Jack Canfield contends that without understanding and defining your “life’s Purpose” your goals and action plans may not ultimately fulfill you. 

Back in 2008, I was invited to be a contributing author of a book called Bootstrap Business, with Jack Canfield, Tom Hopkins and John Christensen.  The book was about how the entrepreneurial spirit shapes success.   In it, I told the story of my “spectacular failure” and what I learned about myself in that process.   I told that same story in a blog called Fail Fast – I’d Rather Not.

Failure is the great clarifier.  Everything is literally stripped away and when no one is looking, how you behave is who you really are.  Following (or if you are fortunate, in the midst of) failure, you find out what is really important and if you keep your eyes on the long term, you emerge even stronger, determined to move directly toward fulfilling what you were really called here to do.  

Your entrepreneurial spirit begins with how you define your purpose and how you organize your activities around that purpose to stay focused on only the activities and actions that are aligned with your purpose.

Some entrepreneurs would say that they work to live, to achieve a certain lifestyle, whether it be the ability to travel or to buy things or have a certain type of house or car.  For me, I work to give, which is why I call myself a philanthropreneur and operate a business incubator that helps me achieve the goal of having more to give each year.   A philanthropreneur is simply an entrepreneur that is focused on the greater purpose than the business itself.   For me, that is changing the world, one trip at a time.

In my business, Solutionz Technologies, I have developed game changing technology for booking travel to venues and events.  But the real game changer is in the business model where we choose to give 10% of our revenues from those bookings to the charity of choice of our clients.  One of my advisors continually challenges me on whether this is “paying off” with our clients.  I repeatedly remind him that is not why we are doing it.  If it were an action just to get a response, it would be disingenuous.  Giving is not what we do, it is who we are.  

My greatest pleasure is to be able to have the financial flexibility to give back to others.  That isn’t just in writing a check for my local church or giving to someone in need, but it is being able to use my time and my talents to help others grow and to achieve their dreams.  It is also about being able to employ others and contribute to their personal growth, as well as their financial future.

I want to leave a legacy.  Some of those legacies will be seen and directly related back to me.  Many will happen behind the scenes.  I’m totally ok with that.

As we move into 2017, think about what you have accomplished and what you have planned.  Does it have long term impact?  

What is your legacy?