You like your job, but it doesn’t excite you anymore. So you feel restless and stressed because you don’t feel aligned with the things that you do.
That’s how you can get stuck in a rut, or like something is somehow missing from your life. You long to find your life purpose so that your actions have a sense of meaning for you, but you don’t know where to start.
Sound familiar?
At some point in our life, we feel a strong calling to explore what brings us joy. Those buzz words passion and purpose keep popping up in self-help books or touted by career counsellors.
Passion and purpose are distinct. Passion is about emotions, the motivation and what makes us feel good, i.e. “do what you love”. Purpose is the reason, or the why behind what we do, primarily for others, i.e, “do what contributes.”
Where passion can be all over the place, wild and exciting, purpose is much more focused. Passions can also come and go, whereas purpose tends to be longer term.
So which one should be your focus?
According to a new Harvard Business Review post from Harvard Business School professor Jon Jachimowicz offers a simple, research-backed reply. He suggests you focus less on what makes you feel passionate, and more on what you truly care about.
We’re all souls having a human experience, trying to figure out not only why we’re here but what we are meant to be doing. According to Professor Jon Jachimowicz, instead of asking what makes you happy and “following your passion,” ask yourself what you care deeply about. He believes that by focusing on purpose, you align your work with your deepest values, and also relieve yourself of the expectation that the long slog of a career will be all (or even mostly) happiness and sunshine.
In fact, recently I had an existential crisis whilst at a yoga retreat in Byron Bay, which by accident, lead me to finding my true life purpose.
It was during a complimentary Reiki healing session where I shared my mental and physical exhaustion from work. The Reiki practitioner suggested why don’t I start adding healing sessions to my business, to compliment my work as a therapist/coach.
It wasn’t until later, as I walked down towards the beach (to which I walked down the wrong path and got terribly lost) that I realised it was a metaphor. My purpose of helping others is undeniable, but I wasn’t embracing my spirituality. My heart’s path for energetic healing i.e. Reiki, crystal and sound healing.
Sitting on the beach I realised I chose a more conventional profession, and one that would be approved by my parents. Back in 2006, I was worried what others would think and to be labelled “too woo woo”, therefore, disowning an important aspect of myself.
Since coming home, I’ve dusted off my 2005 Reiki certifications, acquired a treatment table, ordered tuning forks and added to my website Reiki + Soul Purpose Coaching sessions.
We can’t think our way towards finding our life’s purpose; we have to FEEL and DO our way in. This means taking steps towards what makes our heart sing, and removing those things in our life that no longer align with our true authentic self.
That’s why I felt inspired to create a life coaching package called “Find Your Life Purpose”.
What does it include?
Self discovery coaching sessions that will give you a deeper understanding of the beliefs and values that are holding you back, and strategies that will help you sink deeper into your heart to help you reflect and follow your dreams.
Some of the many areas we can explore are:-
• Your life vision statement.
• What are your values?
• What are your unique gifts and superpowers?
• Understanding your personality and preferences.
• Being curious & brave.
• Listening to your authentic self.
• Finding what brings you joy.
A life of purpose is like a compass that guides you, keeping you centred, focused and clear on what really matters to you.
Fiona Craig is a life coach, psychotherapist, business mentor, and published author of the award winning self-help book, “Stuck in a Rut – How to rescue yourself & live your truth” helping women remove the
fear, worry and guilt to confidently take the steps towards creating the life they want to live.
Fiona has been interviewed by The Australian Women’s Weekly, Women’s Fitness Magazine and The New Daily and written articles for Collective Magazine, Herald Sun Melbourne, Sunday Life Magazine, Career One, I Am Woman Magazine, plus Mouths Of Mums and other online publications. You can learn more about working with Fiona at www.lifebalancecoach.com.au or call 0405 433 217.
Photo by Preslie Hirsch on Unsplash
