The 4-Steps To Finding Your Purpose
If purpose is a word that has come on to your radar in recent times, you could be forgiven for not being sure what it actually is.
From experience, purpose can mean different things to different people. And likewise, purpose can mean different things to different companies. Just the mention of the word can inspire and intrigue some, and for others lead to eye rolling and a healthy dose of scepticsm.
DEFINING PURPOSE
The Cambridge Dictionary simply defines purpose as why you do something or why something exists.
Purpose is synonymous with the word ‘why’. Simon Sinek has spent the past two decades famously asking people to start with their ‘why’.
THE BUSINESS OF PURPOSE
Since 2009, Sinek has called this powerful idea ‘The Golden Circle’, and it provides a framework upon which organisations can be built, movements can be led, and people can be inspired.
Entrepreneurs and business owners all over the world (including many of my clients) were early adopters of the concept of why.
Yet in today’s corporate landscape, there is still some confusion defining why - often due to the perceived similarities between vision and purpose - however they are definitely not the same.
Put simply, purpose is the ‘why’ - why you want to achieve an outcome, a vision is ‘what’ you want to achieve. Taking this one step further, a company may also have a mission - this is ‘how’ you plan to achieve your outcomes.
In practical terms, purpose is the intrinsic feeling that when you wake each day, (either collectively in a company or individually), you feel you are contributing in a positive way to society, and at the same time, you’re prospering from this investment of time.
Put simply, purpose delivers a return on investment for you and the greater good.
PURPOSE AND THE INDIVIDUAL
In today’s hyper-connected global landscape do you have clarity on your reason for being - your why?
If so, how does that uniquely and positively impact society? And how do you clearly articulate this message? How are you measuring this? How are you gaining from this?
Below are four key elements to consider to get you started or refining your purpose journey.
Check out the diagram below to guide you through the process.
Step 1: Passion
I’ve put passion first, because it is imperative that you love what you do. Defining and understanding what you are passionate about puts you way ahead of the pack. Probably the most difficult aspect of understanding what truly makes you tick (and I have suffered from this personally) is being passionate about many things – in this instance it is advisable to try and find a common theme – which can then be broken down to one key passion.
Step 2: Profession
There are instances where individuals understand their own strengths and weaknesses early in their career, however, this process usually occurs over time. Embrace the skills and knowledge you already have and leverage these attributes. This self-audit process will also highlight any gaps which can be addressed by attending seminars, short courses or finding a coach or mentor. For some, it may even mean returning to formal studies or training.
Step 3: Mission
Mission, like passion is about loving what you do, with the added dimension of serving the greater good. Having a mission allows you to start with the end in mind – so you know that your energy is being channelled in the right direction.
Step 4: Vocation
Vocation simply means that you can earn a good living from what you do. There is ample research to support the idea that when people are working to their purpose, they naturally attract good energy. This generates more opportunities, more business, higher wages and better results.
When these four steps are combined, as the diagram suggests, you find yourself working in a place of purpose, or as many will say finding their “why”.
