“I am going to change your life today”, a well-known professor said as he started our small group workshop on Purpose.
Immediately I thought – there is no way I am going to walk away from a 3 hour workshop and be life-changed. Yet, low and behold, here I am a full year later – completely floored by the immense impact that having a Purpose has on life…and even more career trajectory.
The concept of Purpose is showing up everywhere – conferences, apps, corporate workshops, and hundreds of studies in psychological research – determining that mental health and physiological makeup are positively impacted – such as a decrease risk in depression, strengthened immune system, better sleep, and higher levels of resilience. Beyond research, the business world has taken hold of purpose. Even entrepreneurs such as Mark Zuckerberg emphasized that Purpose gives us a greater sense of belonging and feeling connected to something beyond ourselves.
The “why” behind purpose is fascinating – yet, beyond research the potential implications within your career is significant and discovering your purpose could very well cultivate a stronger career trajectory.
Read on for 7 ways that defining your Purpose can help your Career:
1. Your professional brand story | Knowing who you are and why you do what you do greatly impacts the way your company, future employers, and how other leaders appraise your value. Know your purpose – know your brand.
2. Your passions can flourish | People often forget that they can find purpose in their CURRENT role, by creating passion projects – which can drastically enhance your achievements. For instance, I am passionate about my purpose of balance and well being, so in my current role I worked to bring wellness initiatives to life at a Fortune 500 company. What is your passion project to bring to life?
3. Purpose + Values = Alignment | Values reside at the core of your life’s mission. When you know your Purpose, your internal moral compass is aligned, and therefore you are less likely to feel “lost”. You will embody more confidence in navigating your career ahead because your journey feels more aligned to your core.
4. You can expand your role | When you know your purpose, you are more adept to expand your role & responsibilities. You would be surprised how many start ups and even larger organizations are open to considering adding new responsibilities or altering your role. You might need to present a business case, but if you are passionate about this purpose, you could see a major impact for your career trajectory.
5. Resilience & lower burn out | When Purpose and your Career align, your ability to continue to bounce back from challenges and obstacles (aka Resilience) is significantly more than if you didn’t have an aspiration keep moving.
6. Learning and developing | If you know your “why” you will be much more motivated to continuously learn more in order to cultivate growth. Connect your purpose & passions to a new skill set, language, entrepreneurial
7. You will take more risks | Risks can absolutely re-define your career. No one got ahead in life by sitting still and hoping that amazing opportunities fell into their lap. When you have a Purpose, you will do whatever it takes – even risk everything- to get there. Risks can absolutely pay off int he long run to support your purpose and drive your career forward.