Personal development in quarantine, part 2

In Part 1 of this little series, I mentioned being introduced to a personal development method through conversations with certain friends. I’d now like to share some elements of the method that have made a significant impact upon my life during lockdown. I hope that this may speak to you in the way it has to me, or at least provide some food for thought.

The article that’s been shared with me is called, ‘From Purpose to Impact’, and the authors Nick Craig and Scott Snook are experts in the fields of business leadership and management. As a classical musician whose experience with business involves doing taxes, sending invoices and nothing much else, I was both intrigued and intimidated. However, I quickly discovered that the concepts within are not only intuitive, but satisfy a craving (for me and, I imagine, many other musicians) for knowledge that can only be achieved through deep reflection and communication. 

There are three parts to the method; I categorise them as: Reflect, Distill, and Plan. The first task, Reflect, involves recalling and mining your life experiences and memories for central themes and passions. The second task, Distill, sorts through the talents, interests, and values that are revealed from your reflections to craft a central, concise ‘life purpose’. The third task activates your purpose statement by formulating a ‘purpose-to-impact’ action plan that incorporates long and short-term goals. 

Reflecting upon my past experiences so intensively was both strange and fulfilling. It was like a missing piece, one that I’d been constantly distracting myself from finding with day-to-day obligations, habitual actions, and temporary pleasures, had slowly begun to emerge. This piece, ultimately my ‘life purpose’, had been especially in need of discovery during isolation, as I realised that ‘carrying on as usual’ was no longer an option.

My reflection began with considering the three questions that Nick Craig offers in his article:

• What did you love to do as a child, ‘before the world told you what you should or shouldn’t like or do’? Describe this as a single memory, as detailed as you can (with sensations, surroundings, etc.), and include how it made you feel, as well as why you think you felt so happy.

• What were two of the most difficult challenges in your life, and how did they impact and shape you? Considering this may be uncomfortable for some people, especially if it involves difficult and/or traumatic events. However, there is significant value in doing so; for me, simply recognising that I have been shaped by my challenges has been eye-opening.

• Finally, think about what you enjoy doing most at this moment in your life. Bear in mind that this doesn’t have to be about your career or your craft. What are you doing now that makes you feel most alive and most fulfilled? 

I won’t go into detail now about the rest of my journey with this method because that would make for a never-ending blog post. Plus, I am still travelling and forming my ‘purpose-to-impact’ plan. However, I do want to emphasise two key points, if you decide to give this a try: 

• Figuring out your life purpose involves person-to-person interaction and conversation. As stated in the article, it is almost impossible to grapple with your own memories and experiences to find your purpose by yourself. I am grateful to be able to have conversations with people in my life, whether it’s someone I see everyday or an old friend whom I haven’t seen or talked to for years. Find those whom you trust, and use the time we’ve been given to connect.

• Your life purpose does not need to involve your profession or your craft, or even your art. Mine is bigger than being a pianist, or even a musician. Although at first this felt almost blasphemous, I have realised that I am more than what I do and more than the music that I play. Previously I have always felt indebted to music, and laden with the responsibilities that come with reproducing masterpieces written decades or centuries before I even came into being. I felt that my own personal experiences, thoughts, and feelings outside of music were meaningless or even detrimental to my journey as a musician. I thought that music was my life purpose. 

Especially due to the instability and uncertainty of the classical music world right now, as well as of all the arts, it has been vital that I find a purpose beyond my profession, my training, and my educational background. At this point, I simply cannot afford to follow a life path that depends entirely on the shifting of social distancing orders. 

I also realised that, somewhere along the way, the happiest moment of my childhood became lost. Somehow my natural instincts to observe, analyse, and imagine in my own time and on my own terms became worthless traits. Instead I came to value immediacy of impact, and sought only brilliance, showmanship, confidence, virtuosity, and strength, whatever that means. I tried to be fast and fiery and even ‘manly’. I tried very hard to be less myself. 

To finish up this post, I will share my answers to the first task. My happiest childhood memory involves walking alone on an overgrown path near my house, being among nature, and being free to think, imagine, and observe for myself. The two most difficult challenges were: being diagnosed with leukaemia at the age of 8 and undergoing chemotherapy, and completing my PhD. The thing I love doing the most now is collaborating with and exchanging thoughts and ideas with people. 

My purpose statement is: ‘To walk down the overgrown path* of classical music, navigating it with instinct, imagination, and endurance, paving the way for others’. 

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Through conversations with friends about this process, we have found support, healing, and encouragement from one another. Please feel free to reach out and we can discover more about this method together. 

*I have much to discuss about how Western classical music has become an ‘overgrown path’ for me, but that will be for another post. 

You can find the online version of the ‘Purpose-to-Impact’ article here: 

https://hbr.org/2014/05/from-purpose-to-impact

Lastly, check out my previous post, ‘Personal development in quarantine, part 1’ for some context. 🙂