Ever since Forward From 50 was founded in August of 2021, I have been urging people to “find their purpose,” as though it was just sitting somewhere waiting to be discovered. I was wrong – very wrong.
After reading “The Purpose Code,” by Dr. Jordan Grumet, I have had a change of heart. Purpose is not discovered, rather it is created.
Purpose is created by focusing attention on doing things you love to do, and whatever brings you joy.
Reflecting on my life prior to a God-ordained meeting with Vincent Pugliese to evaluate what I was doing with my time, treasure and skills, my “purpose” had been to serve as a self-employed journalist covering the recreation vehicle industry.
For a variety of reasons, that business came tumbling down in early 2017. That was after I reported on the massive number of recalls issued by a single manufacturer, and a series of widespread problems which threatened the industry’s long-term viability.
Even though that’s what professional journalists are supposed to do, many of my advertisers were harassed into ending their support of my publication.
Yet, even though I was pursuing my purpose and living a life others dream about by traveling around the country full-time in a motorhome, I was miserable.
- Editing written commercials disguised as corporate press releases frustrated me.
- Sifting through dozens of news stories every day to find nuggets to share with my readers bored me.
- Travel days when I moved the RV from one location to another were stressful and time-consuming.
- Attending trade shows and industry conferences was exhausting.
But, I was “living my purpose,” right? According to Dr. Grumet, I was not. There was little joy in all that activity.
The only aspect of my career which gave me joy was interviewing people and writing stories about them or their struggles to build successful businesses. I could have done that all day, every day.
But, when you run an online news organization for which 17,000 people were depending on the daily summary arriving in their inboxes six days a week at 4 p.m. Eastern, there was little time for what I truly enjoyed.
Over time, frustration mounted, boredom took root, and even though I was pursuing my purpose, it was not fulfilling in any way. My attitude reflected that lack of genuine purpose.
In “The Purpose Code,” Dr. Grumet recalled a similar experience. He worked as a medical doctor who despised practicing medicine, but truly loved caring for people in hospice facing the end of their lives.
For him, “Big P purpose” was being a medical doctor, and it paid the bills. But, the “Little P purpose” of listening to and speaking with dying patients ignited his spirit, brought joy to his life and left him very fulfilled.
So, I apologize to all the readers of Forward From 50 for whom I have counseled them to “find their purpose.” Ignore that advice. Create your purpose instead.
If you can’t jump in to do it right away, then follow Dr. Grumet’s advice and eliminate those tasks which do not bring joy. Eventually, you will be left only doing those things which you would do whether you were paid or not.
If you are already retired and wishing for a more meaningful life, remember your “Little P purpose” does not have to be grand. You do not need to write a book, start a business or go on overseas missions trips – unless you truly enjoy doing it.
Just do some honest self-evaluation to figure out what really lights you up and get’s you excited to jump out of bed to do it.
Often, your true purpose will involve serving others in some way. Joy is multiplied in those situations.
If you are still struggling to identify a “Little P purpose” which motivates and excites you, then talk about it with a trusted friend. A little brainstorming is all it should take to get your creative juices flowing.
In fact, if you’d like help, I’m happy to brainstorm with you – free of charge. Just drop me an email at greg @ forwardfrom50.com and we’ll set up a time to think about things you could do to enjoy a more meaningful life starting today.
If you order Dr. Grumet’s book from a link above, Forward From 50 may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
After closing his business and enduring several painful years of uncertainty regarding what to do with his life, Greg founded Forward From 50 to help men and women over 50 to live more purposeful lives by pursuing things they are passionate about. A Wisconsin native, Greg currently lives in Arizona.