Pursuing Purpose and Passion: Six Ways to Find Your Why
Finding Your Why
Understanding the “why” of your work is just as important as the performance of your duties.
Finding purpose within your everyday life will ensure a sustainable career, high job satisfaction, and better achievement of work-life balance. But how do we define and find our why? In this Article, we provide six of our favorite ideas for seeking your passion and purpose at any stage of your career.
Determine Your Values
In order to build a career in alignment with your values, you must first determine your guiding principles and avenues for fulfillment. To do so, ask yourself key questions:
When was a time you felt most fulfilled?
When was a time you felt most useful?
When was a time you felt like your most authentic self?
When was a time you showed courage?
Who are your personal and professional role models?
What admirable characteristics do they possess and with which do you most identify?
Identify Your Passions
Now that we know our core values, we can channel those values through activities or causes about which we are passionate. Not sure what your passions could be? Think about your current skillsets: which activities, jobs, or projects bring you the most fulfillment? Have they changed or remained the same over time? How can you elevate your interests into passions, and then evolve those passions into your “why”?
If you cut hair, you might decide your purpose in life is to help others feel beautiful.
If you work as a school custodian, you might find your purpose is creating an environment that helps children learn.
Perhaps you liked working with animals in your youth, but now, as an adult, you want to join a cause that fights human trafficking.
Find the Right Headspace
It is important not to become frustrated with your progress during any time of self-discovery, but especially when attempting to find your why. Finding your purpose can be a long-term activity and you must have patience with yourself while you try new passions or explore your current ones further.
Start by being honest with yourself about those things that bring your fulfillment.
The kinder you are to yourself, the more honest you can be—and the more honest you can be, the sooner you’ll find your why. (2).
Try not to put too much pressure on yourself.
[W]hen our brains are relaxed, they are at their most creative. You cannot achieve or serve others when you are battling against yourself. (4).
Part of finding the right headspace for this exploration could be through a gratitude practice. Pay attention to the small things that affect you during the day. Are there certain activities, tasks, or projects that you enjoy more than others? Are there certain people you enjoy working with more than others? What characteristics do those people possess that you appreciate? Are there aspects of your life that you are more or less drawn to?
Become Community-Minded
One of the best ways to help you find your why is to focus on your community. Many people take great fulfillment in uplifting those around them and making positive changes in their environment. Becoming community-minded can also mean focusing your attention on your immediate communities; how can you improve your local city or neighborhood? Or would you rather focus on changing the world as a whole? In any scenario, you can join likeminded people to help you further any cause.
Joining or creating a community allows you to find that sense of connection with others as you work together toward a common goal. (4).
Whether you focus your efforts in the micro or macro, working together with others to create positive change can be a very impactful exercise to find your why.
Track Your Progress and Self-Assess
Take note of which passions remain consistent in your priorities over time and any evolutions in your interests. In this instance, “over time” can mean over a period of years, as you transition through different periods of your life, or even from day to day.
Even if your why in the short term is not your why in the long term, it’s useful to keep track of all your whys throughout your life. You might notice you’re trending in a specific direction with these core values, making it easier to define a more holistic and long-lasting why as a result. (2)
There are many ways to track your progress and, indeed, there are specific notebooks and organizational tools that are meant for specifically that purpose. That being said, a good old fashioned journal or inexpensive notebook can be a great way to track your thoughts and help you understand the why’s of your selections by allowing you to review past notes.
Seek New Perspectives
Our final way to find your why is to seek out new voices and perspectives, both to understand the whys of others and to inspire you to explore new passions. This could be through articles, books, or even blogs written by your mentors or role models.
Self-help means seeking out new perspectives and people to inspire you and further cement your why. Look for great leaders and mentors with a firm sense of self to help you develop your own. Read books and seek out content that serves you and boosts your productivity, positivity, and purpose. (2).
When looking for new perspectives, begin with those who know you the best: family, friends, trusted colleagues, and those in your closest circles. Not only do they have external insights into the things that inspire you and bring you joy, but they may also offer opinions and guidance on your search for your why.
Conclusion
Finding your purpose is an on-going process; your core values and passions may change or develop over time. Maybe you will decide to scale your efforts or make a passion into a full-time job. You may experience setbacks, but you will also find valuable lessons and successes. Consistent growth is essential to working within your purpose - your “why” should motivate you to stay dedicated to your work long-term. As long as your values are aligned with your why, you can both make a difference and enjoy sustainable professional satisfaction.
Citations
Burns, Stephanie. “What ‘Finding Your Why’ Really Means.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 24 May 2021, www.forbes.com/sites/stephanieburns/2021/05/24/what-finding-your-why-really-means/?sh=2ee5c36073f4.
Welteroth, Elaine. “What Is Your Why? 7 Tips for Finding Your Purpose.” MasterClass, 14 Feb. 2022, www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-your-why.
Christian, Lyn. “What Is Your Why? 5 Ways to Discover Your Purpose.” SoulSalt, 15 Mar. 2023, soulsalt.com/what-is-your-why/.
Wooll, Maggie. “Start Finding Your Purpose and Unlock Your Best Life.” BetterUp, 19 Oct. 2021, www.betterup.com/blog/finding-purpose.
Morin, Amy. “7 Ways to Find More Meaning and Purpose in Your Life.” Verywell Mind, Verywell Mind, 26 Dec. 2022, www.verywellmind.com/tips-for-finding-your-purpose-in-life-4164689.
Team, Indeed. “How To Find Purpose in Your Work (Benefits, Steps and Tips).” Indeed, 3 Feb. 2023, www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/purpose-in-work.
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