Last week I saw a presentation in which the instructor showed images of Ghandi, Einstein and Steve Jobs and then asked participants, “What about you? What is your purpose?” and suggested that we give it a good think.
Would it were that easy. It’s normal to want to look to great leaders for lessons. The trouble is that it can have the unintended effect of demotivating us. What if we can’t find a purpose as meaningful as theirs? Or, what if the purpose would take us too far out of our regular lives? I think there is an easier way.
It helps to separate purpose into two elements: Higher Purpose and Skill-based Purpose. Higher Purpose is Mother Theresa, “Save the Lions,” or “Create an organization that can employ thousands and provide for their families well into the future.” Skill-based Purpose is about our Core Strengths, or what tasks truly energize us. It’s about how we will do the Higher Purpose items. When clients say they want to go into non-profit work so that they will have a greater sense of purpose, I say it depends. If they don’t know what type of activities bring them meaning, they still won’t be happy. Working for Habitat for Humanity is meaningful. But if you are hard-wired to wine and dine and sell to people, and Habitat offers you an office job doing accounting, you will not be happy for long. It may disappoint some, but Higher Purpose alone will not do the trick.
I loved this story on CBS news about a man who has a real sense of his purpose: Golden Oldies: A Lip-synching Extravaganza
People do get closer to finding their purpose every day. A quick Google search shows many different skills assessments. Now, how about you?
Have a great week!
Claire