The Power of Purpose

Purpose is the fuel of life.

It gets us out of bed in the morning with energy and intent.

It helps us push through difficult situations.

It keeps us moving forward.

If you are unmotivated, you are lacking purpose.

If your team is unmotivated, then purpose is missing.

In this article I am going to teach you how to find and create purpose in your life.

When you do this, you will always have a source of motivation.

Avoid this and you may end up wandering through life looking for inspiration.

Let’s learn to create purpose and fuel for action.

Purpose and Motivation

As this topic is related to motivation, it is worth noting how they are connected.

Purpose and motivation go hand in hand.

There are short term motivators, like fear, opportunities, pain avoidance, etc.

But these motivators last only until you avoid the pain or gain the pleasure. They do not last.

Purpose, on the other hand, is the source of long-term motivation.

It is what keeps us pushing after we have avoided the pain or achieved the pleasure.

Just recognize that you may feel motivated at times, and it is not due to purpose.

Once short-term motivation subsides, we must lean into purpose to stay the course.

There are three different levels of purpose to discuss, and it starts with something that is not often connected with the word: responsibilities.

Level 1: Responsibilities

Responsibilities give us purpose.

They are “chosen-purpose.”

We choose to have kids, so we create purpose as a parent.

We choose to get married, so we create purpose as a spouse.

When we choose a role in our life, we also choose the responsibilities that come with it.

Those responsibilities provide a sense of purpose.

Who is going to feed your kids? Who is going to take care of them?

Yes, “Love” plays a role in these relationships, but consider the times you do not feel motivated to put on your adult pants… If you have kids, you will put on the pants because they need you to.

These responsibilities can be summed up in another way: Expectations.

When others have expectations of us, we are more likely to rise to the occasion.

This mix of needs and expectations can create a foundation of purpose.

Kids expect and need to be taken care of.

Spouses expect and need intimacy and love.

Your vehicle expects and needs to be maintained.

OK… maybe not that last one.

Responsibilities are things we choose. But they are not things we typically crave or want for ourselves.

There is another form of purpose for that.

Level 2: Desires and Joy

What do you want?

What makes you happy?

Maybe you want to garden all day because growing things brings you joy.

Maybe you want to build things, because being a craftsman brings you joy.

We can find and create purpose in what we want because of how it makes us feel, and who we become in the process.

I know a painter whose purpose is to paint.

Every painting is an expression of who she is, what she is capable of, and who she can become.

She’s inspiring.

What exists in your life that brings you the same purpose?

What purpose are you choosing for yourself? And how are you showing up for yourself?

Get ready to think bigger, because there is another form of purpose that is stronger than one based on the self.

Level 3: Impact

The most powerful forms of purpose extend beyond ourselves.

Personal purpose helps us be the best versions of ourselves for ourselves.

Given we are social animals, we tend to show up with more strength and passion when we are working toward the betterment of a group.

Social purpose gives us meaning outside ourselves.

Think Elon Musk - He wants to make humans an interplanetary species. THAT is purpose.

He may be an extreme example, but it can be smaller and just as impactful.

A mother who creates purpose through her family is extending her impact beyond herself.

This is not just responsibility (like in topic #1) but is chosen purpose.

Companies who set out to impact the world (external purpose) as opposed to only impacting their financial statement (internal purpose) tend to think bigger and create stronger followings.

Their employees also feel more motivation because their work influences a larger group of humans.

If you want to supercharge your purpose, find ways to positively impact other people.

Not only is it more personally motivating, but you add a layer of social expectations into the mix.

The Wrap Up

Purpose is what we choose.

And it does not have to be complicated.

First recognize the responsibilities you have chosen. This is the easiest layer of purpose to access.

Then dig within yourself and decide what you want. What brings you joy? This is level 2, purpose.

Finally, level 3 purpose is all about having a larger impact on the world. Maybe it is on your family or on your community.

Creating purpose beyond yourself is a sure way to keep a lit fire of meaning and motivation in your life.

So create your purpose.

And crush it. 

Clark