How to discover your purpose (How I went from marine biologist wanna-be to leadership consultant)
Over the years, one thing has become evident to me. The people who live purpose-filled lives don’t end up there accidentally. Nor do they wake up one day with a crystal clear vision of what their life will look like.
Most of us, let me say that again, most of us, do not just figure out our purpose one day while looking out at the sky. We figure it out by living our life, taking jobs that don’t work out the way we imagine they will, trying something new, and letting trusted people speak into our lives.
Personally, I am not one of those people who knew exactly what I wanted to do with my life when I was 19. In fact, at 17, I was applying to colleges with the dream of becoming a marine biologist. I entered college as a math-biology double major. Do you know what happened? I stayed up all night to study for my genetics final and only pulled off a C. The other two friends studying with me got A’s and are doctors today. Needless to say, I knew I needed to change courses quickly. Not just because of the C, but because I also wasn’t passionate enough about it to put in the work to improve.
If you looked at my resume, it may seem haphazard and unconventional. Admittedly, there have been times when I’ve struggled with how random it’s been, especially when I come across people who are incredibly passionate about one specific thing and are really gifted in one particular area.
The reality though is that most of us discover our purpose by experimenting. As my dad always reminded me, the question isn’t what do I want to be doing in 10 years (many of us don’t know that) the question is, “what do I want to be doing next? What do I feel a tug to do next?”
I believe that everyone is created on purpose and for a purpose. However, there is no silver bullet for figuring out what this is. And there are multiple ways that each of us can live out our purpose. There are however a number of ways to determine this so that you, and those that you lead and serve, can fulfill their potential.
As you pastor and lead people and want to help them discover their gifts and purpose, or if you yourself want to be better aligned with your purpose, here are 5 questions that can guide you in your discovery:
What are your gifts?
What are the things you are naturally good at? What comes easy to you? Write these down periodically and compare them to what you are doing today. Is there alignment? Often times when we feel a tension between what we’re doing and our purpose, it’s because too much of our current role is out of alignment with our natural gifts and abilities.
What do others say your gifts are?
What do others think you are really good at? Make sure these are opinions from people you trust and have your best interest in mind. Sometimes other people can affirm what we already know we’re good at. Or they can help us see other sides to ourselves that we miss when we’re highly critical of ourselves, comparing ourselves to others or deny within ourselves because of one reason or another. Y’all, no one was surprised when I went into full-time ministry. But I tip toed myself into it for a variety of reasons.
What do you enjoy doing?
In your free time, what do you spend your time thinking about? What do you enjoy reading? What brings you life and energy? While some of these may be hobbies we keep regardless of our jobs and roles, some might be great indicators for what our purpose is. While working on my Master of Arts in Teaching, every case study I wrote had to do with youth ministry. I was still undecided about what I wanted to do with my teaching degree but looking back it was clear what was on my mind and heart already.
What needs are there around you and in the world?
When you look around you, what needs do you see? Make a list of needs you already know exist around you. I believe that there is no one way to live out our purpose, rather there are numerous ways that we can fulfill our potential. The most fulfilling way to live out our purpose is by aligning it with a need around us.
Where do your gifts, joy, and the needs of others intertwine?
As you write down your gifts, the things that bring you joy, and the needs that exist around you, where do these intersect? It might not be obvious at first. And that’s okay. If our perspectives with every job or role we take is that “I can learn something in this and make a difference for others” then our time spent in any role isn’t wasted. Often, it’s the jobs that actually don’t meet our expectations that teach us the most about what we are actually good at, enjoy, and where we want to invest our time and talents.
Unsure about your purpose? There’s only one real way to figure it out: you have to try things! If this scares you, read about the fear I personally had to overcome to try new things that scared me. There is truly no one way to live out your purpose and fulfill your potential. The possibilities are actually endless!
In the comments below, answer this question, “What’s one action you can take towards living out our purpose (or helping someone else live out their’s) — from where you are, right now?
