Welcome to another week of Illuminate!

Identifying my noble goal was one of the most rich and meaningful things I have ever done. This is true of almost everyone in the Six Seconds network I’ve met, and I invite you to join in crafting (or refining) your purpose. In the Six Seconds model, the “capstone” competency is Pursue Noble Goals, which means putting your life’s purpose into action. Here’s an overview and definition if you’re not familiar with Six Seconds’ use of the term. So today, I want to share the powerful process of putting words to your deepest purpose.

PS– If you’d like to receive this free gift of goodness in your inbox every week, you can subscribe here!

Illuminate: Crafting your noble goal

Now that you have some intuition about your noble goal, here is Six Seconds’ formula for putting it into words:

verb + adjective + noun

For example, mine is: to nurture inner illumination (yep, that’s why this series is called Illuminate!)

Try combining the words you wrote down from your imaginative story and feel free to play with different words. By the way, this is a work in progress. It may takes years to find one that feels just right, but the very act of trying to build your noble goal helps you clarify your purpose.

Once you have some test sentences written down, check out these five components of a noble goal from Six Seconds’ EQ Practitioner Certification. This is a way to know if your noble goal is “right” for you. If your sentence doesn’t pass the test of all five of these, try tweaking your words or “zooming out” more.
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1. Not complete in your lifetime. It is enduring and inspiring; your noble goal will span your entire life. It isn’t something to accomplish. It is a way to be.

2. Pointed outward. The focus is on something outside yourself. It will benefit the world. (And we are each a part of that world–so to live my noble goal, I focus on my own inner illumination, too!)

3. Integrates many domains of your life. Your noble goal applies to all aspects of your life: work, family, friends, spiritual life. So while I love that my job is an opportunity to practice my noble goal, I also practice inspiring inner illumination while listening to friends or while stuck in traffic (and believe me– traffic illuminates a lot about myself!) 

4. Gets you out of bed. It motivates you on a deep, deep level. It will give you motivation when the going gets tough.

5. No one made less. No one is hurt or made wrong by your noble goal. This helps you stay out of your ego.

​​​​​​If you want more detailed instructions/ examples of building your noble goal, check out this link.

The world needs your noble goal in it. How are you going to show up for the world?

What steps could you take to live out your noble goal more?

Think of a recent decision you’ve had to make; how could knowing your noble goal have helped you make that decision?

How can you remember your noble goal on a daily basis? Could you put it on a note on your mirror or repeat it to yourself when you wake up?

Are you curious to see examples of others’ noble goals? Check out our Facebook group where I’ve asked other EQ practitioners what their noble goal is!

Illuminate is a weekly e-mail series that provides practical tips + galvanizing inspirations for practicing an emotionally intelligent life. In our time together, we’ll operate from the assumption that you have all the wisdom you need inside of yourself + that you have a purpose the world needs to see. We will explore the tools + techniques to illuminate your own inner wisdom and purpose. If you’d like to receive this free gift of goodness in your inbox every week, subscribe here.