How To Find Your Purpose

What is your purpose?

Your purpose is the way you contribute to the world, make your mark and make the highest and best use of your talents.

Your purpose is your “why” – the reason you do the things you do and lead the life you live.

Many people find themselves asking the question, “What is my purpose?” at some point in their lives.

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They may have been taught as children that the key to a successful life is to work hard and move up in your career. They may have pursued that goal and found that career success in the eyes of the world didn’t give them everything they hoped it would.

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Or, they may have struggled to get ahead professionally or discovered that they value other things more highly than a lofty job title.

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However you reach the point of asking the question, “What is my purpose – what am I here to accomplish or bring about?” it’s a worthwhile question to explore.

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Reflecting on your purpose is a powerful activity, for three reasons:

1. Getting Altitude - a New Perspective

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Pondering the question, “What is my purpose?” gets you out of your busy brain and your minute-to-minute, to-do-list-oriented mindset.

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You already know that ticking items off your to-do list is necessary and satisfying but not in itself the path to a more purposeful life. You can cross items off your list forever but more items will always appear.

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Getting everything done in a day or week only reminds you that there is always more to be done, at home and at work.

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Finding your purpose is not another item to be ticked off your list. It’s a practice like yoga, and a gift you give yourself – the gift of clarity about what you’re meant to do.

2. Clarity About Your Purpose Guides Your Thoughts and Actions

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The more clarity you get about what you’re meant to do, the easier it will be to decide on your plans and priorities.

As you identify the things, people, activities and themes that are most important to you, you can focus your limited time and energy on those priorities and let other things go.

Many of us still follow old habits that don’t serve us anymore, hang out with people we aren’t aligned with any more and generally fall into ruts.

Every bit of insight we gain about our purpose allows us to step out of old habits, step away from relationships that don’t support who we are now and become more effective at work and everywhere.

3. Your Purpose is Motivating!

Finally, as you gain clarity about your purpose you’ll gain motivation as well.

Who hasn’t felt at some point, “Now that I understand what I really want, I just want to drop everything and start moving in that direction!”

It's an incredible feeling.

Gaining clarity about your purpose is exhilarating. When you feel the voltage of purpose running through your body, you feel alive. You understand your mission a little better.

How Do I Find My Purpose?

Start by choosing a place in your home or at the park, in the library or in another quiet spot and a time to reflect on your purpose.

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Sit with your favorite pen and a journal. Think about and write about these questions:

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1)???What is most important to me?

2)???What do I most want to do with my time and my talents?

3)???What do I want to change, make better or bring about in the world?

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You may think, “I’d like to do all kinds of things, but most of my ideas aren’t practical. I don’t want to waste time exploring my purpose if it’s something I know I can't possibly achieve.”

Don’t focus on obstacles right now, or reasons why your purpose might be impractical or even impossible.

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You’ll think about possible obstacles and ways to get over or around them later.

Right now, you are allowing your thoughts to drift up to the highest level of altitude – the Cloud Level, where you identify your purpose and create a vision for your life and career.

To find your purpose, first give yourself permission to dream as expansively as possible.

Finding Your Purpose Takes Guts

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It takes courage to think about your purpose.

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To gain clarity about your purpose, you first have to relax into the experience of reflecting on your life.

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Most of us don’t do that very often! We are consumed with the minute-to-minute thoughts, activities and challenges that make up a typical day.

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Many of us were taught as kids and still believe that we don’t get to envision and then step into the lives we deserve. We were taught to get a job and a place to live and at that point, to stop aspiring to more.

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If you were taught that you have no right to ask for more than you have right now or to envision and step into a life that aligns with your purpose, you may have to unlearn that old teaching.

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You have every right to live the life you choose.

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You are alive on earth. That’s the only qualification!

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It is your life. No one has permission to limit you.

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Here’s to you and your growing flame!

My Purpose is to Help Others

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Q. Hi Liz, I have followed you for years and love the Human Workplace message. I am clear on my purpose. I want to coach people to excel and advance in their careers. I coach friends and family members informally now, for free. How do I use my passion for coaching to become a professional career coach?

A. Congratulations on choosing such an inspiring path! You can join my career coach training program and launch your own part-time or full-time career coaching business as?a member of the Human Workplace Career Coach Network. The first step is to complete my Career Coaching Questionnaire and set up a call with my colleague Michael here!

Need Help Finding Your Purpose?

I was taught as a kid to work hard and get good grades in school. I was taught to get a job when I finished school, and work hard at the job.

If I worked hard, everything would work out -- at least, that's what I was told.

I didn’t know I could explore different possibilities for my life and career.

I thought I just needed to get a good job and stay with the same company for years. I didn’t realize the working world was going to change so dramatically – who did?

It would have been helpful for me to have a coach on my side as I figured out how to invest my time and talents.

It's fun, encouraging and empowering to have a guide alongside you during career and life reinvention.

I’ve created a Career Coach Directory to showcase the amazing career coaches who have trained with me to teach and coach using the Human Workplace methodology and mindset.

If you’re in career reinvention or job search mode or want to get clear on your career direction, reach out to a Human Workplace Career Coach here.

You’ve got everything you need to have the life and career you deserve!

Thanks for being part of the global Human Workplace mission to reinvent work for people.

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