you begin...
There are no wrong answers. This is going to be different for everyone, as it should be. It does help to see others' statements to get an idea of what this looks like, but ultimately this is yours.
Own it.
and...
Keep it simple.
It's best not to be too narrow in what you create. This is not a to-do list or a place to outline goals, although you'll use it to help you with those things later. This should be something that works for you and your kids today and ten years from now.
Let me give you our family's purpose statement as an example and maybe it'll get your wheels turning on your own...
As a family, we want to pursue God and glorify Him in all we say, do, and are. We will:
Put others first, be respectful, and speak with kind words.
Create a welcoming home that is full of love, peace, beauty, and order.
Care for our bodies by eating healthy foods and exercising regularly.
Enjoy and protect the environment that God created.
Laugh.
Be good stewards of our finances.
Embrace and nurture the gifts and talents in each of us.
Spend quality time together and cherish every moment.
Contribute to our community by sharing our time, talents, and other resources.
Be lifelong learners.
Extend LOVE to those around us!
Some questions to consider in making your own statement could be...
1. What are 3 words that come to mind when I think of how I want my home to feel and function?
2. What moves me?
3. What are the gifts and talents of each family member?
4. What areas in our lives do we need/desire to improve upon?
5. What would others say about our family?
6. What would we like them to say 10 years from now?
7. What do we want our family to value?
And so on...
I recommend 2 books that taught me about the importance of Family Purpose Statements and helped my family to put one together. They are The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families by Stephen R. Covey and Organized Simplicity by Tsh Oxenreider.
On Monday I'll talk about how to use your Family Purpose Statement as a helpful tool
in
Seeking Peace in the Midst of the Mess.
It works!
Click here for {Day 17} Directions, Please.
Have you missed a day in reading 31 Days of Seeking Peace in the Midst of the Mess ?
If you aren't following Loving This Life yet, I’d love to invite you to do so. Simply click here or go to the side bar and click on join this site. There are also options on the side bar to subscribe to receive posts in a reader or to sign up for email to have each post delivered to you right into your inbox.
There are over 700 bloggers taking the challenge, along with me, to write about one topic for 31 days.
0 comments:
Post a Comment