Since we’re all in marketing, we’ve all heard of the Four P’s - Product, Place, Price and Promotion. However, there are also Four P’s to living a successful life.
What brings meaning to your life - your family life, your business life, your inner life? What is the impact you want to have on others and your world? What is the difference you want to make? The answer to this question is your first ‘P’ — Your Purpose. Get clear about your purpose and you have a driver of your authenticity.
What do you LOVE to do in not only your personal life and your own time but in your work? What makes you feel alive? What might you do if you could spend your time any way you like? What gets your juices flowing and gives you a sense of joy and accomplishment? This is your PASSION.
Your passion brings energy and gives you resilience. It’s the booster that keeps you refreshed and enthusiastic for the opportunities in front of you.
What is your guide star? Your north star? What values will direct your decisions and the way you live, work and relate to others? There was a moment in my life when nearly everything around me fell apart and almost everything changed. A friend helped me identify that moment as a defining moment. I could have been consumed by anger and vengeance. At that defining moment, I decided that I was a kind person and that kindness would be my guiding principle in the tough times, decisions and reactions ahead. What is important to the way you live are your Principles. Knowing your core values make your decision making easier and provide a light for your path.
What do you do every day to live out your values and accomplish your goals? How do you behave on a daily basis? These are your Practices and the fourth of the Four P’s of Successful Living. The first three define your self-image and are the core of your personal identity. This fourth one will define your reputation — how other people see and perceive you. When you get all of these aligned, you build trust.
A purpose-driven, passionate life lived to strong principles and disciplined practices generates the type of trust that facilitates collaboration and meaningful relationships. It gives you confidence, clarity and a compass to guide you to and through a successful life journey.
Paul Kiewiet MAS+ is an industry speaker, writer, consultant and coach. He serves as the executive director of MiPPA. Kiewiet was inducted into the PPAI Hall of Fame and the MiPPA Hall of Fame. He served as Chairman of PPAI in 2007. A former distributor, he founded Promotion Concepts, Inc in 1982 and worked with some of America’s most valuable brands including Coca-Cola, Kelloggs, and Whirlpool.