Living On Your (Career) Purpose

At the end of the work day, how do you feel? Tired, lethargic, bored, mentally drained? In the AM before your work day, do you have a sense of dread, feeling of doom, a knot in your stomach or anticipatory boredom? Do these feelings stay with you day in and day out? If so, chances are you are not living on your “purpose” but are living for a paycheck.

When you are living for a paycheck, you are usually just thinking about external things you have to purchase or the things you have to buy for yourself or your family. You are driven by dollars and cents. However, when you are driven by purpose, you are driven more by your internal compass.

There are different definitions of purpose but in this instance, I will state that purpose is the alignment of what you enjoy doing, what you value and gives you a sense of satisfaction. Purpose can be in any place within your life, but in this article I am focused on your Career Purpose.

The amazing thing about purpose is that it’s individualistic and not dependent on your position within an organization. I have seen all levels of employees living both off-purpose and on-purpose. I have seen Med-Surg Techs living fully on-purpose who are excited to start the workday so that they can make an impact on their patients, while I have seen senior level executives living off-purpose who are dreading their work and wish they could do something else.

When I was in graduate school and was looking through the alumni directory, I always wondered why there were a significant number of alumni (usually 15-20 years out of graduate school) that were not in Healthcare Administration. I never understood why they would give up high paying jobs that they worked so hard to obtain and walk away from what seemed like the top of the world.

However, I get it now as I have gotten older. I have learned they were not living on their purpose and chose to find something that was more aligned with them. I am not saying that you cannot find your purpose in Healthcare Administration because many do, but I am saying I noticed that people often take a long time to discover their purpose and even longer before they decide to change their life (if they ever do).

As you get older and have more responsibilities, it is often difficult to make the change to live on your purpose, however it is not impossible. You may find it helpful to speak to family members, friends or even a life coach to discuss making a major life change. Or, it may be possible to make a change with your current employer. For instance, you may seek a change in work location, specific responsibilities or moving to a different unit.

One thing is certain, life is short and there are no redo’s or take-twos. We are here on this rock for a limited time, so it is important that we make each day count and pursue those things which bring us life. I encourage you to start living on your purpose and allowing yourself to enjoy every day!

Dave