Myles Munroe said: “The greatest tragedy in life is not death, but a life without a purpose.” Unfortunately there are still many people who are not thriving. Still many are selecting their careers based on money they can earn or the status and control they can achieve. Still many fall into the trap of family or cultural pressure towards career selection following their parents dream rather than their own, or ending up in family businesses even if their heart guides them elsewhere.
And the result?
We see many sacrifice their passions, their dreams, their health and well-being, craving more meaning and purpose in their life. We see disengagement being sky-high at approx. 70%. We see workplace burnout rising, estimated to cost the global economy approximately $300 billion annually.
But things are changing. There is a shift towards a Purpose Economy as people seek more purpose-rich and meaningful careers. Careers, where they can build strong relationships, make an impact and grow.
But what is actually the impact of Purpose on us as individuals?…Imperative’s research done together with Linkedin proves when we are in a purpose-oriented job, we:
- Are 125% more productive at work, reaching excellence and higher performance
- Are 64% more fulfilled and happy at work, even inspiring others
- Are 50% more likely to become leaders and reach higher positions
- Build greater resilience, reduce stress-level and boost our health and well-being
So what you can do to actually infuse your work and life with more purpose?
#1 IDENTIFY YOUR PURPOSE DRIVERS
As we do not gain purpose from the same things, the first key step is to understand your purpose drivers and Who you seek to impact, Why and How:
- WHO do you seek to impact, the elevation at which we seek to have an impact if on the individual directly, or on teams and organizations or on the whole society.
- WHY do you want to make an impact, being your view of fairness and the source of your value system.
- HOW do you seek to make an impact, being your natural way in which you tend to approach problems, present solutions and make an impact.
Simply look at some of your peak moments in life, when you were your best self, deeply fulfilled and on fire. Think for a second: Who did you impact, why and how in that particular situation? Which purpose drivers dominated that situation?
#2 JOB / PROJECT SELECTION
Knowing your purpose drivers, its absolutely key you use this information to select the right job or project for yourself.
- If you are looking for a job, check if your purpose drivers will be fulfilled and so will you.
- If you are in a currently not-so-fulfilling job, spot projects or even create new projects where you can put your purpose drivers at play.
- If you are interested in volunteering & pro-bono work, go beyond selecting just a cause that is close to your heart but select a role where you can truly shine and contribute your best.
- If you are receiving “favor” requests from family & friends, select those that align with your core intrinsic motivators.
#3 JOB / ACTIVITY CRAFTING
For any current job or activity you are currently involved in, take action and response-ability and adapt it. Take control for your job and craft it in order to infuse more purpose into your day to day. If you are not happy in your current role, don’t immediately quit. Change it!
- Change the task, adding activities that would “spice” your job up, being beyond your job description.
- Shift the perception of your work / role / task, connecting with the impact your work makes on the end-user, seeing, documenting and celebrating the value you bring and contribute with.
- Focus on creating meaningful relationships, building strong and lasting relationships with variety of stakeholders – your clients, your colleagues, your peers, your partners etc.
- Keep true to your values, making sure you are the role-model, walking the talk and being authentic.
#4 PURPOSE POWER-UPS
Continuously check where do you stand in regards to your RIG – Your Relationships, Impact and Growth and tailor the right purpose power-ups for yourself every week.
- How do you feel about your relationships at work/in life right now? Do you have meaningful, strong and lasting relationships at work/in life now? From a scale from 1 (I don’t have any/many) to 6 (I have many), where do you stand?
- How do you feel about the impact you are making at work/in the world right now? Do you see the impact you make on your loved ones, on your community or on the society at large? From a scale from 1 (I don’t make any) to 6 (I make a lot of impact), where do you stand?
- How do you feel about your personal and professional growth at work/in life right now? Do you feel as experiencing continuous learning and development at work/in life now? From a scale from 1 (I don’t experience any) to 6 (I experience loads), where do you stand?
IT’S YOUR TURN!
What action will you take in order to take ownership for creating a purpose-rich life and career? What action can bring more meaning into your current job / role? Which purpose power-ups can boost your fulfillment for you?
Stop looking for purpose, as it is already within you. Simply take action to activate it now!
