I have worked with dozens of successful, but unfulfilled, entrepreneurs. Here’s how I helped them find purpose.

If I asked you, “What is your legacy?” What would you say? Is it your loved ones, your estate, the foundation you founded, and if you are an entrepreneur or business owner, is it the company you founded that defines who you are and how you will probably be remembered?

For many people in the business world, this is a query they only ask themselves later in life. At the starting of our skilled lives, we focus on short-term results, working hard, and doing every thing we are able to to make our company profitable. This stage of life often requires dealing with on a regular basis challenges related to running a business, in addition to starting or raising a family.

In my experience, few of us ever take the time to look forward to where we wish to be in the long run future and what our legacy will probably be. However, I imagine it is equally necessary to explore these issues early in life – not only when we are older and when our youngsters grow up and leave home.

Ultimately, it’s about finding achievement. However, too often we focus on achieving the end goal: selling the company after a long time of exertions, securing a comfortable retirement, and having the means to support your loved ones after you are gone. Most of our long-term goals are based on financial success. While these are definitely necessary goals, I have worked with dozens of successful entrepreneurs who have achieved tremendous business and financial success but remain fundamentally unfulfilled.

Many of the same entrepreneurs I have worked with go through their entire lives checking various boxes, from starting and selling a business to buying a second (third or fourth) home, to acquiring the real sports automobile that they once had on their bedroom wall as they grew up on… poster or traveling to East Africa to see the Big Five. Many of these actions or acquisitions happen under the guise of searching for happiness, certainty, or meaning.

Bestselling writer and Harvard professor Arthur Brooks calls this the “wish list trap.” We all know about the wish list; many of it’s possible you’ll have them. This is a list of all the things you need to see, do and achieve before you die.

As Brooks writes From strength to strength: finding success, happiness and deep purpose in the second half of life, there is a risk that your sense of purpose and meaning may fall by the wayside as you chase items on your list simply to say you probably did it, relatively than for the achievement they’ll bring you or the impact they’ll have on the world around you.

To be clear, there’s nothing improper with the pleasure of chasing your wish list. If you dream of mountaineering to Machu Picchu or buying your dream automobile, go for it! Just don’t do it for the sake of checking boxes, because in my experience it rarely results in achievement.

Finding achievement can appear to be an elusive goal – is it providing for your loved ones, creating wealth, being a philanthropist, or protecting the environment? This is such a broad and nebulous topic that when I work with clients, I try to interrupt it down into two parts: internal purpose and external purpose.

In its simplest form, internal purpose refers to living as the best version of yourself, and external purpose refers to living for something greater than yourself.

Intrinsic goal: Authentic self-regulation

Inner purpose is about living as the best and most authentic version of yourself. It involves aligning your mental, physical, spiritual and emotional well-being. When these 4 areas of your life are balanced, you create a foundation of self-awareness and self-connection, which are essential ingredients for achievement. Business owners and entrepreneurs should focus on:

1. Mental well-being: Cultivate a growth mindset and resilience. Engage in continuous learning and personal development. Try to manage with the constant stress of running a business and managing your life by practicing mindfulness and focusing on maintaining a positive attitude.
2. Physical well-being: We won’t ever give you the option to focus enough on physical health. This is truly the most significant thing that sustains our ability to realize our purpose and find achievement. Regular exercise, a healthy eating regimen and adequate rest are most significant, but these are often the first things we sacrifice during busy times. A healthy body supports a healthy mind, enabling you to perform at your best in all areas of your life.
3. Spiritual well-being: Connect with your core values ​​and beliefs. This may include meditation, reflection, or involvement in a community that shares your values. This doesn’t have to involve a yoga retreat or vision quest – it will probably be so simple as being part of a golf club or going to church. Spiritual well-being provides a sense of purpose and direction, often anchored in connection to community.
4. Emotional well-being: Develop emotional intelligence by understanding and managing your emotions. Build strong relationships with friends, family and even peers in the business world and seek their advice and support when needed. Emotional health is key to maintaining balance and making informed, thoughtful decisions.

External Purpose: Connecting and contributing

External purpose is living for something greater than yourself. It involves fostering connections and making meaningful contributions to family, friends, community and the world. For business owners and entrepreneurs, this needs to be based on:

1. Family: Make sure your online business supports and enhances family life, not the other way around. Building a successful business or organization often requires us to sacrifice time with our families. In small amounts this will likely work, but in the future you’ll want to balance your skilled and personal responsibilities. It’s a balance I’ve struggled to realize over the years, but it’s essential to private achievement and business success.
2. Friends: Build a network of supportive friends and colleagues. Share your journey with them and offer support in return. Strong relationships provide an exceptional level of achievement and build networks that may support and grow your online business. Apart from my immediate family, it is my friends who proceed to encourage and motivate me.
3. Community: Be an lively member of your local people – whether you connect with your private home state, city or your personal neighborhood. Take part in local sports and charity events, support community projects and give back through volunteering or sponsoring. Be visible in your community, which can aid you achieve each personal and business profits.
4. World: Consider your organization’s broader impact on the world. Does it contribute to a higher planet and a higher future, or does it extract greater than it contributes? Implement sustainable practices, support social causes and strive to create products or services that positively contribute to society. An organization with a clear external purpose can attract loyal customers and partners who share your values.

Cycle of positive reinforcement

When you reside authentically and take care of your well-being, you are higher equipped to attach and contribute to the world around you. These external connections and contributions, in turn, strengthen your internal sense of purpose and well-being.

I firmly imagine that when you incorporate the concepts of internal purpose and external purpose into your personal and skilled life, you’ll create a positive cycle of reinforcement that can create a legacy anchored in personal achievement while making a significant impact on the world. What higher legacy could there be than this?