On Purpose
“What are you here for?”
There’s the conversation-stopper, frequently met with silence. Hardly anyone knows how to answer that question. Avoid at all costs at social gatherings.
But it’s an essential question, don’t you think? It’s difficult to answer because it requires us to look deep inside our very existence. It forces us to do a life review — one that takes a lot of time, effort, patience, and most of all, courage.
It’s precisely for this reason people often set the question aside and overlook its importance. It’s too much work. Nobody has the time.
Introvert confession: I do a lot of introspection, and I’ve always been interested in self-discovery. I geek out on personality tests and similar things, hoping to get to know myself better and make sense of my life.
Yet like most ordinary folks, I never felt I had enough time and mind space to sit down and seriously think about things like purpose.
What am I really here for?
Why do I do what I do?
Am I living my life on purpose, or just coasting through it?
These are some of the questions floating around in my mind, waiting to be addressed. But, you know, who has the time to do that?
Then, BAM! — the Covid pandemic happened, and at an instant, we were handed all the time and space we claimed we didn’t have.?No more excuses.
In addition to generally filtering the noise out of my life (more on this later), the pandemic got me into a serious reading habit that led me to reading?Simon Sinek’s work. Easily my best decision for 2021.
Start With Why?got the ball rolling.?Find Your Why?turned it up a notch. Before I knew it, I was facilitating a workshop with myself to not only discover my purpose but also to try articulating it.
The result: a really badly written draft of my WHY — my purpose in life.
And while the words I’ve written can be improved and will always be a work in progress, actually?seeing my life’s purpose on paper?(well, Google Slides, really)?provided so much more clarity than just having a feel for what it is.
Clarity of Purpose.
I remember this phrase being thrown around in the office in my previous corporate life. As a twenty-something-year-old at the time, I never really paid attention to it, neither did I understand or appreciate what it meant. I do now.
That’s the thing about articulating your purpose. It gives you clarity. It illuminates your life like never before. This articulated purpose of mine has become a compass — now, I evaluate everything I do against it.
In fact, I’ve integrated this exercise into the framework I use for brand strategy, because I’ve learned that brands, like people, could use a little bit of clarity.
Does this mean I live a wonderful life that’s perfectly aligned to my purpose? Far from it. I still do a lot of things that don’t align with my purpose (which I dislike). The difference:?I now know exactly why I do them.
For the money (gotta pay the bills!)
For the relationships (no man is an island)
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For the lessons (a lifetime of learning)
For the things that will eventually help me live my life on purpose.
You’re the captain of your ship.
You’ve embarked on a journey.
You have a compass.
Along the way, you’ll have to make a few stops or adjust your course.
To refuel.
To re-stock on essentials.
To establish strategic relationships.
To weather storms.
To engage hostile vessels.
You’ll emerge more equipped, stronger than ever, and with a clearer path ahead of you.
You’re the captain of your ship.
Before you, an adventure of a lifetime.
You can choose to simply float aimlessly or sail with purpose.
You’re thinking it’s too hard. You’re thinking you don’t have the time, mind space, or bandwidth right now. You’re thinking you’ll do it another day.
You promise. But you probably won’t get around to doing it. Because life happens.
Yes, life happens. And we only get one shot at it. If we can choose to navigate it with intention, why wouldn’t we?