Dr. Jordan Grumet, author of "The Purpose Code."

Jordan Grumet helps people find meaning in their final moments

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Dr. Jordan Grumet has spent years at the bedside of people near the end of their lives.  He listens to their reflections, regrets and final wishes. In doing so, he has never felt more alive.

As a hospice physician, he has witnessed what truly matters when time runs out — and it’s never about money, promotions or working more weekends. It’s about the dreams left unfulfilled, the courage never mustered, and the love left unspoken.

A calling shaped by loss

Jordan’s path to hospice care began early in life, although he didn’t recognize it at first. When he was just 7 years old, his father, who worked as a physician, collapsed and died from a brain aneurysm while making hospital rounds.

The sudden loss left Jordan with few answers and little emotional support from the healthcare community. As he grew older, that absence shaped him.

“I eventually decided I wanted to be a doctor,” he said. “During my first week of medical school at Northwestern University, I volunteered to help at an inpatient hospice. On some level, I think I was looking for the kind of comfort and understanding I never received as a child.”

Though he loved the work, Jordan initially set hospice aside, believing it was something done “on the side” rather than as a career. Instead, he pursued general internal medicine, where he quickly burned out.

The demands of the profession drained him, and he found little fulfillment in the daily grind. Then, a hospice team approached him.

“They told me I was doing a great job with my elderly patients and asked if I’d consider working with them,” he recalled. “It was a lucky turn of events, but maybe it wasn’t luck at all. Maybe it was exactly where I was supposed to be.”

The power of subtraction

Burnout led Jordan to re-evaluate his priorities. But, rather than searching for a new passion outright, he focused instead on what wasn’t bringing him joy.

“I didn’t know what my purpose was at the time,” he explained. “So I started using the art of subtraction. I looked at my job and asked: What doesn’t excite me? What drains me?”

Piece by piece, he eliminated the parts of his career that left him feeling drained and exhausted. First, he let go of his private practice, then working nights and weekends. Over time, what remained was hospice care, which truly fulfilled him. He encourages others to take a similar approach.

“Winning the game isn’t about chasing one big purpose,” he said. “It’s about filling your time with as many things you love and as few things you loathe as possible.”

Big P vs. little p purpose

A key lesson Jordan learned from his hospice patients is that people often chase a singular, grand purpose – which he calls the “Big P purpose” – only to find it unfulfilling or unattainable. Instead, he advocates for “little p purpose,” those smaller, process-driven activities which bring joy in the moment.

“When people chase ‘Big P purpose,’ they often tie their happiness to reaching an enormous goal, like becoming a CEO, a billionaire, or writing a bestselling book,” he said. “But ‘little p purpose’ is about the present. It’s the things that light you up right now.”

Jordan’s own journey illustrates this well. He once dreamed of writing a traditionally-published book. That goal seemed unattainable for years. But, instead of letting it paralyze him, he started writing about personal finance and medicine simply because he enjoyed it.

That process eventually led him to write his first book, “Taking Stock,” and later “The Purpose Code.”

“The key is to focus on what energizes you, not what you think will look good on a resume or impress others,” he said. “’Little p’ purpose isn’t about proving your worth – it’s about living in a way that makes life feel meaningful every day.”

The unexpected ripple effects of passion

Jordan often tells the story of his grandfather, a certified public accountant who loved math.

“He didn’t set out to change the world. He just enjoyed his work,” Jordan explained. “But that love of numbers got passed down. My mother saw his enthusiasm and embraced it. She passed it on to me, and it ultimately helped me overcome a learning disability to become a doctor.”

That love of math later saved a life. Jordan once had a patient who was frequently hospitalized for dehydration. Because of his comfort with numbers, Jordan noticed an unusual pattern in the man’s lab results and diagnosed a rare condition.

The treatment prevented further hospitalizations, and allowed the patient, who worked as a pastor, to continue his work helping homeless youth.

“You don’t have to be famous to leave a legacy,” Jordan noted. “My grandfather’s love for math changed lives decades later. His passion for the subject influenced my mother, who passed that interest to me, who used math to save someone’s life. That’s the power of pursuing what lights you up.”

Finding purpose after 50

For people struggling to find purpose later in life, Jordan suggests starting with a simple question: If you died tomorrow, what would you regret never having the energy, courage or time to do?

“That regret can become a purpose anchor,” he said. “It doesn’t mean you have to drop everything and chase a new career. It means you should start incorporating more of what excites you into your daily life.”

For example, volunteering, revisiting childhood passions or even trying new hobbies can help.

“I call it the spaghetti method where you throw things at the wall and see what sticks,” he said. “The more you experiment, the more likely you are to find something that truly lights you up.”

Connection is the key to happiness

Jordan’s work has reinforced one major truth: happiness isn’t tied to wealth, achievements or even purpose itself. Rather, it’s tied to connection.

“The longest-running study on happiness, the Harvard Adult Development Study, found that interpersonal relationships matter most,” Jordan explained. “When we pursue purpose, we naturally attract like-minded people. That’s where fulfillment comes from.”

Even introverts can find connection in their passions.

“If something lights you up, chances are there’s a community around it, even if it’s online,” he noted. “You don’t need hundreds of friends, just a few meaningful connections.”

A life with no regrets

Now in his 50s, Jordan feels at peace with his choices.

“Most of the things that were deeply important to me, I either tried, got involved with or accomplished,” he said. “And if new regrets emerge, I’ll turn them into purpose anchors and pursue them.”

His podcast, “Earn & Invest,” has become a new source of “little p purpose,” allowing him to engage in conversations about financial independence that excite him.

“Whether five people listen or five million, I still love doing it,” he said.

Jordan offers simple advice for people seeking more meaning for their lives.

“It’s never too late. Purpose isn’t something you find, it is something you create,” he explained. “The good news is you can start creating a more meaningful life right now with what you already have.”

For more information

People can connect with Jordan in several ways:

His books, “Taking Stock,” and “The Purpose Code,” are available on Amazon and in other bookstores.

If you order one of Jordan’s books from a link above, Forward From 50 may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.

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