Reflections on work and purpose
Work can be connected to purpose. When it comes to being employed or leading a business, ideally, it should be connected to something you care about: a value, a personal vision/mission, or a sense of purpose/calling. Why? Because if you're spending 20-40+ hours per week at a particular place, it should, at the very least, be something you're interested in and maybe even passionate about.
But this isn't always possible; rents/mortgages have to be paid. There's too much pressure out there to "find a job you love," and I don't think it's useful. What's useful is taking a holistic view of life and finding ways to do something that brings joy both in and outside work contexts as frequently as possible. That way, you can stay connected to your purpose/passion while meeting your financial needs in every season of life.
If you love what you do, you'll work on most days of your life.
Working out purpose is not always sexy. I disagree with the common saying, "If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life." There's always going to be some measure of work involved in living out purpose.
Besides, loving what you do or having it connected to purpose doesn't guarantee that every day will be enjoyable. Sometimes, it'll be tedious, some times; it'll be easy. Some portions will be boring; others will be enjoyable. There'll be parts of the process you'd rather not do and some you won't mind losing sleep for. But if that work is something that brings fulfillment in the end, it's worth the journey.
With these in mind, I often ask myself the following questions before taking on new work, both paid and unpaid:
Does it connect in some way, whether in part or as a whole, to what brings me a sense of purpose, fulfillment, and joy?
Does it allow me to serve my greatest strengths?
Does it allow me to develop new strengths or work on my weaknesses?
Does it allow me space to recharge and provide value to me in return, whether financial or not?
Answering these questions for myself helps me stay aligned with my sense of purpose or decide if I need to find or create opportunities to do what I love.
In summary:
Yes, finding a job or starting a business that connects with your purpose is possible, but make no mistake, it will still feel like work. It's not always going to be roses and flowers. But if that work is something that brings fulfillment in the end, it's worth the journey.
There will always be opportunities to serve one's purpose. You can choose to do this in exchange for money or other forms of value. And when these opportunities don't exist, create them. Don't allow yourself to go for lengthy periods without engaging in something personally fulfilling.
It's always helpful to frequently evaluate if we're aligned with what makes us feel energized, fulfilled, and purposeful. I did a personal recap at the end of Q1 for this year to keep myself accountable & I recommend this to everyone!
*Note: I use purpose/passion/"what you love" interchangeably here because I can.
