What's My Purpose?

I realize that many of the articles I write on here start with, "I was talking with a colleague recently, and..." I was about to start this one the same way, and was struck by how often I say that. Here's the reality--much of the time, I'm surprised by the commonalities that are shared by my peers. There are often things that I think I'm going alone--thoughts and experiences that others aren't having. It never ceases to amaze me when I'm talking with a colleague and they have the same or similar thoughts--and those are the kind of topics that seem appropriate for a broader audience. With that intro in mind...

I was talking with a colleague recently about the nature of work and life, and what he and I find purpose in. No, I'm not on the verge of becoming a LinkedIn influencer with daily posts building a brand on finding personal purpose, but I do think it's worth thinking and talking about nonetheless, and I am going to explore it a bit over the next few posts. I was contemplating my work, what I'm good at, what others perceive me to be good at, where I add value to the enterprises I work for. I was thinking about how my role always starts as being "the attorney", and always expands from there. And I was contemplating some of the long days I've had of late, working on projects that can seem a bit Groundhog Day at times--doing work that is truly mission critical, but that when repeated over multiple projects seems duplicative. Those kind of days make you think about whether your professional life, where so much time is spent, is contributing towards your true purpose as an individual.

He was having the same inner monologue. It's not a struggle or dilemma; it's not a problem. I've worked over the past few years to have greater self-awareness and understanding, and that path requires a fair amount of contemplation. My peer is on a similar road. For me, things that have driven this contemplation over the past few years have included some significant career changes, exposure to a lot of new industries, moving across the country, getting divorced, confronting the realities of aging parents and maturing children, starting new relationships, building new friendships--a host of things that generate introspection. Understanding that this process is not unique to me, I'm going to talk about it here a little bit, in the hopes that those who read this (yes, all 3 of you) get some value from it and are encouraged to do some of your own introspection.

We start with that broadest of questions: what's my purpose?

Recent Articles in the Purpose Series:

What’s My Purpose?

War and Peace

If I Won the Mega-Millions

Why Do Hard Things?

Am I a Bridge or a Roadblock?

Am I Growing?

What Would _________ Think?

Make Things Better