5 Ways To Find Purpose In Your Career

Are you a person who functions wonderfully when things are going well, but simply falls apart when things get tough?

Do you quit jobs are projects when challenges arise?

Do you go negative when things don’t go your way?

Do you blame others or circumstances when things are falling apart?

Believe me, I have done all of this! 

We all have challenges, setbacks, and disappointments in life. Some of us crumble or quit, go negative and blame, while others rise above and find success.

I became curious about this because I want to be the one to rise! 

I can’t wait to share what I found.

I found there are several reasons some people rise above the difficult times and others crumble, but one reason I want to dive in to today is purpose.

Purpose is defined as the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists. Purpose occurs when what we do matters to people other than ourselves. 

So what does purpose have to do with achievement despite setbacks?

Author Angela Duckworth analyzes how highly successful people continue to achieve despite challenges and setbacks in her book “Grit,” 

Grit is defined as courage and resolve. But, Duckworth’s research also adds grit requires purpose.

In her research, she recruited 16,000 American adults to complete a Grit Scale and participate in a questionnaire regarding purpose. For example they read statements like: “What I do matters to society.” Then they indicated the extent to which it applied to them. 

The findings showed the grittier the people were, the more motivated they were to seek a meaningful life and focus on others. In addition, the higher the purpose score, the higher the grit score. 

Duckworth summarized that “people see their ultimate aim as connecting to the world beyond themselves.” She claimed “purpose is a tremendous source of motivation.”

If you took a moment to reflect on your life and thought of times you were at your best, you would realize you were helping others. Or, if you think back on a time when you were rising through a challenge, you probably notice you found strength and achievement by focusing on others.

Grit has little to do with your title at work or with your occupation. You can have grit, despite your job. Therefore, you can relate any job to your purpose. What matters is if you connect your work to something greater than yourself. 

You can find your calling in any career or occupation at any level. It is never too late to discover a sense of purpose in your position. 

I can hear you saying, 

How do I find purpose as a:

Receptionist

Accountant

Dental Hygienist

Human Resource Coordinator

Sales Person

And on and on…..

The following are five ways to find purpose in any career.

1- Reflect on how the work you are already doing can make a positive contribution to society. Ask yourself, “How am I impacting society?” 

2- Discover how your work connects to other people. Ask, “How am I helping others in my job?”

3- Realize your career contributes to a bigger picture. Evaluate how you contribute to the overall mission in your organization through your position.

4- Think about how you can make small changes to enhance the connection to your core values. Spend time matching your interest and your values to your job duties.

5- Find inspiration in a mentor. Think of a person who inspires you to be a better person or someone who has mentored you in the past. Who are they? Why do they inspire you?

I am an Executive Director in the Healthcare Industry. This can be a very challenging role. I have to remind myself many days that I am leading a team to care for our elderly and disabled, who cannot care for themselves. 

I may not be directly caring for the patient, but it is important for me to lead my team in a positive way to help patients rehab to home or have a life of dignity. 

I connect to our mission in a deep way with my values on happiness and holistic health for others. I have so many mentors, but most of my mentors in life have consistently exhibited perseverance.

 It is time to face challenges and setbacks head on with a sense of purpose. Your sense of purpose will give you “grit” to achieve.

I challenge you to examine the five ways to find purpose and write down your thoughts. Keep this in your planner or desk. You may have to pull it out and remind yourself of your purpose. 

Purpose will give you the Grit you need to achieve in difficult times.

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