VI. 100% Purpose Driven to Achieve Greatness

You may have noticed in the Spartan Body Blueprint that I speak about a concept I call The Spartan Trifection. The Trifection is the application of training your Mind, Body and Soul to getting in ripped, warrior-like shape. Cuz you need all 3 to make it work.

Today we’re focusing on the Soul component.

To really drive this home, I’ve developed The Modern Spartan Ethos which contains 7 traits.

The second trait is 100% Purpose Driven.

Now I have to tell you that the second trait is very often skipped by guys because they often just want to jump right into action without planning. This ultimately comes back to bite them hard later. Seems some guys just don’t like to plan.

Bummer.

Successful guys, Spartan Guys, are purpose driven.

They think about what they want to accomplish and they set goals and align their life to meet those goals.

They don’t wander through life aimlessly, wasting away.

They create a mission and a purpose and they seek to fulfill it by whatever means necessary.

Their purpose is larger than themselves; for a Spartan knows only then can he achieve greatness.

Having a defined Purpose is really powerful stuff for the times when things are going well and more importantly for those times when things get bumpy.

We all know life isn’t perfect and having a defined Purpose in life makes it a lot easier to get back in the grove and continue where we left off when those imperfect times come. This is true for when we’re working out or for any journey of growth – whether its with our bodies, our relationships or our careers. There are always going to be ups and downs – that’s just the way it is. Life’s not a straight line – the reality is that it zigzags all over the place, and our

Purpose is what pulls you through those zigzags and helps get you to your destination. It acts like a guardrail on the road of life.

When you embark on the journey such as changing your physique as we’re doing in the Spartan Body Blueprint, its a good idea to ask yourself… why you want to do this?

When you’re trying to change we need to go a little deeper, especially if you’re trying to build strength, to determine the purpose for our training.

Maybe you’re trying to set a good example for your family, be a good role model for your kids, inspire your coworkers to get in shape, or just get strong because others look up and depend on you (i.e. fireman, police officers).

Maybe you want to get in shape and stay in shape because you now have a family and want to live a healthier, longer life. Whatever the reason, it will help you if you have a purpose in the back of your mind to guide you. It will help you pull through when you’re tired or not in the mood to workout.

Having a purpose and a goal is always a good thing for important aspects of of our lives.

Let’s take a real life example about goals and purpose and see how they apply.

When you are going on a flight somewhere, do you just show up at the airport and ask the agent at the counter for a ticket?

Ummm – no.

You tell them where you want to go, when you want to return and you need to know the purpose for your trip.

The trip is the goal (i.e. destination) and the purpose of the trip (i.e. business, pleasure) impacts where you go, how you get there, what you bring, where you stay, and what you do when you get there.

If the purpose is vacation, you’re probably going to bring fun stuff along, pack more casual clothes, download some movies for the plane, get hotel reservations in advance, rent a car and check out some restaurants online ahead of time and maybe book some excursions.

If the purpose is business you’ll be packing different clothes, bringing work documents and probably won’t be going on any excursions.

In either case, both types of trips have a goal and a purpose.

It’s the same way in the Modern Spartan Ethos.

Your goal might be to build a ripped Spartan Physique but wouldn’t it be helpful to know why you want to do all this work?

Do you want to show confidence and attract a mate? Maybe you have a class reunion coming up and you want to look your best. If so your goal is to get into great shape and your Purpose is so you can look your best can and put forth the best version of yourself to those around you.

The same principle applies in the business world.

Do you think people who run Google just show up for work each day and plod along?

No, they take time to plan, to develop a core Purpose and a Mission and they work towards it each and every day.

This helps guide business decisions; helps them when they hit bumps in the road and it makes the people that work in those organizations know what it is their working towards each day.

Occasionally they reevaluate what it is they want to get done or ‘be when they grow up’ but successful organizations always have a Core Purpose and set Goals.

Setting Goals and a defining a Purpose helps ensure that you keep moving forward especially when times get tough.

We can zoom out and do the same thing from your life’s standpoint.

This is the kind of thing that you’ll want to think about every once in a while. This kind of heavy strategic thinking is best done occasionally.

One way to help define your life’s purpose is to think about what excites you.

Maybe you enjoy driving, or playing music or working with kids.

Ask yourself – when am I the most happy?

In the past 6 months when was I the happiest… & why?

Examine yourself internally and try to discover your passions.

When you find something that’s made you happy in your life, ask yourself what you’re doing when that happens. If you get that way when you train that’s great but it’s probably not the purpose of your life. But maybe that purpose will lead you to ending up helping others.

One of my clients was so inspired by the difference I made in his life and the life of others that he decided to get certified as a trainer so he could help others get in shape.

The faster you get started the faster you are going to get to the core of what your purpose is. Not only are you going to be more effective, but your energy level is going to go through the roof because you’re going to want to jump up each day and get your day started. You can take it well beyond your fitness training and you can apply it to the rest of your life.

One good suggestion might be to keep a journal and jot down some notes about what you’re thinking about when you’re happy.

You should come back to it quarterly and review it. You might start seeing a pattern that’ll help you determine your life’s Purpose.

I can tell you that when you do figure it out you will a much better man because of it.

But no matter what you do remember, never retreat, never surrender and keep moving forward!