Do you ever feel that there are too many opportunities to pursue?
Abundance has a downside.
Having too many opportunities—starting this company, funding that project, pursuing yet another partnership—can leave you distracted and stretched thin. And it can take the focus off your most important goals and activities.
As my dear friend Joe Polish says, the problem with many successful entrepreneurs isn't “What should I do?”
Instead, it’s “What should I NOT do?”
What you say “No” to can be just as defining and useful as what you say “Yes” to.
So, how do you know when to say yes and when to say no?
In this blog, I’m going to discuss how you can use your Massive Transformative Purpose (MTP) to navigate this world of increasing abundance and choose those opportunities that are most aligned with you and your purpose.
Let's dive in!
Significance Before Success
Too many people spend their lives on a treadmill striving for financial success or fame.
They often take a job or start a company because they think it's a quick way to get rich or get noticed (i.e., to be successful).
In my own experience, whenever I've started a company only to make money, it's been a big mistake—a waste of time. Starting any successful company is always hard work, and if I’m not fully engaged and if my purpose is not fully aligned, then the effort becomes hard, unfulfilling work, and I give up before the job is done.
On the flip side, when I start a company to solve a problem that is truly important to me, one that excites me, even if the solution takes 10 years, each one of those 10 years is well spent—educating myself about something I love, in a fulfilling fashion.
When given a choice to prioritize significance (i.e., meaningfulness) over financial success, take it.
The question is: How do you choose your focus?
And the answer is your MTP…
What Exactly is an MTP? And How Can You *Use* It?
Let me begin by sharing my MTP. It is a clear statement that guides me, empowers me, and helps me decide what I do, or do not do.
Here’s my MTP:
“To Inspire and Guide entrepreneurs to create a Hopeful, Compelling and Abundant future for humanity!”
So, how do I use my MTP?
My MTP drives me—it gives me guidance and inspiration. This blog, all my books, Singularity University, and XPRIZE were all born out of it.
It also helps me make decisions about how I use my time. Whenever I’m evaluating a new opportunity, I use my MTP as a filter to decide whether to pursue it.
Will this new opportunity help me fulfill my MTP?
If the answer is Yes, then I’ll consider pursuing it. But if the answer is No, then I’ll likely pass.
Your MTP can be both a filter and a guide.
So, how do you create your MTP?
Identifying and crafting an MTP takes time, but I want to share a tool to help you get started…
Identify Your Target “WHO”
First, you need to ask yourself WHO you want to positively impact.
Which groups (i.e., people or causes) do you care about most deeply? Where do you want to leave a lasting legacy?
Simply put: to whom do you want to be a hero?
For me, it’s about impacting and supporting entrepreneurs and leaders.
Make a list of up to 3 groups of people you want to be a hero to, be as specific and detailed as you feel comfortable:
1. _________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________
So, what’s your MTP?
Sign Up for My New Free Newsletter “MINDset Mondays”
You’ve probably heard me say that your Mindset is your most critical asset as an entrepreneur, leader, or creator.
What made Jeff Bezos, Steve Jobs, or Elon Musk succeed?
It wasn’t their technology or their money—it was their Mindset.
Our Mindset is one of the few things that we can control. We can’t control the market, other people’s opinions, or global conflicts.
But we can control our Mindset: how you see the world and how you move through life… how you spend your time, who you spend your time with, and your decisions.
So, I’ve created a free weekly newsletter that you can digest in less than 2 min to help you hone your Mindset and remain focused on those things you can control.
It’s called MINDset Mondays.
We just released it on Product Hunt. Sign up using this link and let me know what you think on the Product Hunt page.
Topics: Abundance Entrepreneurship MTP
