Purpose
5 Reflection Questions for your Inner & Outer Purpose
1. The Desire Question: This question asks, “What do you want to do?” State your desire in specific terms by including these supporting details:
2. The Ability Question: This question asks, “What can you do?” Describe what you’re currently capable of doing. In other words, how will the knowledge, skills, resources, support, and opportunities gained from your prior experiences help you achieve your desired results?
3. The Responsibility Question: This question asks, “What must you do?” List the responsibilities that you must tend to. These may be voluntary responsibilities you choose to accept or they may be responsibilities imposed by your role, organization, sponsor, and so forth. Being honest about your responsibilities will help you create a growth plan that doesn’t include conflicts of interest.
4. The Commitment Question: This question asks, “What will you do?” Explain how committed you are to achieving your desired results. What are you willing to give up in order to grow up? What changes are you willing to make along the way?
5. The Requirement Question: This question asks, “What do you need?” Describe the gap in your knowledge, skills, resources, support, and opportunities that will need to be filled in to enable your success. As you list these required drivers, consider any challenges and obstacles that might get in your way and indicate what you will need to stay the course, follow through, and achieve your desired results.
This question is often overlooked, yet it’s a key element that will enable your critical behaviors. It’s not enough to want to change and know how to change; you also have to be able to change, which can only happen when you receive the needed wind for your sails.
1. The Desire Question: This question asks, “What do you want to do?” State your desire in specific terms by including these supporting details:
- How does your desire express who you are? You are more than what you do—you are a human being, not a human doing—so a complete response to the desire question will need to include how your desire supports your place in the fabric of the universe. It might help here to consider your values and virtues. You might not necessarily include these in your answer, but it may help you to sculpt your answer.
- Why is your desire important? What do you stand to lose if you don’t fulfill your mission? And what do you stand to gain if you do? What’s motivating you?
2. The Ability Question: This question asks, “What can you do?” Describe what you’re currently capable of doing. In other words, how will the knowledge, skills, resources, support, and opportunities gained from your prior experiences help you achieve your desired results?
3. The Responsibility Question: This question asks, “What must you do?” List the responsibilities that you must tend to. These may be voluntary responsibilities you choose to accept or they may be responsibilities imposed by your role, organization, sponsor, and so forth. Being honest about your responsibilities will help you create a growth plan that doesn’t include conflicts of interest.
4. The Commitment Question: This question asks, “What will you do?” Explain how committed you are to achieving your desired results. What are you willing to give up in order to grow up? What changes are you willing to make along the way?
5. The Requirement Question: This question asks, “What do you need?” Describe the gap in your knowledge, skills, resources, support, and opportunities that will need to be filled in to enable your success. As you list these required drivers, consider any challenges and obstacles that might get in your way and indicate what you will need to stay the course, follow through, and achieve your desired results.
This question is often overlooked, yet it’s a key element that will enable your critical behaviors. It’s not enough to want to change and know how to change; you also have to be able to change, which can only happen when you receive the needed wind for your sails.
