Creating a Purposeful Life, Strategically

The journey toward purpose often involves cycles of strong motivation followed by periods of uncertainty. Purpose emerges, grows in influence, and sharpens focus. However, changes in circumstances or personal growth can lead to moments of feeling lost or hesitant. Over time, these uncertain phases typically become shorter and less disorienting. Even when the exact path is unclear, maintaining a sense of direction and confidence in regaining clarity is common.

Those aware of and living according to their purpose have a spark that shines through tiredness or desperation. They move slowly but steadily with clear direction. Others seem to reserve their energy for something unknown, fearing to find out what it is. Some have vivid visions but rely solely on willpower, believing “if I can dream it, I can achieve it,” risking staying in dreamland and replacing dreams with skepticism when reality hits.

These characteristics appear across all backgrounds and ages: from recent grads to seasoned executives, novices to experts, and even highly accomplished individuals like Harvard grads and acclaimed founders. By synthesizing these diverse observations, a framework can be developed that is applicable to various situations, offering guidance to those who may feel their spark has dimmed.

Step 1: Find Your Life Purpose

Often, individuals separate their work selves from their non-work selves, finding comfort in this perceived distinction.

However, a person is whole, and the perceived separate selves will eventually demand a merger. As a whole being, one usually end up with a life purpose that influences how even the smallest events are perceived and reacted to. Fulfillment is felt when daily activities align with this inner compass, while unease arises when they do not. Clarifying one’s life direction brings the conviction needed to channel all resources toward the desired path. Without conviction, progress can feel like sailing without a clear vision of land, no matter how strong the muscles or adjust their sails to every shift in the wind. And potentially feeling lost, numb, or stuck.

In many cases, people hold assumptions about their inner compass. Some might make a universal claim, like “I want to help others,” or jump into a specific job, like “I want to be an entrepreneur,” without identifying the underlying motivations. Inner purposes do not need to be justified or reasoned. Instead, how you feel about different prompts could give important hints.

Purposes, re-defined

People may reach different levels of awareness, much like uncovering layers of meaning in a book. With continuous reflection and practice, they can better identify their inner purpose. Coaching conversations can also help individuals redefine their strongest drivers, uncovering deeper levels of awareness and aligning their actions with their true purpose.

Step 2. Craft an Action Plan

Once a value-driven life purpose is identified, it creates a significant shift in clarity about “what” and “why” one wants to pursue certain paths. Yet, that doesn’t mean the “how” will automatically follow. This is where strategic problem-solving skills come in, adding the practicality and feasibility elements to drive an individual from their destination “city” (life purpose) to a specific “spot” (career destination) with an actual map (career path).

This map can be drawn through two lenses:

• Practicality: Identify the external constraints. They are the filters needed to identify the particular spot in the destination “city” that will be the career targets.

• Feasibility: Identify the strengths and weaknesses. They help create the best path and vehicles we can use by leading with our strengths to arrive at the destination “spot.”

  
  

While personality and aptitude tests can provide insights, they should not dictate career destinations. Instead, they should be seen as resources to build upon while acquiring new skills and growing.

Case 1:

After clarifying her life purpose, Linh noted very few lifestyle constraints in the next couple of years and wanted to push herself to high financial achievement targets. With a wide range of options, we identified that growing her current side business, while uncertain, was the most appealing choice that fit her values and risk appetite. While she is excited about the career target, she has several concerns about operational skills, considering herself more of a thinker than doer. As we evaluated more specific paths, we moved forward with a value proposition where her content expertise could shine while she gets more comfortable with the operation side.

Case 2:

Kien is yearning to explore a new field. Conquering knowledge brings him joy. However,  his parents’ emphasis on stability weighed heavily on him. I encouraged him to delve deeper into this constraint and evaluate his perspective: Does he truly understand his parents’ wishes, or is he making assumptions? What does fulfilling his parents’ wish mean to him?

We also considered what his path would be if he made the choice to honor stability. We brainstormed ideas and arrived at a dual career, where Kien would spend 80% to maintain his current business while dedicating 20% to exploring. Kien found this approach compelling (agreed practicality) but was concerned about whether he could stick with both (unknown feasibility). Going further, we realized his perceived lack of discipline ultimately stemmed from his desire to keep exploring. We decided to adopt the mindset that only discipline would enable him to pursue his new opportunities, creating a physical reminder he could use to stay consistently motivated. Kien has since started his dual path and monitors the effectiveness of this approach through regular check-ins with himself and his supporters.

Step-by-step guide to build a purposeful career path

Treat the destination as fixed, but the path as dynamic

The mission identified should be treated as fixed, reflecting core, anchored values that typically do not change unless a significant life event occurs.

The path there, on the other hand, is a result of problem-solving, whose effectiveness relies on:

1. the framework you chose and

2. the assumptions/data you feed it.

   
   

As experiences grow, the assumptions and data used may change. Approaching this like a new venture, once a career path is chosen, it can be prototyped, with strategies in place to test assumptions and make course corrections as needed.

Back to case 1:

For Linh, we set revenue targets to test whether achieving her financial goals through growing her side business is feasible. She allocated a timeline for each sales phase and focused her efforts on addressing target customers’ needs. With a clear execution plan, Linh has locked her first big sales and is working hard to achieve more, making her path increasingly practical while aligning with her true north.

Case 3:

Casey, who is highly motivated by recognition and decided to pursue a position of power, had been agile with his strategy. Initially, he aimed for roles managing 100+ people in developed markets but faced disappointment as his startup experience didn’t resonate with employers seeking later-stage expertise. Realizing that skill gap, he chose to redirect his target to executive positions in a developing market, where his founder skills were more relevant to the business’ fast-changing nature. There, he aimed to learn the relevant management skills to retarget developed markets in 2-3 years. With this pragmatic strategy, he is now receiving many more interview invites for the new role.

Fixed destination, dynamic pathways

Learning about yourself and how you fit into the world is a process. Oftentimes terrifying. But, as you combine introspection and outward observation, you become more in touch with your inner leaders and develop more reliable interpretations of the world.

As you experience priority changes (e.g. having children, new realizations about yourselves), condition changes (e.g. new financial needs), and capability expansion, the process of finding your destination and path may need many iterations. For the highly inquisitive and self-aware, finding tools to self-coach can be helpful. It’s also beneficial to have a peer who serves as a “truth mirror,” offering different perspectives, pointing out when you’re not being honest with yourself, and bouncing ideas around.

Finding the courage to accept yourself and embrace your desires is crucial. Give yourself the space to grow. By balancing both heart and mind, you can find clarity and wisdom, creating a fulfilling and purpose-driven life.

“Where wisdom reigns, there is no conflict between thinking and feeling.“– Carl Jung