5 Tips to Find a Purpose Driven Life

“Sheryl didn’t actually play, she just organized the play of others.”–Facebook COO, Sheryl Sandberg’s brother

In college, I dreamed of being a “manager.” I know, it sounds like a Dilbert cartoon come to life! One of my super techie, successful entrepreneur friends then told me, “One of my biggest aspirations is to make this an amazing place to work for my employees”. That was an “aha” moment for me. My desire to empower people and solve for a better future became a thread I could reliably follow for inspiration and for deciding if something aligned with a meaningful purpose in life.

We spend the bulk of our lives at work. It can be a big drag on our lives inside and outside of the office, or a place where you can learn, grow, contribute, and build a purpose driven life. Gallup survey data shows less than one-third of employees are engaged at work and globally, it is only thirteen percent!

Know Your Why

Over decades as a regional commercial director and now as an adviser, investor and speaker, I’m attracted to projects at the intersection of the future of work and the future of education to help make “work” a means for people to fulfill their potential and evolve. That means going beyond preparing to be computationally clever and critical thinkers to becoming resilient, agile, curious and engaged. Learning how to move beyond your comfort zone. Sometimes, this is as simple as learning through sports to push your boundaries.

Finding your “why” is a critical step in understanding the purpose of life. Whether you’re driven by social impact, innovation, or education, finding what gives your work meaning is foundational to building a purpose driven life.

Prepare for the Future

With accelerating changes across technology, globalization and demographics, these are some of the keys to solving our biggest problems as a society. That does not necessarily mean quitting your job, and one size doesn’t fit all — but I know too many “successful” but miserable people and stuck, fearful students in the world who are sacrificing their health, relationships and sanity for elusive, external goals that may not even be valid in a few years time.

These moments force us to ask the bigger questions: What is the purpose of life? Are we chasing success or creating impact? You don’t need to quit your job to be aligned with your purpose, but reflecting on these questions can help shape the future you want to build.

Of course, I had to learn that the hard way. In the early years, as a management consultant, I didn’t have time or energy to engage regularly with any non-profit or community beyond work. I traveled almost every week, weighed about 175 pounds and ate so poorly that my kind next door neighbor started making me an extra plate so that I’d have at least one good meal on the weekend when I came home from my latest work trip.

Take Care of Yourself

When I moved to Hong Kong, I met my husband, who insisted on proper dinners and good food! I traveled a bit less and went hiking every weekend. Hong Kong is a go-go city, but in the 1990s, start-up fever had arrived, and it was dynamic and social — everyone was always hustling to create something new. This sense of collective purpose was energizing, and many of those people are now lifelong friends. I don’t think purpose means working fewer hours, I just think it means making sure those hours count and understanding the cost.

Once I had a family, I was still working too many hours, travelling, and squeezing it all as an uber-efficient optimizer. Then one day, my best friend, then living in Germany, found her own life to be unbearable and took her own life.

That gave me a wake–up call to stop running and start living life on my own terms.

Live Life on Your Own Terms

I haven’t dialed down so much since then, as I shifted my priorities to the relationships in my life, my family, making an impact, and getting more time to be creative and just be. I still work but have shifted out of a position that requires travel once or twice a month. To live my values, I am an adviser for The Busy Woman Project, and contribute to Non-Governmental Organizations as a board member in Hong Kong, such as Teach4HongKong and the American Chamber of Commerce. I still work long hours, but it is more flexible. This is my work, but also my “play”; to work with other inspired people to make the world just a bit better off than where we found it.

Don’t feel frustrated if you can’t find that one “north star” that explains why you are here and what you are meant to do. Sometimes when my children can’t go to sleep, I tell them just to rest their eyes. Once they let go of such dogged pursuit of sleep, it comes. Once you relinquish “finding your purpose” as a thing to check off your list, the many purposes in life will come to you.

In the meantime, heed the advice of Elon Musk:

“I think that’s the single best piece of advice: constantly think about how you could be doing things better and question yourself.”

Take Action

So, how can you find your purpose? Here are my five tips (finally, right!):

• Finding Purpose: What did you want to be when you grew up? What were you passionate about in college? When you get excited about a company, what purpose are they espousing? Write it down and search for some activities that help you. This exploration is part of discovering the purpose of life.
• Read: Purpose, Incorporated: Turning Cause into Your Competitive Advantage, by John Wood.
• Finding Energy: Start a journal for a week and write down what you do each day. Next to it, write whether or not it was engaging or energizing and rank 1–10. Look at the activities, environment, or interactions you had. For instance, when I have to do my expenses, it is neither energizing nor engaging. Speaking is great on both counts but organising an event, while engaging, just sucks me dry. Sequence your week to make sure there’s a balance and have a list of a few nourishing activities like a run, a massage, or chatting to a friend that will lift you up.
• Read: Designing Your Life, by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans of the Stanford Design Lab
• Listen to: Running Fast or Running Free — my attempt to grow out of a ‘perfect’ life into a meaningful one, on my own terms.

What Is the Purpose of Life

Purpose isn’t found and then tucked in a box. It is a journey. Keep asking yourself: What is the purpose of life for me now? Remain agile, reflect on what feels great and what doesn’t or isn’t working, and what might change to make it better. A good grasp of reality and a willingness to grow are imperative!

If you’re seeking support in this journey, explore how coaching can help you realign with what truly matters. Please join me at www.dianawudavid.com or on LinkedIn for more on #purpose #futureofwork and how to #runfree and #liveyourpurpose

[article first appeared on TEAMBUSYWOMAN]