Defining the authentic path beyond the ambition of status and wealth

I’m the type of person who struggles to articulate work that doesn’t make sense to me. It’s as if my happiness depends on the type of work I do on a daily basis. But it goes deeper than that. It may not be a fun job, but if it leads to macro-level motivation in life, I will do my best without hesitation.

I am against the cliché of following your passion and living a meaningful life. It’s surface level and misleading. Some, like me, understand it to be black and white, while others are left empty and trampled upon by years of ignorant work.

Entrepreneurship is a career you build yourself. It is not so proficient as a clear path is laid out by educational institutions and companies that give timelines for reaching a certain level of status and income. On the contrary, entrepreneurship is ambiguous with no clear direction. It’s as if you’ve been thrown into the thickest jungle with hundreds of trails in front of you, choosing to pick up a machete to hack your way to success.

Uncertainty and risk is the name of the game when you choose to pledge allegiance to originality over familiarity. Only by understanding yourself can you live your highest potential future self.

Entrepreneurs, more than any other profession, must be adept at finding their authentic path without being distracted by status and wealth ambitions.

This is how I found meaningful purpose.

inner compass

Over the past few years, I have certainly been obsessed with self-improvement and personal growth. We’re starting to get more clarity about what we can deliver. But all of this still didn’t help me wake up in the morning and run with momentum.

True meaning translates into clear direction, which builds confidence. It’s like a compass that tells you which direction to go. Especially when I find myself lost and confused.

I’ve found something like Simon Sinek’s Golden Circle to be very useful. The core message of this model is that we act as our most authentic selves from within, not from the outside.

Unfortunately, it lacks a key ingredient: goals. It doesn’t help translate core objectives into clear, actionable steps. The Golden Circle touches on meaning rather than purpose. But isn’t this the same? it’s not. There are differences:

• meaning most similar to ancient greek LogosIt translates directly into having a clear purpose or reason for life.
• Purpose most similar to ancient greek TelosIt translates directly into having an ultimate cause or ultimate purpose or purpose.

The Golden Circle helps define clear meaning, but gives no real purpose. This is where the North Star thinking comes into play. It is used in startup culture as a long-term predictive measure of success. More simply, the meaning is where it comes from and where the purpose is going.

Here’s a model showing how they work together.

build a compass

Meaning is probably the hardest thing to define for yourself, but the Golden Circle is a good place to start. It may feel counter-intuitive to first define the intangible, but you cannot find long-term purpose without understanding the meaning of life.

After creating the Golden Circle from the inside, it’s time to tackle the North Star. Asking yourself simple questions makes it easier. What would my life be like if it exceeded all my expectations? … the goal is to:

1. self » Desirable traits, avoidable traits and habits
2. other » Family, friendships, loved ones.
3. career » Wealth, networks, status.
4. private » Health, Hobbies, Assets.

Outline 2-3 bullet points for each quarter of the North Star. Add whatever elements you like. The whole compass should resonate deeply with you and remain relevant to you and to you alone.

Any form of resonance triggers an instinctive urge to act immediately.

Aim for this sense of flow as you evolve and revisit Compass iterations. Then consider sharing it with the world. I have my public

Aligning your meaning and purpose with your vision of your ideal future self will point your compass in the right direction and instantly become who you want to be. See you tomorrow, and every day from now on.

Bootstrappers Compass isn’t just for independent entrepreneurs. It can apply to anyone’s personal life. I have spent hours personally working to define my compass, and I know how difficult it can be to define one. I created CREATOR OS, a guide for the base. Sometimes all you need is a guiding hand.

All humans struggle with who they are and who they want to be.