Purpose is your promise; therefore, you must understand that having a sense of purpose is essential because it drives you towards a satisfying future. It helps you achieve the most out of your everyday actions as well as motivate you to persevere. It plays a critical role in the management of your mental health and your attitude.
“The two most important days in your life are the day you are born, and the day you find out why”.
Samuel Langhorne Clemens aka Mark Twain
Uncovering your purpose means you can take action, and you can take action because when you know what your purpose is, you understand the meaning behind everything you do.
How do I know this, because before I uncovered my purpose I was once lost, confused, unsure and out of control; I didn’t even understand why I was alive, but I knew there had to be something more.
Fast forward six years, and as a business advisor and growth strategists to CEOs, it’s not uncommon for them to be lost, unsure and out of control, and this impacts their health, business, culture, relationships and their family.
In May 2014, Craig N. and Snook S.A. published an article titled From Purpose to Impact in the Harvard Business Review and it “found that fewer than 20% of leaders have a strong sense of their own individual purpose. Even fewer can distil their purpose into a concrete statement…. hardly any of them have a clear plan for translating purpose into action.”
There may be times in your life when you lose your way, but when you are lost, and you have a purpose, you can always find your direction again.
When I went through an incredible amount of situational and clinical depression, I gained the first glimmers of insight into my purpose. I uncovered a profound purpose for living, and that was what drove me out of the darkness. The resilience button kicked in and set me on the road to recovery.
Why does purpose make a difference to depression? According to Schaefer et al., in Purpose in Life Predicts Better Emotional Recovery from Negative Stimuli, 2013, they hypothesised that;
“one mechanism through which high purpose in life may protect against depression and the wear and tear of life stress is by providing a buffer from negative events, promoting reappraisal and motivated coping processes, decreasing brooding and ruminative thinking styles, supporting faster and better recovery, and thus increasing resiliency.”
When you have a purpose, you will always have a healthier outlook on work and life.
Understanding your purpose allows you to make yourself vulnerable, and to put your values out into the world.
Although you’ll still make mistakes along the way, obstacles appear smaller, problems become opportunities, and your mental health becomes stronger. – you are building resilience.
It is so easy to become fixated on the ‘what’ and the ‘how’ of achievement. This fixation is the reason many people don’t recognise that, first and foremost, their focus should be on the ‘why’.
So, here is a list of eight reasons why purpose does matter;
Focus
When you know your purpose, you learn to focus on what matters the most. This means fewer distractions which mean more action.
Passion
When you follow your purpose, you become overcome with a genuine passion for pursuing it. It’s an important driver that helps you achieve the extraordinary.
Clarity
You become unstoppable because you know WHY you are here, WHAT you must accomplish and for WHO! Those that don’t know their purpose are unclear and waste time chasing aspirations.
Gratitude
Your actions, decisions, feelings and thoughts are founded on your purpose. When you live by your purpose, you are more centred and make a lasting impact in your work which encourages others and creates a feeling of gratification.
Values
These are the same rules that influence our decisions and drive our actions. Because they are formed at an early age, they are integral elements to your purpose. Values define our goals, and they remind us of right and wrong, which helps us navigate through the complexity of life.
Integrity
We all make mistakes, and failure is not fatal. People with purpose know who they are, what they are and why they are. Living with purpose helps you live life with integrity regardless of perception and innuendo.
Trust
When you know your purpose, you know you belong. This means you become one with the universe, and energy flows through you. You become more trusting and have more faith in people. When you have a purpose, you become more emotionally aware and connected.
Fun
When you have a purpose, every moment matters. People with purpose live life to the fullest, and they have a growth mindset. No challenge is too big, and no opportunity is too tricky. It’s a pleasure to be living with meaning and achieving what you want.
Recent research shows that if you want to be a high-growth firm and stay relevant in a fast-changing world, you need to “Put Purpose at the Core of Your Strategy”.
High-growth firms are not limited to their existing playing field. They let purpose guide their strategy as they approach whole ecosystems. These firms also use a purpose-driven approach to reshape their value proposition by having a broader mission and delivering lifetime benefits to consumers.
People and organisations that are purpose-driven have boundless energy and are more committed, they are driven, and they encourage a growth mindset. When you live with purpose, balance is fluid and when you do what you love for those that love and value what you do, the energy, commitment, drive and attitude is organic.
I hope this inspired you, I hope it serves you, and remember to live with purpose.