Your purpose is kind of like a Tootsie Pop 🦉

When I was 21, I spent nearly a month writing the first draft of my personal mission statement. I wish I still had that version on me, but I don’t. Though I found it helpful and clarifying at the time, it was way too verbose and convoluted.

Still, it was a draft. Since then, I’ve slowly but surely refined it, honed it, and learned new ways to gain greater clarity for myself, answering some of life’s most essential questions in the process.

After many people telling me that they wish they had the same type of clarity for themselves, I tinkered a few years back in helping others go through a similar process. After some very early iterations on the approach, I spent a few dedicated weeks of nights and weekends refining it to a point where I felt it is ready to help others in a more significant way.

The whole framework is built on this idea that your purpose is kind of like a Tootsie Pop. How so?

Well, there’s a 1982 commercial where a young boy comes up to a sophisticated-looking owl to ask, “How many licks does it take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop?”

Taking the lollipop from the boy’s hands, Mr. Owl responds, “Let’s find out. One,” he licks. “Two,” he licks again. ”Three,” he licks once more before crunch, he bites it. Handing the devoured lollipop back to a disappointed boy, Mr. Owl gives his final answer, “Three.”

We’re an awful lot like Mr. Owl when it comes to discovering our purpose. Rather than put in the necessary work, we would much rather believe that there’s a shortcut—a crunch—to the very core of who we are.

In our on-demand, instant gratification culture, that makes sense. Unfortunately, however, there’s no fast forward button when it comes to discovering our purpose. It takes more than three licks and some teeth to arrive at clarifying the unique complexity about somebody. About you. It takes work.

The work isn’t hard, necessarily, but you do need to know how to calculate an answer. You must start with small questions—the licks—to eventually reach your big answer—the Tootsie Roll center. Mr. Owl doesn’t have the answer you’re looking for, but finally, there is an equation to discovering your purpose. It’s:

Being + Doing + Going = You

Don’t worry, you don’t need to be a math wiz to arrive at an answer. In a sense, though, this is kind of like human algebra. You need to figure out who you’re meant to be, what you’re meant to do, and where you want to go before adding things up. Your answer comes at the end.

Inspired by the old Tootsie Pop commercial, engineers from Purdue University created a licking machine, modeled after a human tongue. After rigorous testing, they reported that it took an average of 364 licks to reach the center. Other volunteers assumed the licking challenge unassisted by machinery and averaged 252 licks to the delicious Tootsie Roll chocolate.

However many licks it takes you, it’s worth it. And now, there’s a proven way to get there—Be Do Go You. Even though you can’t just crunch your way to the good stuff, discovering your purpose is far tastier than a Tootsie Roll. Unlike Mr. Owl, though, you should count down. 3, 2, 1, begin…