What’s your purpose?
Author’s note: I’m not a life coach and I have no aspirations to be one. I’m not offering consulting services on how to find or enact a person’s life purpose. This post came from my own personal work because I’m at a crossroads. I’m sharing it because I found this work to be a revelation. I hope you’ll find it useful.
FIRST: Define the Objective for ChatGPT
So that ChatGPT understands we’re working on a bigger project, not just a one-and-done quick question, we need to let ChatGPT know that the scope of the chat is bigger than any one individual question or answer. This will prevent ChatGPT from jumping the gun and trying to create a full assessment based on incomplete information.
Copy and paste the following into a new ChatGPT 4 chat:
I’m working on a project to define my life purpose through a series of questions and reflections. I’m going to go through a series of prompts and I’d like you to reply to the prompts, but I do not want you to provide a full assessment until I ask you to. This is a multi-step process covering many elements of my life and experiences. If I give what appears to be a partial answer, please ask me if I would like to continue with my answer. Do you understand? Are you ready for the first prompt?
This provides context for ChatGPT, which will help it give you the best (and least frustrating) experience.
When ChatGPT provides you with a list of questions, copy and paste the list of questions into your chat reply, and answer one at a time. You can use [shift + return] to create new line breaks. If you accidentally send a partial answer, stop ChatGPT (by hitting the “send” button, which will be a square when ChatGPT is generating) and finish your answer.
NEXT: Walking Through the Elements of Yourself
We’re going to start by answering (as thoroughly as possible) a set of questions that are personal to YOU. ChatGPT can provide questions for you to answer. Depending on your history using ChatGPT, these could be tailored to you. Even if you have no history using ChatGPT, it’s pretty good at intuiting what questions to ask.
Step 1: Core Motivations, Strengths, and Values
ChatGPT helps you define your core motivations, strengths, and values by creating questions (copy and paste this prompt):
I want to explore what is most fulfilling to me. Can you ask me a seven thoughtful questions to help uncover my core motivations, strengths, and values?
This will produce a list of questions. Copy and paste these questions into your reply and answer one at a time.
The more thoroughly you answer the questions, the better your ultimate result will be.
Important: If ChatGPT starts analyzing your answers, press the “stop” button and remind ChatGPT that you’re doing a longer exercise that requires multiple stages. Yes, this is kind of frustrating. ChatGPT is just trying to be helpful and doesn’t understand that humans have far more context than a single response.
Step 2: Success, Impact & Insights
Success & Fulfillment
Success and fulfillment is very personal and nuanced. The more you can get in touch with what’s personally fulfilling to you, the better you can craft the experiences that will provide more personal fulfillment. In turn, that will help you feel most successful in your days, and, ultimately, in your life.
Copy and paste this prompt into ChatGPT:
Let’s define what fulfills me personally. Can you help me reflect on how I define success and fulfillment by asking me some thoughtful questions about times I have created meaningful impact?
Obviously, this is important, right? I feel like it’s self-evident that we need to explore this with ChatGPT as thoroughly as possible in order to get the best results. But as the old saying goes, “If it goes without saying, it’s probably worth saying,” so please be as thorough as possible.
Lessons & Information
Our brain pays attention selectively. It only absorbs information it believes is crucial to our objectives, and discards everything unnecessary. What we have learned and how we have learned these lessons reveals what is important to us.
Copy and paste this prompt into ChatGPT:
Can you guide me through a reflection on the key life lessons I’ve learned? What moments, relationships, or experiences have shaped my perspective the most?
This is an opportunity to reflect on the lessons you’ve learned, not just in “book education,” but in your view of the world, your perspectives on people, and how you feel about your place in relation to what’s around you.
Relationships
We are social creatures. How we relate to others and organize ourselves around society tells us a lot about our beliefs.
Copy and paste this prompt into ChatGPT:
I would like you to help me analyze the patterns in my relationships—both personal and professional. Can you ask me 5 - 7 questions about how I see other people and society?
It’s important to note, of course, that many of our ways of relating to other people are based on things that happened to us before we were 5 years old… not just in terms of trauma, but in how we saw the support systems and interdependencies of humans overall.
In looking at these views of relationships, you may want to think about whether these perspectives are supporting or undermining your happiness. If they’re undermining your happiness, can you think of examples of people who have alternative belief systems that seem more supportive of happiness? Could you open your mind to alternative ways of relating to people?
Step 3: Identify Core Strengths & Natural Tendencies
We don’t always see our own core strengths and natural tendencies because we assume everyone has these attributes. This is a blind spot, but it’s a crucial step in clearly defining your purpose. You have these strengths and natural tendencies because you’re supposed to use them. But without awareness of these strengths, you will not be able to leverage them.
Copy and paste this prompt into ChatGPT:
Based on my answers so far, can you help me identify my natural strengths and tendencies? Are there patterns in how I approach challenges?
[If you have your Meyers-Briggs personality type, Strengthfinders Results, COLBE score, or any other assessments, include it for the ChatGPT]
You might be delighted by how insightful ChatGPT is based on your answers thus far (but wait! there’s more!). Use ChatGPT’s reflections as a starting point to add your own reflections.
Do you agree with this assessment?
Are there more strengths you’d like to highlight or explore?
Do you see nuance that ChatGPT has simplified? For example, does it say you bring a grounded approach to everything you do, but you feel like you struggle to remain grounded in highly emotional situations?
Engage in a dialog. I find these exchanges helpful in practicing emotionally mature and thoughtful conversation in general. And specifically, in this case, you’ll be able to get a deeper perspective into your strengths, which will serve you on many levels.
Step 4: Discover the Common Threads
So far, we’ve explored:
Core motivations & values
Past experiences of meaningful impact
Strengths & our approach to challenges
These three elements provide insights into past, present, and future. This is the road we’re currently walking.
Copy and paste this prompt into ChatGPT:
Looking at everything I’ve shared, what are the common themes? What are the through-lines that connect my favorite projects, ideas, and experiences?
I think this is where it starts to get fun and “AH-HA”-ey.
Does ChatGPT’s assessment feel true to you?
Do you have things to add?
Step 5: The Results
OK! READY FOR THE REVEAL???
Copy and paste this prompt into ChatGPT:
I have gone through a structured process to reflect on my purpose, strengths, challenges, and patterns in my life. Now, I’d like you to synthesize everything I’ve shared into a comprehensive assessment of my personal mission, strengths, limitations, and best path forward.
Organize your response using the following sections:
1. Core Purpose & Personal Mission
• Summarize what truly drives me based on my reflections.
• What deeper impact do I want to have on the world?
• How do my responses suggest a “through-line” or unifying theme in my work and life?
2. Key Strengths & Fulfillment Drivers
• What activities, experiences, and types of work bring me the most energy and joy?
• Identify patterns in what I’ve described as my most fulfilling or meaningful moments.
• What unique skills, gifts, or talents do I repeatedly demonstrate?
3. Challenges & Natural Limitations
• What patterns emerge in the things that drain me or make me disengage?
• Where do I tend to struggle or get stuck?
• What personal tendencies do I need to be aware of so I can work with them instead of against them?
4. Personality & Cognitive Profiles
• Based on what I’ve shared, summarize insights from personality frameworks such as Enneagram, Kolbe, StrengthsFinder, Myers-Briggs, DISC, or Human Design (if I provided them).
• What natural working styles or cognitive preferences shape how I best operate?
5. Definition of Success
• How do I personally define success (beyond external achievements)?
• What does an ideal, fulfilling life look like based on my values and motivations?
• What recurring themes appear in what I consider meaningful work?
6. Personal Commitments for Growth
• Based on my reflections, what key mindset shifts or habits would help me grow?
• What limiting beliefs or patterns should I actively work to change?
• What mantras, principles, or commitments would help me stay aligned with my purpose?
This will probably deliver a LOT OF INSIGHTS. Copy and paste this into a document and print it out and stick it on your mirror, because this is an important reflection on what you’re bringing to the world.
Step 5 (optional): Brainstorm & Evaluate Potential Focus Areas
I undertook this exercise because I’m at a crossroads and I want to consider the potential paths ahead of me, both visible and hidden. For me, I am not ready to commit to a multi-year direction, but I do think it’s important to sit behind the wheel of my own life.
These areas of focus can be short or long-term. As long as you have defined them based on the elements we’ve discussed thus far, you’ll be undertaking a worthy endeavor.
Copy and paste this prompt into ChatGPT:
I have many ideas for what I want to work on. Can you help me brainstorm, refine, and evaluate which ideas align best with my strengths, interests, and financial goals?
Noodle. It’s what your noodle is there for.
Step 6 (optional): Create a 90-Day Plan with Metrics
My ultimate goal in this exercise was creating a 90-day Plan, so this is where my tires met the asphalt.
I needed to define action & traction.
If you’re looking for a 90-Day Plan (and you’ve come so far, so why not?), this is a very fun moment.
Copy and paste this prompt into ChatGPT:
Based on my chosen focus area, can you help me create a 90-day action plan with milestones, metrics, and a way to track my progress?
How does this feel? Does it look real? Achievable? Does it take into account all the other things you have going on in your life?
Sometimes ChatGPT doesn’t understand what’s literally possible… to ChatGPT, writing this blog post would take absolutely zero seconds at all (but I’ve spent about 2.5 hours on it). It’s not very good at assessing the bounds of human abilities.
In case you’re wondering why I decided to personally write this instead of having ChatGPT write it for me, it’s because I have found ChatGPT to miss the core themes I personally am trying to convey.
Step 7 (optional): Tracking & Accountability
I have many plans, but I often lose track of them if I’m not actively participating in them. In order to stay on-track for the 90-day plan, we have to set up some kind of systems for tracking and accountability.
Copy and paste this prompt into ChatGPT:
Can you help me set up a system for checking in on my progress weekly? How can I stay curious instead of getting stuck in anxiety or perfectionism?
RIGHT ON! Now we’ve got a tangible 90-day plan, we’ve got metrics, and we’ve got accountability. WE ARE LOOKING SO S.M.A.R.T (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound: the characteristics of a great goal!).
Not only that, we’ve got a beautiful reflection of who we are and what drives us.
Here You Are: You Are Here📍
Wow, right? You did this. You ARE this.
A core theme in my own work is helping people see themselves for the amazingness and wonderfulness they are, and helping them step into the fullness of who they are at their best.
I see this in you. It is my deepest hope that you’ll see this in you, too.
How did this work for you? How does it feel?
