Why is it difficult to define "purpose"..?

"Purpose",an easy looking word. What makes it difficult is when it is exercised to question the existence of a human, a society, a group, a team or even an organisation. Simply by asking "What's your purpose of existence?"

I have been very curious about this word both as a noun and a verb (going back to school grammar class). As a child I always questioned the purpose of going to school, purpose of studying maths :), purpose of green leaves, purpose of religion etc. etc. etc. As I liked to question on purpose of things, I also noticed the uncomfortable spot I used to put the person in who is answering me.

The shifting of eyebrows and rolling of eyeballs, in fact at times people asked me to repeat what I said, the long hmmmmmmm that prefixed the response were thrilling. There were times I was asked to keep quiet because I ask lot of questions.

I reckon that answering about purpose of something was not easy because it is not just about utility. Defining the #Purpose of something requires to dig deep, think about its origination, the beliefs around it and sometimes also how it has changed with time.

Human mind likes to respond quickly , it does not like to dig deep and put itself into thinking mode. Very often this leads to becoming vulnerable to the cognitive biases. In his book "Thinking Fast and Slow", writer Daniel Kahnman beautifully explains the mental biases we all undergo as humans in lieu of responding fast.

Little did I know about the mental biases back then, so I lived with the idea of putting people in the uncomfortable situation by my questions. It was a satisfying experience for me because every time I got answered with the purpose of something (object, person, place, abstract beliefs etc), accepting and embracing it became much easier.

We all are living a life which is full of mindless chatter, something which is constantly there with us now. Ever do we take a step back and question ourselves;

“What’s my purpose of existence?”

For all those who are able to answer, here’s another one;

"Is your personality aligned with your purpose?"

The answer to the aforesaid is not that can be given by mere thinking, it has to be a concoction of Logic, Intuition, Feelings, Likes, Dislikes, Passion etc etc etc. The moment you get your answer to your purpose and you have your personality aligned with it, well that moment is eureka. The sad part is, majority of people do not even get to know their purpose of existence. When I ask this question, many people start counting on their hobbies, things they like to do or may be they are good at. If you are doing the same then

That's not your purpose.......

(Pic: Studio-Insights-by-Michael-David-Sturlin)

Well this syndrome is not just restricted to individuals, teams, infact organisations are a prey to this thinking pattern.

Try reading the mission, vision and value statements of organisations. These statements are very profound, they talk in elaborate English language, trying to get all the difficult to pronounce words together to make some sense. Organisations feel that by designing those hefty statements they have defined their purpose. Sadly they haven’t. Those elaborate words which do not connect with the heart and soul of it’s people, practices and culture itself says, “they are confused….”  

The reason, what I fathom is, founders establish organisations with an intent,something they are clear about and is close to their heart. the intent fades aways and is replaced by numbers, profit margins, revenue figures etc. When comes a time to define the mission, vision statement the organisation has forgotten its true sense of purpose. So as a famous quote goes “When you can’t convince them, confuse them :)”

70% of people hate their jobs (as per Forbes), every single morning they pull themselves out and drag to work. Why.??? The answer rolls up again, neither people are aware of their their true purpose (and of course not aligned to it) nor their organisations have and give them one.

The circle is vicious but it needs to be broken.So the question remains what defines the #Purpose?

For me, it’s simple purpose is defined by

what you  feel where your  passion lies . Making you think about it gets you an adrenaline rush and brings a smile on your face. When you  combine your actions are inline with that feeling, for a greater good, you define your  purpose of existence.

@Howard Schultz in his book “Pour your heart into it” mentions that unless an individual or an organisation realises its true purpose for a greater good and the same is not replicated in your actions, well your existence on the planet doesn't make a difference to anyone.  

With the way the global economy is changing and disruptions are nudging organisations and individuals to re-evaluate their existence…. It is a defined sense of purpose that will help you reassess your belief system, passion and the new course of action….or else your endless struggle will continue.

#Thinq about it…..

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

With Thinq On Purpose I aim to create "purpose" for individuals and organisations. Through my training sessions(for orgs, open workshops, individual counselling) on generating "will" and the necessary "skills" I aim at creating employablility... My recent work is around helping women to start their 2nd career stint in the corporate world...

Reach out to me (nehaa.beotra@thinqonpurpose.com) for training programs on motivation, diversity, communication, presentation and interpersonal skills...

Let's co-create value..