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Now that we are in the Christmas season and draw closer to the end of 2024, as we reflect on the year that has passed and prepare for a new year ahead, it is common to ask ourselves, ‘What is my purpose both in life and in work?’
Trying to figure out one’s purpose can be daunting, often leading to confusion and anxiety. One important thing to remember is that purpose evolves. As I reflect on the seven decades of my life, I believe I had a different purpose in each decade.
Your purpose is rarely constant. It changes as you age and mature and encounter life’s unexpected turns. In his Stanford University graduation speech, Steve Jobs said, “You can only connect the dots looking backwards.”, meaning that purpose is a lot like passion in that it reveals itself more at the end than in the beginning. This is another reason why finding your talent, which is constant, will likely have a longer-lasting impact than finding your passion, which can change like the wind.
As you experience new things, you will grow, change and evolve. The challenges you face in each phase of your life will provide opportunities to find purpose. However, you will likely not understand your ultimate purpose until late in your journey.
Related: 9 Tips for Finding Your Life Purpose
In the 1991 movie City Slickers, three good friends in a midlife crisis decided to “re-ignite their masculinity” and take a cattle drive across the Southwest. Each is trying to discover what life is all about, and each is trying to find his purpose.
The punchline comes when the old cowboy (Jack Palance) finally has enough. He turns to one of the young city slickers (Billy Crystal) and says, “You city folks don’t get it. You spend fifty weeks a year getting knots in your rope, and then you think two weeks up here will straighten it out.”
“Do you know what the secret of life is?” Palance continues, extending his index finger. “It’s just one thing.”
“What is it? Your finger?” asks Crystal.
Palance shakes his head. “This is what you gotta figure out.”
This moment has always spoken to me. It’s another good way to approach the questions “Why am I here?” or “What should I do?” I believe you will find answers to these questions by exploring these seven components of purpose:
- To live
- To love
- To learn
- To leave a legacy
- To achieve
- To connect
- To find that “one thing”
Related: 4 Steps to Building a Purpose-Driven Business
I have found purpose in raising a family, building a company and trying to help other people. Ultimately, as a Christian, I believe my highest purpose on earth is to serve God and love others. The Apostle Paul makes this clear in the Bible, where he talks about the “spiritual gifts” we possess and how these talents will be reflected in our purpose. No two people are exactly the same, but collectively, we approach this ultimate purpose.
Howard Thurman (the late civil rights leader who authored over 20 books, gave thousands of sermons and speeches, and helped inspire Martin Luther King Jr.) powerfully said: “Don’t ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”
Every successful CEO knows that their company needs a clear vision and purpose. But wouldn’t it be just as important, and just as powerful, for every individual to also have this same clarity about their purpose with answers to these questions?
- Who are you? — Six ways you treat others
- Who you aren’t? — Six unique differences
- What do you stand for? — Six core values
- Why are you here? — Twenty-five words or less
I challenge you to write your own purpose statement by answering these four questions because they will provide both the guardrails and the North Star to guide you on your journey. But remember, finding your purpose takes patience because it will evolve over many years.
