Finding Your Purpose
Life is full of distractions. I don’t just mean technology and social media though they are the prime culprits keeping us from our purpose. But anything that detracts from giving our life meaning can ultimately be detrimental to our mental and physical wellbeing.
In my Reflection article over Christmas I began to consider what I have gained by leaving the corporate world as well as the parts I miss including the regular paycheck. Because I had been solidly employed for 30 years I almost never had to worry about finances. I live fairly simply (still using my iPhone 8!), hate shopping, don’t drink, and enjoy cooking at home. But I have always been the bread-winner in my household and have bills to pay including a mortgage, utilities, groceries and school fees for my kids. So after nine months of planned focus completing my book I felt the pressure to direct my activities to those that would generate income. (As the majority of published authors will confirm, there is little money to be made on the books themselves as the publisher keeps the biggest chunk!).
With the freedom to go in any direction and no boss providing limitations or guardrails, I quickly found myself overwhelmed and distracted by the number of followers (or lack thereof!) on my Instagram and Linkedin accounts, the proposals that didn’t pan out, and the myriad of opportunities and connections that I was needing to follow up on. Part of the reason I left the corporate world was the incessant focus on the financials, the quarterly results, profits, stock price….I wanted to help people. I suddenly realized that making money, even to meet basic needs, was a distraction causing me undue stress. Maybe I was more materialistic than I thought. I wasn’t going to end up homeless. If we had to skip a vacation this summer, it wasn’t the end of the world. I figured out that I needed to switch my focus to living my God-given purpose and view all my decisions, and my to-do list, through that lens.
My main goal in life is to educate others on health and human flourishing. You’ll have to read my book to understand all aspects of what I mean by that, but you could call it my purpose. Have you figured out what is your purpose in life? If you don’t know where you’re going all roads will lead there. But the result can be distraction and discomfort rather than the daily peace that comes from living out your purpose. Connected to purpose is your non-negotiables. Often we end up crossing a line without realizing it: Spending too many hours in the office, missing a kid’s soccer game, postponing that date with your spouse or succumbing to unhealthy activities and avoiding healthier ones. It’s worth spending the time to identify your purpose and your non-negotiables and then use them as a guiding light day to day. You might find that level of peace that eludes so many people in today’s complex world.
My article on having an Awayday may be a useful next step.
Adrienne Freedman
How beautifully written and expressed the views we probably all have but don’t stop to examine them! I think I shall have a long think on my holiday next week!!!