It’s advice that’s become a staple in careers guidance, motivational talks, social media posts – and yes – even in our employee interviews!
What are we talking about? Find your purpose.
Finding a sense of purpose at work is vital for feeling motivated and positive about your job and feeling like you’re contributing in meaningful ways.
But it’s not always easy to uncover your purpose!
If you’re feeling the struggle, we’ve rounded up some top quotes to help give you a motivational boost!
First Things First: To Find Your Purpose, You Need the Right Mindset
Psychologists at Stanford and Yale-NUS College examined two theories of interest around purpose:
- Fixed theory: Passions and purpose are inherent and hidden within us.
- Growth theory: Passions and purpose are developed and nurtured over time.
Across five studies, individuals were tested for which theory they identified with more. Those with a fixed theory mindset were provided material to explore their chosen interests. Those with a growth theory mindset were provided with various materials to explore different interests.
Those who were fixed theory inclined developed less interest in the materials linked to their designated interest over time. Those with a growth theory mindset reported discovering new interests.
Lead researcher, Paul O’Keefe, advises on the results:
“Telling people to find their passion could suggest that it’s within you just waiting to be revealed. Telling people to follow their passion suggests passion will do the lion’s share of the work for you. A growth mindset makes people more open to new and different interests and sustains those interests when pursuing them becomes difficult.”
Bottom line: Finding your purpose isn’t a one-time deal. The more curious and open you are about trying different things, the more likely you’ll find what speaks to you.
Quotes to Inspire You to Find Your Purpose
Below, we’ve collected some of our favourite inspirations to help anyone feeling a bit lost with the challenge of finding their purpose.
Enjoy:
1. Don’t worry about how long it takes.
Worried you haven’t found a sense of purpose yet? Don’t be!
Jenneke Kijlstra-Shone, an Oversized Timber Carpenter through Master Builders Australia, knows there’s no time limit. After turning to carpentry as a mature-age apprentice, she knew she’d found what she wanted to do:
“Really try and think about what you enjoy doing – what excites you? Try to articulate with yourself about what you enjoy, and then try things in that direction. Try lots of different things and discover what excites you.”
We also love this quote from Barbara Hall, a popular television writer, producer, and novelist:
“The path to our destination is not always straight. We go down the wrong road, get lost, and turn back. Maybe it doesn’t matter which road we embark on. Maybe what matters is that we embark.”
2. Make sure you take action.
Finding your purpose won’t magically happen unless you actively get out there and uncover what drives you and doesn’t!
Take advantage of any opportunity that comes your way – and if it isn’t right for you – that’s okay! Use this to help you find your direction:
“Purpose is not a noun; it is a verb. It is about how we work. We experience purpose when we do something greater than ourselves. We experience purpose when we push ourselves and grow. ” – Aaron Hurst, Social Entrepreneur & Purpose Expert
3. Pay attention to your interests.
And think creatively about them; you might not always be able to follow a career that directly aligns with them, but there will be HEAPS of other roles and industries worth exploring.
Use your interests as the catalyst to spark your curiosity and see what else is out there (remember that growth mindset!):
“Pay attention to the things you are naturally drawn to. They are often connected to your path, passion, and purpose in life. Have the courage to follow them.” – Ruben Chavez, Social Entrepreneur
4. Set no limits!
We cannot put it any better than Levi Schneck, Head of IT Framework & Governance with our employer partner CSL, did in one of our recent employee interviews:
“I think a lot of people put limits on what they think they can do. I would tell my younger self that any time I put a limit on myself, to make sure I multiply it and aim for higher. Even if you don’t reach it, you’ll reach further than you would if you stuck to your limits.”
5. Focus on what YOU want.
It’s really easy to turn to others and ask them what they think you should do. This can be helpful on some level, but you need to go after what you want and trust yourself in this process too.
It’s a sentiment Ken Lim, Leading Hand Carpenter with Imperial Builders, echoes as he went against the grain to carve out a career that meant something to him despite what others thought he ‘should do’:
“Don’t focus too much on what other people expect of you or think of you. The most important thing is to find what you’re interested in and passionate about.”
6. Get excited for your future!
The biggest trick to boosting your growth mindset is to stay EXCITED about the opportunity of everything ahead of you!
It might feel like a lot of pressure right now, but there’s so much fun to be had getting started with what your career and work life might look like in the years ahead.
Try to keep this central as you embark on this journey, and you’ll be on the road to success:
“I think once you hit year 10 or 11, schools put a lot of pressure on us to make that one decision that’s meant to shape the rest of your life – but that’s not the case. There will always be a pathway if you don’t get the course you want or aren’t sure what you want to do. It’s not black and white. There’s always a way through.”
– Nadine Toufali, Project Engineer with CSL
