Here are the 4 Stages of Purpose:

1. The Preparation Stage – This stage includes your birth, the family you were born into, your weaknesses and strengths, gifts, passions, the place you were born, and the experiences, challenges, and the lessons you have learned throughout your life that prepare you to be planted. It is this stage that makes you unique and provides you with the characteristics that determine what you will grow into and become. When you progress to the other stages of purpose and look back at the preparation stage of your life, you’ll realize that everything in your past prepared you for the work you are meant to do. Your greatest challenge likely served as the preparation to help you live and share your greatest purpose; and the worst event of your life often prepares you for the greatest assignment of your life.

2. The Planting Stage – The planting stage begins once we decide to plant ourselves where we are to be our best and make a difference. For many, this means planting yourself in your current job. For others, it might mean starting your own business, non-profit or initiative. For some it might mean a decision to let go of your selfish desire and vision and allow yourself to be used for a bigger purpose. The important thing is to realize that everything in your life has prepared you to be planted. You just have to decide to do the planting. During the planting stage you may not know what your bigger purpose is, however you simply start by living with purpose and have a desire to make a difference. Just as the seed must die to itself so it can give life to something greater we must plant ourselves and serve others to become all that we are meant to be. Once you plant yourself, then you proceed to the next stage.

3. The Growth Stage – When you decide to plant yourself you will begin to grow almost immediately. In this stage the seed gives birth to the plant. This is where you grow and your roots spread. You will experience all the right conditions to ensure your growth. Beginner’s luck happens here. The right people show up and the right situations present themselves in order for you to grow. You will experience events that help you soar to new heights, but you will also face adversity and challenges that strengthen your roots. You will experience nourishment that helps you grow in order to reach the final stage. And you will be pruned like a bush and experience things that appear to be setbacks but are really designed to help you fully grow into all you are meant to become. You will experience moments when you say, ‘I can do this’ and ‘I’m on the right path,’ and you will also experience challenges and face people who test your will and make you doubt yourself and your path. Unfortunately, far too many people give up in the growth stage. The tests become too powerful and overwhelming, and their will and faith falter. Sadly enough, many give up just as they are about to move to the fourth and final stage. If they had persevered throughout, they would have been able to experience the greatest feeling in the world.

4. The Harvest Stage – This is the stage where you reap the harvest you have sown with your seed. During the harvest stage your purpose becomes so clear you can say it in a simple sentence. It’s a time of great abundance. You give, you give, and you give, and you are replenished. What you give comes back to you exponentially. When you reach the harvest stage you are able to look back and see how all the stages are connected. Your past prepares you to be planted. You plant yourself so you can grow. You grow so you can produce a harvest that will produce fruit and your fruit produces seeds in others that change lives.

Note: I believe that as we progress to different stages we also still experience elements of previous stages. For example, if you are in the harvest stage you will still feel the desire to plant yourself and experience moments of growth. We also may go through several cycles of the 4 stages in our life.

What stage of purpose are you in? Share your thoughts about the 4 stages of purpose in the comments section below.

Have you read The Seed? We’ve heard from a number of people who, after reading it, have had amazing things happen to them. Do you have a story? Share your thoughts below or on our Facebook page.
 

1. THE BEST KNOW WHAT THEY WANT
I think a lot of people spend their life being average or good at something, but they don’t strive to be great. The best of the best not only know what they want, but they want it more.

2. THE BEST WANT IT MORE
We cannot measure desire in terms of merely thought and wishes. The best not only do the things that others won’t do and invest the time others won’t invest, but they do so with passion and intent to get better. The best are never satisfied with where they are.

3. THE BEST ARE ALWAYS STRIVING TO BE BETTER
If you are striving to get better, then you are always growing. And if you are always growing, then you are not comfortable. To be the best, you have to be willing to be uncomfortable, and embrace it as a part of your growth process. The best see where there is room for improvement and their humility and passion drives them to improve. The average ones however, don’t see it or don’t want to see it. The fact is past success does not determine future success. Future success is the result of how you work and prepare and practice and how you strive to improve every day. It’s a commitment that the best of the best make every week, every day, every hour, and every moment. Force yourself to be uncomfortable.

4. THE BEST DO ORDINARY THINGS BETTER THAN EVERYONE ELSE
Work hard on the right things. It means you must identify the very “little things” that are fundamental to your success, and then you must focus on them, practice them, and strive to execute them to perfection.

5. THE BEST ZOOM-FOCUS
There is no secret recipe. If you incrementally improve each day, each week, each month, by the end of the year you’ll see remarkable results and growth. When you zoom-focus on the process, the outcome takes care of itself. Master the fundamentals.

6. THE BEST ARE MENTALLY STRONGER
Being mentally strong means you stay positive through adversity. It means you are resilient when facing pressure, challenges and change. Weed and feed: Each day you need to weed out negativity and feed it positivity. You need to weed out the self-doubt and negative talk and feed it positive thoughts, memories and visuals.

7. THE BEST OVERCOME THEIR FEARS
Those that succeed, those that reach the pinnacle of greatness, are able to face this battle (overcoming fear) and win.

8. THE BEST SEIZE THE MOMENT
When the best are in the midst of their performance they are not thinking ‘What if I win?’ or ‘What if I lose?’ They are not interested in what the moment produces, but they are only concerned with what they produce in the moment. Rather than hiding from pressure, they rise to the occasion. As a result, the best define the moment rather than letting the moment define them.

9. THE BEST LEAVE A LEGACY
You leave a legacy by living and working with a bigger purpose, you leave a legacy by making your life about more than just you. You leave a legacy by moving from success to significance.

10. THE BEST MAKE EVERYONE AROUND THEM BETTER
The point is to strive to be your best and inspire others to be their best, because it’s in the striving where you find greatness, not in the outcome.

Which is your favorite tip? Post a comment below or on our Facebook page.

- Jon

Be Your Best and Bring Out the Best in Others! Access free, downloadable Training Camp posters here.

For each player on the NY Giant’s going to Disney World after the game there is a player on the New England Patriot’s going home disappointed without the joy of victory.

It’s a lot like life.

Sometimes we win, sometimes we lose.

Sometimes we win the account, the game, the job promotion, the award and sometimes we lose the very thing we want most.

Winning matters. Losing matters. But in life what matters most is what we do with our wins and losses.

When we win do we become complacent or stay humble and hungry?

People often say that success breeds success but often it breeds complacency. After a win people think they can just show up and achieve the same result, forgetting the effort, determination and mindset it took to achieve the win.

To continue winning it’s essential to turn the euphoria of winning into a fire of burning desire that fuels your continuous improvement, passion, and quest for excellence.

Even more important than what we do after our wins is how we respond to our losses.

Do we give up or come back stronger?

Do we allow the loss to act like a cancer that eats away at us for the rest of our life or do we turn it into a learning opportunity that leads to our healthy growth?

I certainly know what it feels like to lose. I’ve lost many arguments with my wife. : ) The Energy Bus was rejected by the first 30 publishers. As a sales person years ago I lost as many accounts as I won. I lost too many games as a Lacrosse player at Cornell and now I watch my children lose tennis matches and lacrosse games.

Everyone loses but the key is to make the loss stand for something and in my family LOSS now stands for:

LOSS (Learning Opportunity, Stay Strong)

When we lose we ask what we can learn from this loss and how we can improve because of it. Then we stay strong and work harder to come back and try to win.

This leads to more wins in the future…and also eventually more loses…and more learning opportunities and opportunities to stay strong and develop our character.

Through this process of winning and losing we learn the greatest lesson of all:

No matter how hard we work and how much we improve there will be times when we experience the worst of defeats instead of the greatest of victories. But ultimately life is about more than winning or losing. It’s about the lessons we learn, the character and strength we build and the people we become along the way.

Whether we win the Super Bowl or not, when we realize this we will surely be a winner in the game of life!

What are your thoughts about winning and losing? Join the conversation, leave a comment below.

- Jon

TURN IDEAS INTO ACTIONS
Take advantage of our downloadable Action Plans. Each plan is an implementation guide to help you take the principles from Jon Gordon’s bestselling books and turn them into actions and results. These plans are perfect for individuals, organizations and teams. Details at www.jongordon.com/actionplans.html

If you are a leader, manager, coach, teacher or parent, caring about someone often requires you to challenge and push them to improve, grow and reach their full potential.

Even the best athletes in the world have a coach to push them.

But for tough love to work, love must come first.

We must love tough to bring out the best in those we lead!

If people know you care about them they will be more receptive to you pushing them.

On the other hand if you put tough before love you’re more likely to face resistance.

As Andy Stanley says, “Rules without relationship leads to rebellion.”

The old dictator tough, without love, style of leadership no longer works.

Having spent time with a number of professional and college sports teams it’s clear that even athletes who seem to have it all want to know that their coach cares about them. The best coaches love their players and their players know it and play harder and are more loyal to that coach.

The same is true for education and business.

Research shows that test scores go up when students have a relationship with their teacher.

Numerous engagement surveys show that people are more engaged at work when they know their manager / boss cares about them.

So keep pushing your people to be their best. If you are parent like me, keep pushing your kids to reach their full potential.

Your team needs your toughness to grow!

But remember to put love first. Make relationships a priority.

Your love will create the right conditions for growth to happen!

Love + Tough = Growth

Do you agree with love tough? Do you know a leader or manager who loves tough? Join the conversation, leave a comment below or on our Facebook page.

- Jon

Description of the Interview from John Jantsch’s Duct Tape Marketing Blog:

My guest for this week’s episode of the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast is Jon Gordon, author of The Seed: Finding Purpose and Happiness in Life and Work

In The Seed we meet Josh, an up and comer in his company, who has lost his passion at work. Challenged by his boss to take two weeks and decide if he really wants to work there, Josh takes off for the country, where he meets a wise farmer who gives him a seed and a promise: find the right place to plant the seed, and his purpose will be revealed.

Gordon effectively uses the fable format to help us find our own sources of wisdom and insight.

I think many business owners, and really anyone toiling away in a job anywhere, crave this idea of purpose and meaning, but far too few stop to reflect on the things that make them truly happy and fulfilled.

If you let it, your work can suck the life right out of you. Connecting with some higher purpose that drives and sustains through the good patches and the rough patches is the most powerful tool you can employ.

Duct Tape Marketing Podcast on iTunes

Zappos believes in delivering it.

Coke wants you to open it.

Countless books try to help you achieve it

Research demonstrates that you are more productive with it.

And yet the truth is that so few people feel it at work.

Why?

Is it because leaders don’t create “happy” workplaces?

Is it because work is inherently miserable?

Or perhaps it’s because of our attitudes about work?

There’s really no definitive answer here.

A negative boss, bad working conditions and a toxic culture can certainly make people unhappy.

I’ve also seen how leaders can create happier and more productive employees by creating the right culture and work environment.

However, I believe the biggest determinant of our happiness at work is… us.

Our happiness has less to do with forces outside of us and more to do with what’s inside of us.

Happiness is an inside job.

I’ve met bus drivers, janitors and fast-food employees who are more passionate about their jobs and happier than some professional athletes making millions of dollars.

Our happiness comes not from the work we do but from how we feel about the work we do. And to feel great about the work we do it’s essential to fuel up with passion and purpose. As I wrote in The SEED, happiness is a byproduct of living and working with passion and purpose.

But Jon, I don’t know what my passion and purpose is, you might say.

It’s ok. The first step is to be the SEED, plant yourself where you are and begin to serve and make a difference. When you plant yourself and make a difference passion flows through you, purpose begins to reveal itself, people want to be around you and you feel happier.

When you work with passion and purpose you don’t have to seek happiness, rather it finds you.

Start planting and cultivating it today!

-Jon

Find Your Purpose with The Seed – Download 2 Free Chapters
Download Here (Opens PDF File)

Learn more about The Seed at www.Seed11.com

The first video featured Cimorelli, a music band of six sisters singing Skyscraper by Demi Lovato. The video had five million views. [ Watch it Here ]

The second video featured Charlie Puth and Emily Luther singing a beautiful version of Adele’s Someone Like You. The video had almost seven million views. [ Watch it Here ]

I was blown away. Cimorelli, Charlie and Emily weren’t even the original singers of these songs and yet they still had an audience of millions.

In the past it would take a music band years and miles of sweat and tears of touring around the country to gain an audience and now with one online video you can share your talents with an international audience of millions of people.

Because of these videos Cimorelli was signed by Universal Records and Charlie Emily were signed by Ellen’s music label.

The opportunity to market your talents is limitless and with all the technologies in social media you no longer have to wait for someone to decide if your talent is worth sharing. You don’t have to wait for an executive in the corner suite of a high rise office building to pick you. As Seth Godin says, YOU CAN PICK YOURSELF.

If you have talent the world is waiting for you to share it.

Don’t let fear stop you. Don’t wait for someone to tell you that you are worthy. Stop telling people that you are waiting for someone to discover you. Just start sharing your gifts and use all the technologies available to create your own audience.

Please know this advice is not just for musicians. It’s for everyone including those in real estate, sales, education, media, and Corporate America. Don’t wait for someone to tell you to lead, innovate or create. Start creating in your spare time. Create something that demonstrates your talent and when it is finished, share it. Don’t just propose the idea. Create the idea into something tangible that people can see, understand and say yes, we need that.

If you have the talent, the world is your YouTube.

This advice also goes for job seekers. If you are looking for a job don’t just submit your resume, submit proof of your talent. When you show people what you can do it’s more likely they will pay you to do it. That’s why I’m a big fan of interning to market your talent to those who have the ability to hire you.

So whether you are a musician, artist, children’s author, film maker, recent college graduate, or future business leader, if you have the talent, start marketing it. Don’t wait. There’s an audience of millions waiting for you and the world will be a better place when you share your gifts with others.

What is your talent? How are you sharing it? If you are not sharing it how will you start sharing it? Join the conversation and post a comment below or Facebook page.

- Jon

JG Speakers and Trainers
We’re excited to announce our Jon Gordon Companies Certified Speakers that share the message in Jon’s books and bring great value to you and your organization. We feature great speakers and trainers to fit your budget and event! Learn more here.
 

We didn’t hit our goal of 2012 books, YET! But together we still donated over a thousand books to children who need them and I believe we will still hit our goal.

Read about the initial goal here.
Read Melissa’s update and message below.

From Melissa Johnson:

There is a wise quote I’ve read that says, “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” It’s about reaching for goals, going for the big dream, the epic “try.”

It’s the way I felt when I decided to attempt to fill a library at Legacy Charter School in Greenville, SC. It was a big goal. My eight year old son was, unfortunately, my biggest naysayer. “It can’t be done mom, it just can’t.” I chose not to listen to the naysayers. I set out with a big goal, led by a big God, and a firm belief that people are good, and when given an opportunity, they are willing to help others in need.

My goal was “2012 Books by Christmas.” I wanted Legacy Charter School to receive 2012 books by Christmas, so that the children in this school, most of them from lower income homes and neighborhoods, could come back from Christmas break and have books to check out from their school library. I led a charge in my local business. Friends got involved in big ways. People from all over the country sent books to this grateful school in Greenville, South Carolina.

We did not reach our goal. At last count, Legacy Charter School has received 1,257 books. Sure, there’s some mild disappointment. We set a goal and didn’t reach it. But when I don’t reach a goal, I do two things:

1. I acknowledge the progress we made. We didn’t get that library to my intended goal of 2012 books. But the kids at Legacy now have 1,257 books from which to choose, to read and check out at their leisure. I’m grateful.

2. I keep working towards the goal. So we didn’t make it to 2012 books by Christmas? It’s ok. We don’t have to stop. I plan to keep working, and keep striving, and keep those kids in my heart. Just because Christmas has come and gone, I know that people will still keep working with me. I know that this goal is possible, and we can work together to send books to Legacy.

It’s exhilarating when you set a goal and you achieve it. But I also believe that if a goal is worth setting, it’s worth the hard work it takes to achieve it. It’s sort of like New Year’s Resolutions. They say most people’s New Year’s Resolutions become a thing of the past by February. But when people set a goal of healthy eating or overall fitness for a lifetime, their long term success is greater, they’ve worked harder for it, and they’ve enjoyed the journey more. So what were your goals for last year? Did you reach them? If you did, great job! If you didn’t reach the goals you had set, but you felt they were worth working towards last year… aren’t they still?

I thought it was a brilliant idea. We live in a busy stressed-filled world with tons of distractions that cause us to forgo our resolutions and forget about our goals. But everyone can remember and focus upon one word that will represent the essence of what we hope to accomplish and who we want to be.

Since Dan and Jimmy do this with their wife and children as well I was inspired to do the same. I talked about the concept with my wife and kids and we all came up with our words on New Year’s Day.

My word is Surrender.

Honestly, it was a choice between surrender and enjoy. While making my annual New Year’s jump into the ocean I felt a sharp pain in my knee and I had trouble walking out of the ocean. I thought to myself, “not a great way to start the year.” But as I reached the shore I heard the word surrender loud and clear and knew it was my word for the year.

My wife’s word is Hopeful. Last year was a tough year and she wants to remain hopeful this year.

My thirteen year old daughter’s word is Motivation. Let’s just say, it’s a great word for her. : )

My eleven year old son chose the word Positive. He wants to be more positive at home and on the tennis court.

Doing this exercise with my family was a lot of fun and very meaningful. It’s something you can also do with your team at work. We have an exercise in our Soup workshops where people write their word on a wooden spoon that they take back to their office with them to remind them to live their word. After all, just imagine if everyone in your work place knew their word and lived it each day to make themselves and their team better.

Once you come up with your word feel free to write it on one of the one word posters we created for you. Or you can even make a painting of your word. Every New Year’s eve, Dan and Jimmy and their families each paint their word. Here’s the photo of Dan’s.

So what’s your word for this year?

What word will give you focus and meaning to make 2012 your best year yet? You can share your word with me and others on here (leave a comment below) or our Facebook page. I’d love to know your word.

- Jon

2. Take a morning walk of gratitude. I call it a “Thank You Walk.” It will create a fertile mind ready for success.

3. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

4. Zoom Focus. Each day when you wake up in the morning ask: “What are the three most important things I need to do today that will help me create the success I desire?” Then tune out all the distractions and focus on these actions.

5. Instead of being disappointed about where you are, think optimistically about where you are going.

6. Remember that adversity is not a dead-end but a detour to a better outcome.

7. Don’t chase success. Instead decide to make a difference and success will find you.

8. Get more sleep. You can’t replace sleep with a double latte.

9. Don’t waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

10. Mentor someone and be mentored by someone.

11. Live with the 3 E’s. Energy, Enthusiasm, Empathy.

12. Remember there’s no substitute for hard work.

13. Believe that everything happens for a reason and expect good things to come out of challenging experiences.

14. Implement the No Complaining Rule. Remember that complaining is like vomiting. Afterwards you feel better but everyone around you feels sick.

15. Read more books than you did in 2011. I happen to know of a few good ones.

16. Don’t seek happiness. Instead decide to live with passion and purpose and happiness will find you. www.Seed11.com

17. Focus on “Get to” vs “Have to.” Each day focus on what you get to do, not what you have to do. Life is a gift not an obligation.

18. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements:

I am thankful for __________.

Today I accomplished____________.

19. Smile and laugh more. They are natural anti-depressants.

20. Enjoy the ride. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy it.

Download, Print and Share these tips as a PDF flyer.

-Jon

What are your tips for a Positive New Year? Share below or on our Facebook page.