The One Small Problem With Finding Your Purpose

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In today’s article, I’m going to share a different take on life purpose.

Over the next 6 minutes I share 3 things:

Problem in our world today is that purpose has become a bit of a buzzword.

There’s pressure to find it. And if you haven’t, well, you “haven’t got your life figured out.”

Many people try to “find” their purpose. It then becomes an intellectual exercise but it isn’t about solving a maths equation as we’ve been educated to solve most problems.

How can you find something that you believe is lost?!

This doesn’t necessarily need to be life purpose. You can replace the word “purpose” with “clarity” about anything in your life.

In my personal experience and the numerous mission-driven leaders I’ve coached and trained over the last 5 years, they have not found their purpose but have allowed their inner calling to shine through them.

Sounds a bit “woo-woo”? Bare with me. Let’s keep that powerful mind of your open for the next 5 mins 😉

The experience becomes less of a forceful exercise and more of allowing something deep within you once you slow down and connect with your intuition.

You might be in a full time job considering your next move. You might have built and exited a business. You might just feel in a rut and realise you want to do more that makes you feel alive and become the person you always wanted to be.

Whether you’re looking for clarity at a macro level (i.e. finding your purpose in life) or clarity at a micro level (e.g. making a decision on a marketing decision) these principles can apply to both.

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Rise To Your Calling vs Chasing Purpose

A calling is an inner nudge or hunch from within us that’s gently guiding us in a particular direction to live a life true to ourselves. It’s a small feeling of excitement when we think or talk about a particularly topic. It’s something that makes us feel alive. We could spend hours on a topic that’s aligned with our calling and don’t realise where time as gone.

When we rise to our calling, it’s simply taking steps towards this energy. Step-by-step we are called to a particular direction in life. It’s as if one step forward toward this calling opens up another door that feels even better. I see rising to our calling a more practical way of living a life of purpose.

Purpose is that specific thing that sets your soul on fire and makes you feel alive, although this can be ever evolving, it can be quite daunting to understand this one grand purpose of your life. When we focus on rising to our calling, it is connected with our purpose, but we simply focus on the next step and not get lost in figuring out our whole life.

I’m here to say you don’t need to find purpose. Finding something is what happens when you’ve lost something. Finding something is an intellectual exercise. You’re searching for something that’s lost and then once you’ve found it, you’ve got it for life, unless you lose it again.

But a calling is already something you have within you but it only becomes apparent when you create space, slow your mind, eliminate mental noise, and connect with the energy and excitement within you and allow it to flow through you.

Follow Your Energy

In the summer of 2016, one afternoon when I was working with my head down in my work office with little enthusiasm and energy low, a colleague asked me: “Jaineel, what book are you currently reading?”

My whole energy shifted in an instant from being lethargic to ecstatic. I felt as if I was in a desert dying of thirst and someone had just flashed a jug of ice-cold water in front of me. My posture changed entirely—head up, back straight—as I started to share what I was currently reading. It was Darren Hardy’s The Compound Effect. I learned so much from that book I was inspired to share it.

That same evening, I came home and journaled about this. I noticed how my whole energy shifted. Wow I thought to myself. Imagine if I could do something in the field of personal development. That thought fed me a lot of energy.

I didn’t know this at the time but that day marked the beginning of my new direction. More specifically, I found a connection with something greater within me that was nudging me in a particular direction.

This is what it’s all about. Following those small nudges of excitement. It’s all connected to your greater calling. These are signs which, when you act on them, step by step, starts to lead you in a direction that unlocks all that you want.

The inner self is giving you guidance in every moment. The more you’re able to be present, connect with the energy within you, the more you’re able to allow it to guide you.

I find great comfort and truth in this quote by Rumi:

Bonus Tip: Keep an energy diary

Become really conscious of what is feeding you energy and write this down. Become conscious of what’s draining your energy and write this down. Reflect on this every month and notice the pattern. Simply start doing more of what is feeding you energy and exciting you, and do less of the energy draining things. This will slowly lead you closer to finding clarity on your direction.

Be a Scientist

The world supports the one who has a bias toward being a scientist. What do I mean by that?

The more you experiment, the more data you collect, the greater data you will gather on what you want and what you don’t want.

From a logical perspective, the more data you have, the more reliable your decision. But coming from a place beyond logic, the more you put yourself in certain environments that give you feedback the more opportunity you have to experience those inner nudges that call you.

What do I mean by being a scientist in practical terms?

Ultimately, it’s about following your curiosity. 

Finally I’d end with saying this:

Life is a constant journey of finding clarity and direction.

No one, not even those gurus you look up to, have the whole path mapped out in front them.

The greatest artists, athletes, and entrepreneurs of this world are the ones who are able to create space, go within, master their mission, lead with courage, and perform like as an athlete.

We call this Leading From Within.

This is why you’re part of this movement and community. I appreciate you being here with me as we continue learn, grow, and lead our individual and collective missions in life.

Reflection:

Which direction am I being nudged in with a small burst of excitement?

Action:

Take one small step toward that direction, today.