How to Work on Purpose - 3 Things to Consider

My wife is dope. Not just because I love her or that she’s an amazing clinical social worker & supervisor, but also because of how clear she is about her likes and dislikes both personally and professionally. There is a lot of power that comes when you can give clear and immediate “yes” or “no” responses in life regarding your preferences. During a recent conversation about some misgivings she has in her new role, she said something that really stuck with me, “I want to live on purpose.”  In the context of her professional life, the dual meaning of that phrase became clear -- she wanted to work with: A) INTENTION and B) A DEFINED MISSION.

As we find ourselves in the midst of a global pandemic that has put life as we once knew it on an indefinite pause, now is perhaps the best possible time to evaluate for ourselves what it means for us as individuals to work on purpose. 

We are all in the process of reevaluating our lives, personally & professionally, to see what truly matters to us. Many of us are reprioritizing and/or reaffirming our values especially in the realm of work. Whether we have the privilege of working from home or we are out in the world by necessity, we are all asking, “does this align with my values?” “Does this work for my family?” “Is this the direction I want to keep going in?” If you have the luxury, and it is a luxury, to be able to step back and consider these questions during this time, I would strongly encourage it.

3 Ways to Work on Purpose

1. Work With Your Strong and Preferred Skillsets

We all have skills, but just because you’re good at math doesn’t mean you should be an accountant →  especially if that line of work will eventually kill your soul. [No shade to my happily placed accountants!] While there are many practical reasons why you might take a skill you are good at -- but don’t necessarily love -- and run with it, there will likely come a time where the downside of having to use that skill over many years will outweigh the benefits. A current client of mine is burned out after 10+ successful years in her field because she’s craving the opportunity to use her creativity in her work, which she has not been afforded in her roles to date. 

Purposeful FIX: We’ve all heard the saying “play to your strengths.” I’ll extend that by adding, “play to your strengths -- that you enjoy using.” This can make a world of difference in your professional life both in the short & long-term. How much would you enjoy being known as the “go-to person” for ____ [Fill in a strong skill you like using the least vs. a strong skill you would happily use for free]? Which feels better to you? 

First, identify your top 5-10 skills. Then identify among them a subset of the skills you enjoy using the most. In the short-term, you can intentionally seek opportunities to use these preferred skills in your current role, by volunteering for projects and/or teams that require them. In the long-term, you can intentionally target roles where your preferred skills form a progressively larger proportion of what is required for success. Eventually, you will hopefully find yourself in a role that calls on you to use your strongest and most preferred skills every day. It’s ultimately a self-sustaining cycle.

2. Work With a Mission You Strongly Identify With

My wife is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) who works primarily with children and families who have been exposed to trauma. One can argue that being a social worker is inherently mission-driven work, but within this broad realm, she has developed a heart for & specialization with this particular population. Without a clear mission, whether it’s creating a product or delivering a service, it can be difficult for you to stay focused and motivated over time. At best you are effective but on auto-pilot, and at worst, you’re checked out and simply doing the bare minimum to keep your job. Neither situation is good for your longevity in a given role or career path.

Purposeful FIX: My wife’s clear mission is to guide and equip her supervisees to effectively bring stability & facilitate healing for children. For her and many of you, there is a strong need for your employer to have a clearly defined mission that you identify with. It’s an animating force in your work that drives you to do your best work every day. Recognizing that not everyone is designed to do mission-driven work in the helping profession/non-profit sense, there is still validity in closely identifying with and/or fully believing in a product or service provided by a for-profit company. Whichever camp you fall into, it’s important to 1) clarify what values are important to you in the work culture and ‘output’ of your work environment and 2) seek to join organizations that align with them. You can then build your target list of companies based on your personal/work-related values.

3. Work on Seeking Satisfaction Over Notions of Balance/ Fulfillment/ Perfection

In a previous post, I wrote about how “I don't like the concept of ‘balance’ because it's hard both to achieve & maintain.” Balance also has a hidden element of perfection because, in order for balance to be achieved, two elements must be perfectly equal in weight/proportion. In the case of work and life, that ‘balance’ is a moving target that is rare for most to attain, because it requires near-perfect circumstances. We also already know that life isn’t perfect. Though ‘fulfillment’ seems more approachable than either ‘balance’ or ‘perfection’, the root of the word is ‘full’, which effectively means all/everything. While it’s entirely possible to be very happy in a job, as whole human beings, we need more than just our work to be fulfilled. 

Purposeful FIX: The reason I encourage folks to pursue satisfaction is that it’s more attainable, stable, & sustainable. No job is perfect, but we can pursue roles that both let us use the skills we enjoy and work environments that reflect missions we resonate with. Having these two elements to the largest extent possible can bring a great deal of satisfaction to the professional & personal aspects of ourselves because the two aren’t separate.

There is undoubtedly a lot of difficulty and pain during this time. Many things that we once thought were important have been stripped away, causing us and forcing us to discover what truly is. Whether you need to find a new job immediately or have the privilege of a more secure search, you will do well in the long-run if you keep these two questions in mind when it comes to working on purpose…

What’s my intention in the work I’m seeking? & What’s the mission I want to align myself with?