Finding Your Purpose

Do you have to find your purpose?

Sometimes the clients I work with tell me, “I’m having trouble finding my purpose.” I’ve often gotten the question, “How do you find your one passionate thing to do?”

There’s an energetic disconnect in that question. Almost every single person I’ve ever known has a list of half a dozen things she is interested in doing. If you look at her bio on Linked In or Facebook she will have something like “coach/author/speaker/podcaster.” Or “nutritionist/wellness consultant/weight loss coach.”

If you are a hyphenate (someone interested in more than one thing) you will always be "finding your purpose." Share on X

See the energetic disconnect in that question? If you are a hyphenate (someone interested in more than one thing) you will always be “finding your purpose.” If you are stuck on “finding it” I suspect that instead of moving toward something that will make your life happy and fulfilled you are instead waiting on perfection – the one perfect answer to your question. You don’t want to make a mistake in finding your purpose. You’re wanting perfection, and that doesn’t exist.

Perfection or “a sure thing” is not how life or business works. Life and business both are big experiments! There is no perfection, and there’s rarely one overriding “it” purpose for a person, either.

A real person’s question about finding her purpose

Here’s a question about finding “it” that I got back a few years ago, for real.

“I Need Help!!! Really struggling with targeting my TRUE passion and niche. I love what I do but not totally passionate (about it any longer). Not sure how I should proceed. I’ve gotten great ideas from others but still have not found “IT”… I read many articles with tips to find your passion: Re-visit childhood, unique strengths, values, personality tests etc… One article that caught my attention was to re-visit my SUFFERINGS to find my passion. Has anyone found their passion in this manner??? Or any other advice You could offer.”

This person has been told by someone that she shouldn’t make a move in her business without knowing the “it.” But the truth is, we find “it” only by taking action – by experimenting.

My answer about finding your purpose

Here is my answer to this person.

“I suspect that you’ll find “it” by picking a direction that seems attractive to you, and letting yourself develop there for a while. You’ll begin to get a feel for how to make it more specifically yours and that will become the “it” – or, after a time, you’ll realize that you need to go in a different direction. One thing to realize is that many entrepreneurial types have no “it” that lasts forever and ever. We are good at several things and sometimes we are equally interested in several things. If you wait for one to speak to you more than the other you freeze yourself into not moving forward. My suggestion for you is to go where you are most drawn currently and let it have time to develop. As for the idea of re-visiting sufferings to find your passion – this has been true since before Biblical times. Many healers and others have developed a great passion for doing one thing that developed from either something they suffered or something someone close to them suffered. You see that quite often if you look around. So yes, that is a viable idea.”

Finding your purpose for right now

If you feel like you can’t decide on what direction to take your life or your business try this.

Take a sheet of paper and fold it into half longwise.
On the left side make a list of all the possibilities for your life (or business) you have been considering.
On the right side make a list of the things you really want in your life, or how you want your life to be. Be as specific as you can be.
Now, consider each possibility on the left side in light of what you want on the right side. Some of your possibilities will immediately get marked out because, while you are interested, it really won’t give you what you want – even in time. Some will be maybes. And one or two will be good fits – a good match for your life.
Of those few ask yourself where your energy is stronger. Which one could you see yourself truly working toward for the next year? Which one calls you?
Create a 3 month plan for getting started with the winner. And don’t forget to share your new, current purpose with those around you. Ask for their support, and put yourself to work.
Evaluate in 3 months and see how it feels. Go from there.

This is really the best way to go about finding your purpose. It’s true, and it allows for change. Which, after all, is what life is all about.