A few years ago, I found myself at a crossroads in life. It was that post-COVID period when we were all searching for something more—something that could add purpose and vitality to our daily routines. I discovered the MoJo Crowe course by Ben Crowe, which helped me embark on a journey of self-discovery and set out a roadmap to align my life with my core values.

Just like you, I had my share of doubts and uncertainties, but I couldn’t ignore the growing awareness that having a clear sense of purpose could lead to a happier, healthier life. It’s a notion that’s been reinforced by the Imperfects podcast and the enlightening book “Ikigai,” which delves into the Japanese secret of longevity and happiness. But for this blog, let’s focus on one fundamental aspect: purpose.

What exactly is purpose? It’s the driving force that motivates and fulfils you, allowing you to lead your life by your values. It’s a harmonious blend of your passions, strengths, contributions, values, and long-term aspirations. In this blog, we’ll delve into why finding your purpose is essential, how it can infuse motivation into every facet of your life, and the tangible benefits that come along with it.

Purpose

For this blog, let’s stick to purpose. What is it? Purpose is essentially what motivates and fulfils you, allowing you to lead your life by your values. Typically, your purpose is a cross between:

Passion: What you genuinely love and enjoy doing, something that excites you and keeps you engaged.

Strengths and Skills: Your natural talents and abilities that empower you to make a positive impact.

Contribution: How you can use your passions and strengths to make a difference in the lives of others, your community, or the world.

Values: The principles and beliefs that matter most to you, which guide your decisions and actions.

Long-Term Goals: Aspirations that give you a sense of direction and a reason to work towards a better future.

Why Should You Have a Sense of Purpose

Firstly, a sense of purpose can give your life meaning – there are great examples of this with celebrities. Andre Agassi found purpose in opening a school, Marcus Rashford found purpose with school meals and Dylan Alcott found purpose in changing perceptions around disabilities.

Another solid benefit in finding your purpose if finding motivation. We’ve all been in a job we don’t enjoy, but if we can relate it to our purpose, it makes it far easier to get motivated to do your job! It’s not only work related, often when we have a bump in life, this motivation can keep you resilient and help you overcome obstacles.

This might sound wishy washy – I get it. But the below benefits have been measured and are tangible:

• Increased happiness
• Decreased risk of mental illness
• Improved cardiovascular health
• Improved relationships

How do I Find My Purpose

Finding your purpose can sometimes be difficult. For me, it seemed easy as I have always liked helping people – hence this blog. That said, I have put time aside to find my purpose.

The below are some steps to take – there are some good resources out there to take this a step further!

• Identify your core values (e.g. care, competitiveness, creativity, loyalty etc)
• Identify your strengths
• What do you enjoy doing?
• What kind of legacy do you want to leave
• What activities do you enjoy?

Once you’ve found your purpose, the real trick is aligning what your job is. This is much trickier, I’ll admit. I had to reconcile my purpose (helping others) with my role in logistics. Moving boxes doesn’t align. However, I have a team – so I get motivated by trying to help them.

Key Takeaways

• Purpose give you a sense of meaning
• Having a purpose has tangible benefits
• Purpose should align with your passions, values and skills

Resources

Mojo Crowe

Ikigai