“If you are going to have a purpose, make sure it is yours.” – Anon.

This does smack of common sense and may seem obvious, yet it is easy to get caught up trying to be and act the way others expect us to.

Too often without thinking we try to achieve our parents’ or partner’s goals. Go to any school sports day, and rather than watch the participants, study the p­­­­arents.

Inevitably you will see one of them – usually a father – berating their child for not scoring a goal, a try, for missing a tackle or not winning a race as if it was monumentally important and they, the parent, had as a consequence suffered personally.

Professional sports are littered with controlling parents.

Former World No 1 tennis player Andre Agassi details in his book, Open: an autobiography (HarperCollins), how he hated tennis, but his father forced him to play and wouldn’t take no for an answer.

So an eight time Grand Slam winner and former world no. 1, achieved his father’s purpose … and hated it.

To “make your purpose your own”, means to personalise and internalise your life’s meaning, rather than passively accepting or conforming to a pre-defined purpose.

It’s about creating a unique and meaningful vision for yourself, based on your values, passions, and what you believe the world needs.

Here’s a breakdown of how to make your purpose your own:

• Self-reflection and exploration.
• Identify your passions: What do you genuinely enjoy doing?
• Recognise your skills: What are you naturally good at?
• Explore your values: What is truly important to you? What do you believe the world needs more of?
• Imagine your best self: What kind of legacy do you want to leave?
• Seek out new experiences: Don’t be afraid to try new things and step outside your comfort zone.