We live in challenging times, but our experience is often of our own making.
High-performers of their organization and scoring high on measures of well-being are often using PURPOSE as a compass
You may feel, especially in these days in which many people are thinking more deeply about meaning and purpose, that you have become this uni-dimensional person who is unhealthy and vulnerable. You can change course and re-establish activities and social connections that will improve your life, and the lives of your loved ones.
To start, take a look at the three ideas offered in the article:
Be Intentional in Small Moments
It’s often in small moments that we make and find meaning. So if you want to live your life with a little more purpose, one thing to do is to pay close attention to how you engage with others.
- Show your colleagues that you believe in them.
- Take time to understand their aspirations, and do what you can to uplift them.
- Make purpose a regular part of your conversations: Talk with people about how you want to live your life — and ask about how they want to live theirs.
- And use difficult moments to forge stronger ties.
In any relationship, you will have conflicts and disagreements, but during these tough times, you can show your ability to empathize and recognize new possibilities. This will help you build stronger connections with the people in your life and further fuel your own sense of purpose.
Shift just one activity to create diverse purpose-generating interactions
Purpose is not just in the nature of our work but also in the networks around the work.
Work connections that create purpose include:
- Leaders and organizational culture: Working for an inspiring leader or vision, or being part of a culture that does the right things and cares about colleagues’ success.
- Peers: Co-creating a meaningful future and engaging with those who share similar values authentically.
- Teams and mentors: Creating a context for peers, teammates and mentees to thrive– helping, seeing growth, sharing your learning, being transparent and vulnerable.
- Consumers and stakeholders: Receiving validation from consumers of output — science curing people or products that improve life for example.
Life connections that create purpose include:
- Spiritual: Interacting around religion, music, art, poetry, and other aesthetic spheres of life that put work in a broader context.
- Civic and volunteer: Contributing to meaningful groups creates a wellness benefit of giving and brings you in contact with diverse, but like-minded people.
- Friends and community: Forging connections through collective activity: athletic endeavors, book or dinner clubs, relationships maintained with children’s parents.
- Family: Caring for family and modeling valued behaviors as well as maintaining identity through interactions with extended family.
Boldly lean into times of transition.
See transitions as opportunities, not threats, to discover a new and better version of yourself. Notice and unplug from things that are draining purpose then reinvest in new activities and groups you want to engage with, that you feel would be a positive part of your purposeful identity. Most important, stick it out even when it seems scary or difficult.
This tip is adapted from “Do You Have a Life Outside of Work?,” by Rob Cross
Human Centric Solutions 