Day 4 — Purpose

Time: ~80 min · Goal: name what you’re here to contribute.

Purpose sits at the intersection of what you’re good at, what energizes you, and what the world needs from you specifically.

1. Unfair advantages (15 min)

What can you do, or do you see, that most people can’t or don’t? Don’t be modest — this isn’t bragging, it’s inventory.

Skills (technical and otherwise):

skills: ________

Experiences that gave you unusual perspective:

experiences: ________

Networks or access:

networks: ________

Ways of thinking that feel natural to you but aren’t to others:

ways of thinking: ________

2. Who and what (20 min)

• Who do you want to be useful to? Be specific — not “people” but a particular kind of person or group.

  who: ________

• What problem of theirs do you want to help with?

  problem: ________

• What would change in their world if you did your work well?

  what changes: ________

3. The contribution question (15 min)

Finish these sentences (multiple times if needed):

• “The world has enough __. It needs more __.”
• “The world has enough __. It needs more __.”
• “When I’m gone, I want it to be harder for people to __ because of work I did.”
• “The unique combination I bring is __ + __ + __.”

4. Draft three purpose statements (20 min)

Write three different versions — different angles, different lengths. Don’t try to make any one perfect.

Format: “To [verb] [for/with whom] [so that what].”

Examples:

• “To help the people I love feel genuinely known, so no one close to me carries things alone.”
• “To make the backcountry more accessible to people who weren’t raised in it.”

1. To __________
2. To __________
3. To __________

5. The eulogy test (10 min)

Imagine someone who knows you well speaking at your funeral. What would you want them to be able to say honestly about what you spent your life on?

eulogy: ________

Compare against your three drafts. Which one rings truest?

Draft # __ — because __

✓ End of Day 4 deliverable

A working purpose statement. It will keep evolving — that’s fine. → Continue to Day 5 — Synthesis.