Uncovering Your Purpose 🧭: Conjuring the Metaphysical Mirror🪞 – Part 1

“The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.”

– Mark Twain

As an executive coach, one of the most common challenges I hear from leaders is “How do I make career choices that are right for me?”. This question transcends generation, culture, industry, and career stage. In fact, most executives I work with tend to grapple more acutely with this question at later stages of their career, when they feel like they have climbed many rungs of a ladder to a senior leadership level. Asking themselves if they have been on the right ladder 🪜 to begin with.

Many are drawn to analytical frameworks, and put them to work to answer this question. Most find out quickly that realizing true intentions in life requires more than a pivot table 📈. It requires a powerful metaphysical mirror 🪞. What if we can’t or aren’t motivated to conjure one? Does having a career or life purpose really matter? Surely “success” is enough of a purpose? Research shows that in fact a sense of purpose does contribute to longer life-spans and reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s. Even in young adults, research has shown that defining an inner purpose leads to longer health-span later in life. But what makes a good purpose and how do you figure out yours?

In this three part series, I’ll share a framework that I often use with clients to help waken the metaphysical mirror, and uncover a sense of purpose. While these tools are intended to help you pose the right questions to conjure the mirror 🪞, I would urge you to beware of the snake oil 🐍 “10 steps to discover your career purpose” promises. Unfolding your purpose is a very personal journey and not a “fill in this survey to get your purpose” type exercise. Uncovering your own unique skills, values, motivation, and where you want to focus can take years. And it can and will evolve as life unfolds. As you get closer to defining your purpose, remember that it should provide you with a compass 🧭, not a destination 🏝️. 

Part 1: What is my top skill?

Imagine a group was selected to embark on a mission to colonize Mars 🔴. 1000 people were chosen based on their unique talents and potential, to establish the first city on the planet and set the stage for future growth. Congratulations, you were selected as part of the 1000 🎉! You make your way to the shuttle hanger. A person at a desk is asking everyone in line what skill they are exceptional at, to build the Mars Colonization Inc. organization. Every skill in the world is needed; no restrictions. What unique skill will you declare when called on?

Are you a seasoned leader who can define a clear vision, and motivate others to greatness 📢? Are you at your best coming up with creative ideas and solutions to solve complex real-world problems 💡? Or perhaps you are in your zone of genius when you’re mentoring others, with a strong sense of emotional intelligence 🤝? Your key skill could be a culmination of several behaviors or one behavior. It could be manifested as a vocation (you might be the best mobile game user experience designer 🎮, or the best tennis player 🎾 in the country) or it could be a skill exhibited in any vocation (you might have consistently been able to motivate people in multiple roles). The more widely applicable you can define your unique skill, the more likely it is it will be sustainably useful to colonize a new planet.  

One strong source of insight to help you answer this question is previous performance reviews or peer feedback. Do you consistently get told by those close to you that you have a knack for a certain skill 🧠? Start your introspection there. Or if you can try out free and paid tools to help get your juices going like VIA from the Positive Psychology Center at University of Pennsylvania, CliftonStrengths, the Hogan Assessment and more (these are best administered by trained coaches).

Even if you’ve done this exercise before, I invite you to take a moment to reflect on your top skill 🤔. Who knows, you might be called on to colonize Mars any day now and you need to be ready! Feel free to use this free worksheet to record your notes and work (make a personal copy). 

Next week in Part 2, we’ll explore your “will”. Key fields or behaviors which spike your energy and bring you lasting joy. Until then, feel free to share your Mars Colonizing skill in the comments and any feedback!