He should make this purpose his supreme duty, and should devote himself to its attainment, not allowing his thoughts to wander away into ephemeral fancies, longings, and imaginings.”
This is really about commitment.
Allen has already told us that we need a purpose. Now he is saying that simply having a purpose isn’t enough. Once we decide what we are trying to accomplish, we have to give that purpose our attention. Otherwise, it becomes nothing more than something we wish would happen.
And I think that distinction between purpose and wishing is important.
We all have things we would like to accomplish. We want to become healthier, make more money, finish school, start the business, lose the weight, or change something about our lives. But wanting something does not automatically make our daily decisions line up with it. We can genuinely want something and still spend most of our time thinking about everything except what it takes to accomplish it.
That is where commitment comes in.
When Allen says to make your purpose your “supreme duty,” I don’t think we have to interpret that as ignoring everything else in life. Instead, I see it as refusing to continually abandon what matters to you because something else temporarily catches your attention.
Fitness is a perfect example. If your purpose is to improve your health, you don’t have to think about fitness every second of every day. But your purpose should influence your decisions. When it is time to exercise, exercise. When it is time to recover, recover. When you make choices about food, remember what you’re working toward.
And you’re going to get distracted sometimes. That’s human.
The goal isn’t to never lose focus. The goal is to recognize when you’ve lost it and bring yourself back.
You decided that this mattered for a reason.
Purpose tells you where you’re going. Commitment is your decision to keep returning to that direction.