How To Find Purpose In Your Career

What d'you want in your career?

There's a lot to think about when you want to find purpose in your professional life, specifically the kind of work you want to do.

If you are like me, then there must have been many times in your career where you have been stuck and not known what to do. In my 14+ years of professional experience I have had times when I felt a lot of confusion, heartache, and stress over what I should do or not do on my career path because I didn't want to make the wrong choice. And this applies to all of us as we all experience this at different stages of our professional lives.

We can all agree that we want to spend as little time as possible doing things we are not good at and have no passion for. It's depressing to be out there everyday doing things we don't enjoy or aren't really good at.

But, what if the answer we are looking for is not contained in the places we are currently searching? In this article, you will learn how to ask and answer two questions that will help you find purpose in your career. Now, the first thing I want to say is...you already have an internal sense of what you should do with your professional life. The problem is, you don't want to act on it because you're not sure that it's the right choice.

So, you go from person to person seeking validation for the truth that already exists inside of you. And this puts a lot of pressure on you, when in truth you don't need the acceptance, approval or permission of someone else to do what you believe in your heart is the right thing to do. For example, you may intensely dislike where you work at the moment or the business you run right now. Inside of you, you know the type of work or business you'd like to do. Maybe one that will give you more opportunities to learn and grow as a leader, be more creative, and explore the things that personally interest you.

But here's the thing, you don't trust yourself. You probably look at your colleagues and it seems like they are all flying high and doing well in their respective careers and businesses. You even try to convince yourself that you are on your ideal career path. Sadly, you keep looking at other people for career advice when you already know the answer.

I know acting on your internal sense is easier said than done. But it's a necessary step to take. Trust me, I've been there and done that. It took me years to find the courage to follow my heart. And it's been one of the best decisions of my life.

When I first left GTBank in December 2019 after a fulfilling career of over a decade, I took a one year 'sabbatical', to rediscover my purpose and reinvent the value that I could offer to the marketplace. So, while I was on a break from "work", I thought about how I could demonstrate what I was really good at. My passion is providing advice and tools for life and business like strategies for building confidence and doing meaningful work, so I started a teaching series on YouTube to help people become the best versions of themselves in life and the world of work.

I would speak in front of a camera in my home, and when I first started this teaching series, I thought everyone was going to laugh at me. And I used to have second thoughts about what I was going to say and how I was going to say it. But I followed my heart and went ahead to do those videos anyway, and the feedback I got from the audience via emails and DMs was always amazing. This was a turning point in my career.

I realized I hadn't just spent 10+ years of my life learning banking and working as a corporate banker, but that I'm able to put all of my skills to use - leadership & communication, strategy and business acumen, business management, business development, and so much more. And, that in the world of work, I can genuinely fulfil my purpose. P.S. I'm still a novice when it comes to certain subject-matter areas.

Now for everybody else, especially if you find yourself caught up in the crowd trying to ride trends and asking yourself "what is my career purpose, and what should I do with my professional life?"...God willing, this will help you too. Could it be that you are asking the wrong question? It's important that we think about the questions we ask ourselves because we want our professional lives to make sense.

So, instead of asking "what should I do?", the stronger and more valuable questions to ask are: "who am I?" and "who do I want to be?" The question of "who am I?" speaks to your identity, and awareness of the space you occupy in the marketplace, at this moment in time. It also gives a prescription for how you view yourself and the world of work. The question of "who do I want to be?" speaks to your aspirations.

It requires that you have some kind of vision for your professional life. And steers you in the direction you choose to go. These questions will help you figure out your career purpose. So, here's the thing...getting the best or right answer won't happen overnight. It may take you months or even years, so be patient with yourself and be willing to take the first step today. I want you to sit down and think about this: "would you rather be someone whose professional life and work are driven by what other people want?" or "someone whose professional life and work are representations of their truest vision?"

You can try looking for opportunities to do what you enjoy in your current job or business. For example, as a corporate executive you might volunteer to design a page on your company's website or run high-level quiz competitions at your organization's social events.

Note that, quality BEing goals inspire people and create real change. Maybe the goal is, 'being focused and spending time to do the real work that matters to you and that you can share with the world around you'. Perhaps, it is 'being more creative' and 'being a writer'. Or it could be 'being a chef alongside your job'. Be ready to spend time figuring out some of these things by yourself and then find ways to express them to the world.

You can still work just as hard and do great at your job or business even if you don't particularly enjoy it, but bring your enthusiasm to work, strengthen your colleagues and make them feel more energetic throughout the day.

If we view things from a long term perspective, we will see that the best way to approach our professional lives and careers is by regularly asking ourselves "who am I?" and "who do I want to be?". When I ask myself these questions, I often get instinctive downloads of straight forward information about projects I need to start or sometimes, it's as simple as writing an article like this and giving someone some encouragement.

I very often come across people with decent corporate jobs who find their work unfulfilling and without meaning. What I usually tell them is to connect the experience of learning and growth in their current jobs to how it might serve their future. For example, over the course of my career, I have learned how to work in a global environment, learned about budgeting, customer experience management, and so on. Learning those skills was not necessarily my first choice and they were not always particularly satisfying, but over time, they have helped me to become highly skilled and to design my career in ways that enhance job satisfaction, adaptability, and fulfillment at work.

Now the biggest point to remember from this article, regardless of where your professional life is at the moment is this...

YOU CAN TRANSFORM YOUR CAREER INTO WHAT YOU WANT IT TO BE. YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE DOESN'T HAVE TO BE A VICTIM OF YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES.

And, here's a point that will help you remember...IF YOU WANT TO FIND PURPOSE IN YOUR CAREER, YOU NEED TO THINK FOR YOURSELF, FOLLOW YOUR HEART AND TAKE ACTION.

Your assignment is to find out who you want to be and bring that vision to your professional life. And, that's what I have for you for now. I hope you found it useful and I hope you would be able to apply some of these keys to your professional life and career??????.

Now, I have two questions for you. WHAT QUALITIES DO YOU ADMIRE IN A BUSINESS LEADER? And...WHAT IS ONE SIMPLE ACTION YOU CAN TAKE TODAY TO BEGIN TO SET YOUR PROFESSIONAL LIFE UP IN A WAY THAT WILL HELP YOU EXPRESS THOSE QUALITIES?

If you want some more ideas and insights on making work more meaningful, you can watch this engaging video by Bloomberg: https://sponsored.bloomberg.com/article/business-reporter/the-power-of-purpose

If you liked this article, I would appreciate it if you could please like and share it with your friends. Your journey of career transformation begins now. Go forth and excel!

Happy New Year. May the year 2022 be prosperous for you. I wish you the very best.

Thanks so much for reading and I'll see you next time.