Performing With Purpose

by Now What?® Coaching Founder, Laura Berman Fortgang

Why do you do what you do? 

Have you asked yourself that lately?  Does it matter?  If you want to wake up full of energy, ready to tackle your day and excited about    what’s waiting in the office, than yes, it matters.

Knowing why you do what you do and what it is that you uniquely contribute brings great satisfaction, clarity and direction.  It also helps you feel that you are ‘on purpose’. 

Ennui and frustration set in when there is no growth, no challenge and no meaning. Don’t let that happen to you.

The WHY?

Why do what you do?  For yourself?  For your family?  To further a cause or a mission?  To move the world to a better place?  To amass wealth?

The ‘why’ is a great motivator.  You’ve heard the expression ‘keep your eye on the prize’.  The ‘why’ is the prize.

Some people do things to make others proud or to provide or to cause change.  Others do things to appease, please or assuage guilt.  Others still act out of revenge, envy or to prove something. 

Whatever works for you will be fuel for your dreams, you’ll use, but it might be worth erring to the side of the more loving qualities if it’s purpose and meaning you want as the core of why you perform.

The WHO

Completing the picture of performing with purpose is understanding that what you do is not going to make you happy unless you can truly express who you are through it.

Each of us serves a function for the people we come across in our work and in our lives.  Our choice becomes if we want to serve that function in a positive way or in a way that leaves a bad taste in people’s mouths.  In other words, do you leave people better off or worse off after dealing with you over the course of a day? 

Performing with purpose means seeking out opportunities to share that ‘magic dust’ that you exude and making it more and more a part of your daily existence. 

How do you figure out what that is?  Start asking people.  Yes, seriously. Start asking people you trust and what positive effect, if any, you have on them.  See where the answers start sounding the same and you will find critical mass building towards understanding your purpose.

Years ago, I worked with a very successful woman in telecom sales who was not having a very positive effect on the people around her.  When made aware of her impact, she wanted to change.  She wanted to leave people feeling better after being in contact with her. She made it her business to be encouraging and curious about other people.  She continued to be successful in her sales numbers, but she also started being tapped for her marketing ideas.  Within a few months, she made a full change to the marketing function and within a couple of years, her focus on performing with purpose led her to enter training and development and eventually getting trained as a certified coach.  None of these changes were part of any career plan, but rather a plan to live from a sense of purpose.  Her career path took her beyond any one she had dreamed for herself.

She had to figure it out for herself, but you can ask the people in your life and start doing more of what’s working.  Performing with purpose will be satisfying, meaningful, fun and reap surprising rewards. 

So what will it be?  “Magic Dust” or everyday grind?  Your choice.