Have you ever wondered what your purpose in life is?
Perhaps you’ve spent years building your career, only to reach a point where you’re no longer sure why you’re doing it.
You might enjoy certain aspects of your job, but something feels missing.
Or perhaps you’ve started thinking about a career change because you want to do something more meaningful.
And then along comes the advice:
“You need to find your true purpose.”
Just one small problem.
What if you haven’t got a clue what your purpose is?
Why finding your purpose can feel so overwhelming
There’s been an enormous amount of conversation in recent years about finding purpose. We’re encouraged to discover our passions, understand our reason for being and build lives around something bigger than ourselves.
For some people, that’s genuinely helpful.
I’m one of those people who feels strongly motivated by having a sense of purpose. A lot of my own sense of purpose comes from my work, and I regularly ask myself whether what I’m doing still feels meaningful.
But I haven’t always had the answers.
During the COVID lockdowns, I found myself questioning quite a lot about my work and the direction my life was taking. And I’ve noticed similar questions coming up in career coaching.
People tell me they want to find their purpose, but they don’t know where to begin.
Some feel they’ve lost the sense of purpose they once had.
Others wonder whether they ever had one in the first place.
And sometimes, people feel almost guilty because they aren’t particularly interested in discovering some grand life mission.
The problem is that trying to find your purpose can become another thing you’re putting pressure on yourself to achieve.
Do you actually need a purpose in life?
Here’s something worth remembering:
Not everybody is motivated by the same things.
Some people want their work to make a difference in the world. Others want interesting problems to solve. Some people love building businesses, developing new ideas or creating things.
And others see work primarily as a way to support the life they want outside it. They might find their greatest sense of meaning in family, friendships, hobbies or their community.
None of those approaches is wrong.
You don’t have to dedicate your career to changing the world.
You don’t have to discover one defining passion.
And you certainly don’t have to feel guilty because you haven’t worked out your life’s purpose.
But if you do want your work to feel more meaningful, there is something useful you can try.
Forget your life’s purpose. Create a personal mission statement instead.
One approach I’ve been using with career coaching clients is to stop talking about finding their purpose and start talking about creating a personal mission statement.
You may have come across mission statements on company websites.
Businesses use them to explain what they want to achieve, who they serve and what they’re working towards.
But a personal mission statement is different.
It isn’t a corporate slogan. And it isn’t a grand declaration about what your entire life should be dedicated to.
It’s simply a way of putting into words:
Who you are, what matters to you, who or what you’d like to help, and how you want to make a contribution.
The important thing is that it describes your mission right now.
It can change.
In fact, you should expect it to change as your life and priorities evolve.
Here are five questions to help you create yours.
1. Who am I?
Let’s start with what sounds like a ridiculously simple question.
Who are you?
Not your job title. Or your qualifications. Or what other people expect you to be.
Think about who you are as a person.
- What matters most to you?
- What values guide the decisions you make?
- What experiences have shaped the person you’ve become?
- What are your strengths?
- What do you care deeply about?
You might identify values such as fairness, creativity, independence, security, kindness or learning.
Don’t worry about producing a perfect description.
Start by writing down whatever comes to mind.
Sometimes understanding what really matters to us takes a little exploration.
2. Who do I want to help?
This is where your mission starts to take shape.
Think about the people, organisations, communities or causes you want to contribute to.
- Perhaps you want to help children learn.
- Support people experiencing difficulties.
- Help small businesses succeed.
- Make organisations run more effectively.
- Or create products that make everyday life easier.
There’s no requirement for your mission to sound particularly noble or impressive.
Helping a business improve its customer service is just as legitimate a professional contribution as supporting a charitable cause.
The question is simply:
Who would I genuinely enjoy making a difference for?
3. What do I want to help them with?
Now get more specific.
- What problem would you like to help solve?
- What needs to improve?
- What change would you like to contribute towards?
For example, perhaps you want to help young people.
That’s a starting point.
But what do you want to help them with?
- Education?
- Confidence?
- Career opportunities?
- Mental health?
The more specific you become, the easier it is to start identifying the types of work that might interest you.
4. How do I want to help?
This is where your strengths and interests come into the picture.
You might care deeply about a particular issue, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you want to work directly with the people affected by it.
Perhaps you enjoy teaching. Maybe you’re brilliant at organising. Perhaps you love analysing information, designing systems or solving complicated problems. You might prefer being the person who creates a solution rather than the person delivering it.
Ask yourself:
What would I actually enjoy doing to make this contribution?
Two people might care about exactly the same issue but want completely different jobs.
And that’s why this question matters.
5. Why does this matter to me?
Finally, think about your motivation.
Why have you chosen this mission?
Perhaps something in your own life has shaped what you care about. Maybe you’ve witnessed a problem and want to help solve it.
Or perhaps you’ve discovered that using certain strengths gives you a real sense of satisfaction.
Try to identify why this particular contribution would make your working life more meaningful.
There doesn’t need to be a dramatic backstory.
Sometimes the answer is simply:
“Because it’s something I enjoy, I’m good at it, and I think it would make a difference.”
That’s a perfectly good reason.
Putting your personal mission statement together
Once you’ve answered the five questions, try turning your thoughts into a short statement.
For example:
“I want to use my creativity and problem-solving skills to help small businesses communicate more effectively, because I enjoy finding practical solutions that make people’s working lives easier.”
Or:
“I want to use my patience and ability to explain complicated things to help adults develop new skills and feel more confident about learning.”
These are just examples.
Your statement might be very different.
And it doesn’t have to be beautifully written.
It’s not going on a plaque outside your office.
It’s a tool to help you think about what you want.
How can a personal mission statement help your career?
If you’re considering changing career, your mission statement can help you identify opportunities that feel more closely aligned with your interests, strengths and values.
It gives you something to use when comparing different career options.
Instead of asking only:
“Could I do this job?”
You can also ask:
“Would this job allow me to contribute in a way that matters to me?”
And if you’re happy in your current job, you can still use your mission statement.
Perhaps it helps you reconnect with the aspects of your work you enjoy. Or identify projects, responsibilities or opportunities you’d like to become more involved in.
Your personal mission doesn’t necessarily have to mean changing jobs.
And remember, you can revisit it whenever your circumstances change.
Ready to explore what matters to you?
If you’re thinking about a career change but aren’t sure which direction to take, download our free Career Change Toolkit.
It includes ten practical guides to help you explore your options, make career decisions and plan your next move.
Because finding a career that works for you starts with understanding what matters to you.