Finding Your True Purpose in Business, Part 1

"Finding your purpose" is something that's been a buzzword in entrepreneurial circles for quite some time now. But what does it actually mean, and how do you find your purpose? In this series, I'll cover what a "life purpose" is, how to find yours, and what to do when you discover what your life purpose is.

In entrepreneurial circles, regularly you hear people talk about "finding your life purpose." You'll find loads of people talking about it, and even offering to help you discover your life purpose (some by sensible methods like coaching, others by less mainstream methods, like palm reading). Given that this topic is usually explored by folks far more "woo-woo" than me, if you've read anything else on life purpose, you may find my treatment a bit more practical. So what exactly does "life purpose" even mean, and what are you supposed to do about it?

For the purpose of this series, I'll assume that you think it makes some sense that we're all put on this planet for a reason. Finding your life purpose just means figuring out what that reason is. It's really just that simple. Actually determining what your life purpose is...well, that's a bit more challenging.

How do you know when you've found your life purpose?

When you've found your life purpose, everything associated with your purpose begins to flow. Things that might've been difficult before suddenly come easily and quickly to you. People who have found their purpose tend to experience a peace of mind, a feeling of being settled. They have a sense that things are as they should be, and that they're on the right path.

An example of this from my own life is that when I first started college, I was a violin performance major, studying to play violin in an orchestra. I'd played for twelve years already, but it always felt a bit like work to me. As a result, every day was a struggle. Anyone listening to me play back then would've thought it was easy for me. Indeed, playing violin came naturally to me...but the problem wasn't that I wasn't good at my instrument. Rather, the challenge was the internal struggle that was going on inside of me. As a result of that struggle, nothing about my music or my musical career seemed to flow.

If you haven't found your life purpose yet, this may sound familiar to you. When you aren't walking down the path of your true purpose, nothing feels entirely settled or right.

Contrast my musical career with my current career as a business and marketing consultant, and the difference is astounding.

As a business consultant, I have ideas for more books, workshops, and training programs than I have time to create. The work comes naturally and easily to me, and it's more fun than work. Learning new material is an absolute joy, and every day I wake up feeling excited about my clients and my writing, and I'm exhilarated about what's coming next. Opportunities abound, too, which means that my passion and authenticity about what I do is being reflected back to me.

And that's how you know when you've found your life purpose- things come easily and naturally, everything flows. You feel settled and grounded, and the joy of what you're doing is reflected back in the form of positive responses and new opportunities.

It's the difference between stumbling down a rocky path and sailing down a smooth, newly resurfaced road.

I've heard the naysayers talk about how "life purpose" is just fluffy mumbo jumbo, and that it's more important that people just work harder to make their businesses grow. But the truth is, if you're working hard at something you're not meant to be doing, you might be able to achieve some success, but you'll never feel that settled peace, that feeling of knowing you're exactly where you're supposed to be, doing what you're supposed to be doing.

Next week, I'll talk about exactly how to find your life purpose. I'll cover the essential steps and also share what to do once you've found your own life purpose. After all, what's the point of discovering what you're here to do, if you don't take action and do something about it?