Purpose is like a rainbow, you need both the rain and the sun to make the colours appear.

Think of a car. It has been manufactured to be driven and enjoyed and to get its owner from A to B.

Now imagine this car is sitting in a closed garage for an infinite period of time.  It just sits there and never gets driven. The car doesn't care; it could sit there forever.

Imagine now if the car had a soul and a conscience. If that car were abandoned days on end it would feel the impact.  It would feel strange inside, lonely, probably useless and off centre so to speak.

One day the garage door opens and in walks the owner. She opens the drivers’ door, starts the ignition and adjusts the mirrors.  The car is suddenly awoken and flooded with potential and enthusiasm. It is doing what it was made to do and god that feels good!

As human beings we are no different, we have an innate purpose, a reason for being.  Our purpose can change, it can go off track, it can sometimes be hidden but it is always there.  I get asked from many of my executive clients, “How do I know I’m living my purpose?” and I always answer that they themselves can only know this and finding your passion and your “why” is key.

Purpose comes from within and I believe there are three areas or buckets if you like of each type of purpose with each needing to be filled:

  • Personal Purpose
    • What is it you stand for?
    • What don’t you stand for?
    • What legacy do you want to leave behind?
    • What lights you up?
    • What do you believe in?
    • What is important to you, for you?
  • Professional Purpose
    • What are you passionate about in a career context?
    • If you could do anything what would that be?
    • What part of your role do you love the most?
      • (Don’t confuse this with what you are good at)
      • What would you do if you could do it for free?
      • What motivates you in your current role or a previous role?
  • Life Purpose
    • What will you want others to say about you once you have moved on?
    • What do you care most about in your life?
    • What three words sum up a life well lived and on purpose, for you?
    • What excites you?
    • What sparks your creativity?
    • What contribution will you make?

These buckets obviously need to be aligned, there is no point doing what you love as a career and travelling to the point you are never home if your personal purpose is to enjoy and be there for your family. Each bucket needs to link and be in synch so each one can flow into the next congruently and with ease.

It all comes down to finding out what you are really passionate about, what lights you up from the inside. This will give you alignment in what you do, fulfilment, satisfaction and ideally synchronicity between all the areas in your life.

From a career perspective, I absolutely loved the corporate roles I have had, I couldn’t do what I do today without them being part of my journey.  It wasn’t until I started running my own practice 8 years ago, where I grow and develop individuals, teams and organisations that I realised I am truly living my purpose which is to make a difference, learn in the process and help people grow and reach their full potential.  I work hard, I travel, I’m always studying and growing more knowledge and as tired as I may get I always feel lit up, excited and passionate about what I do to the point most clients always comment on this and say they can tell I love doing what I do.

So how do we identify what we are passionate about? Too often we hold ourselves back from the things we want to find out most. This is due to the fact we often associate a fear around the probability it could change the way or us. We make excuses about what could change or we simply don’t take the time to seek out what is important to us. We get caught up in the “doing” not the “being.”

A few questions below to provoke some thought on finding out what you are passionate about:

  • What sparks your creativity?
  • What lights you up and gets you excited?
  • What puts a smile on your face?
  • What do you find easy?
  • What things, activities, experiences, places, talents, problems and ideas do you love to think about and work with?
  • If you looked back on an ideal year what would have happened?

By having a clear idea of your purpose and linking and synching each one this keeps you motivated, focused and able to tap into this pool of energy whenever challenges arise because you now understand the “Why” behind the events in your life!

Renée Giarrusso, Lead Coach, Trainer and Founder of Metamorphose Consulting, works with high performing Executives and teams across a myriad of industries and organisations. Her expertise in growing and developing capability and behavioural change around leadership, communication, transition and sales effectiveness leaves her clients inspired, re-energised and with improved results.

Contact us for a chat and see how we can collaborate with you for even more success!