Aristotle said, “Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom”.

Like many, I was not brought up knowing about my purpose in life or the immense fulfillment of finding your purpose and living in your purpose.  The objective was to get an education, secure a job and earn financial stability.

After 28 years in the financial services sector, I left my financial services career as I had found out what my purpose was - it was to drive Business Engage on a full-time basis to inspire corporates across Africa to adopt gender mainstreaming as an imperative.  For those who do not know what gender mainstreaming is, it is the strategic inclusion of gender at every level of an organisation.  Gender mainstreaming is not women empowerment; it ensures that men form part of the conversation to ensure that maximum potential may be achieved in driving the business case for gender diversity.

The letters in the word Purpose, provide steps to finding and pursuing purpose and some of the lessons I have learnt in this regard:

P – Pause and reflect on your strengths, values, what brings joy and fulfillment, and the things you believe are important and meaningful.  

U – Identify your unique strengths, talents, and gifts. By focusing on your own strengths, you can create a fulfilling and authentic life that aligns with your own values and priorities, making choices that are based on what is truly important and what matters most to you, rather than what is expected or prescribed by others or society. 

R – Research and Explore – Until you know your purpose, explore various avenues to establish what aligns with your strengths and what gives you energy.

P – Prioritise your goals – A very important step in the process.  You will not be able to achieve your goals all at once, so set your vision and your goals and then prioritize your goals in the order of importance and urgency.

Breaking each goal into smaller steps with deadlines for each will allow you to stay motivated and focussed as you celebrate small wins.  

Setting goals is just the first step toward achieving your purpose. It's important to act and stay committed to your goals to make your vision a reality.

O – Openness – Life is a journey and everything we learn daily is there for a purpose.  Each lesson is one we will require on the journey to finding purpose and meaning, so accept the challenges and understand that there is a reason for every lesson learned.

S – Support – often those closest to you will not understand the path you have chosen.  Surround yourself with those who are there to support you.  This may be a mentor or a coach who is there to offer an external perspective to the choices you make, someone who is able to challenge limiting beliefs, someone who will support and guide you through times of possible uncertainty and doubt, enthusiastically sharing the wins with you, no matter how small.

E – Embrace the task – the journey may come with failures, however, that does not mean that you are a failure. It is just a detour in the road.  A vision board could provide a useful tool to motivate and inspire and to focus attention and energy on what is most important.

Every one of us has a unique contribution to make to this world.  We can use our talents and strengths to make a positive impact on others and the world at the same time allowing us to experience a sense of fulfillment and joy that cannot be found elsewhere.

Steve Jobs said, "Your time is limited, don't waste it living someone else's life."

Author: Colleen Larsen ; CE Business Engage