Purpose and passion are major buzzwords right now. Whether we’re talking about the importance of young people finding passions, or grown ups feeling purpose in their work, these conversations are becoming more common.
While there are positive effects of this, like increased self reflection, there are also negative consequences. One of the biggest downsides is that people stop taking action because they’re unsure of their purpose.
This is problematic for a couple reasons:
1. Your purpose will never magically appear. It becomes clearer the more you try, reflect and try again.
2. Your purpose is built over time by taking action. People don’t love doing things they’re bad at. If you’re not getting good at anything, it’s hard to feel passion for it.
Rather than waiting for a passion to arrive, try something new. Master a skill. Find a way to serve people. Have conversations with people smarter than you.
Try, reflect, try again.
In all honesty, I felt most connected to purposeful work when I stopped trying to name what my purpose was. When I ended my fixation with knowing my purpose, and started acting in ways that felt aligned with my being, that’s when the doors started to open.
You don’t need to know. You just need to do.