How to Craft Your Personal Mission: The POPP Method for Living With Purpose
Do you ever pause and wonder what your personal mission in life is? While companies run on clear mission statements, most individuals drift from day to day without a guiding sense of purpose. Rabbi Simon Jacobson offers practical wisdom through the POPP method, unlocking a step-by-step path to discovering what makes you unique and what you are truly here to do.
From Business Boards to Personal Blueprints
Think about it: no serious business operates without a mission statement. It creates direction, focus, and benchmarks for progress. So, why do we rarely apply this idea to our own lives? Most people have never been encouraged to write a personal mission statement. As a result, life often feels reactive rather than intentional — events sweep us along without clarity about what truly matters.
In a gathering, Rabbi Jacobson once challenged listeners: “Can you write down your unique personal mission in a single line?” Most struggled, not because they lacked purpose, but because few had ever tried. If this resonates with you, you’re in good company — and this is an opportunity to rethink your path forward.
The POPP Method: Your Foundation for Purpose
Rabbi Jacobson’s POPP framework gives four pillars for self-discovery:
- Personality: Your distinct blend of traits, strengths, and natural inclinations.
- Opportunities: The specific doors life has opened for you — career breaks, unexpected encounters, life’s invitations.
- People: The relationships, mentors, and communities that have shaped your growth.
- Places: The environments and locales that have influenced your path, from your childhood neighborhood to workplaces and beyond.
Together, these four markers help you trace patterns and meaning that point to your individual mission. Look closely — your life is giving you clues every day.
Bringing the POPP Formula to Life
To find your unique calling, Rabbi Jacobson recommends starting with introspective questions and honest observation:
- Are you naturally analytical or expressive? Do you thrive in vibrant groups or prefer thoughtful solitude?
- What opportunities have shaped your story — a meaningful job, a chance encounter, a crossroads moment?
- Who are the people who call out the best in you? Who has pushed you and believed in you, sometimes in ways you didn’t expect?
- Which places hold significance — a city that inspired you, a workplace where your talents took root, a home that nurtured you?
For example, one person might realize their skill for connecting with others naturally led to opportunities in teaching or mentoring, nudged forward by supportive family and a vibrant community hub. Another might see their technical leanings matched with doors opening in science, influenced by an inspiring mentor and an internship abroad. The journey is always personal — yet the method works for all backgrounds.
Action Steps to Start Defining Your Mission
Ready to put this wisdom to work? Here’s how you can begin aligning with your unique direction:
- Take a quiet hour this week to reflect on your Personality and document your core characteristics.
- List meaningful Opportunities that have come your way, big and small.
- Write down the People who have influenced you, and consider what you’ve learned from each relationship.
- Recall Places that changed your perspective or trajectory.
- Look for patterns. How do these elements interconnect? What themes repeat?
- Draft a one-line mission statement capturing your direction and sense of calling.
- Ask a trusted friend or mentor to review what you’ve written and offer feedback.
This process isn’t just about career goals. It’s about the bigger question — what makes you needed in the world?
Bridging Universal Wisdom with Personal Meaning
The power of the POPP method lies in its balance of self-awareness and outward impact. Jewish spiritual wisdom teaches that every soul descends into this world with a distinct purpose. Your life, with its quirky mix of circumstances, relationships, and talents, has meaning waiting to be revealed and lived out in practice.
Your Next Step
Start your journey today and discover what makes you, you. The path to a meaningful life begins with the courage to ask, reflect, and act. If you want to dive deeper and see these concepts in action, watch the full class here.
