What's my purpose #3

In a recent conversation I made the observation that maybe purpose doesn't need to be one big thing - maybe it's a combination of little things that on reflection, over time, become a guiding purpose. The power of reflection is fickle; sometimes you get an insight in a moment, other times it takes years.

It's easy to look at inspirational achievers and think they must have had it sussed from the outset - how could someone be so dedicated / clear / impactful unless they had always known what they were striving for? I know for some this is the case - elite athletes seem to know exactly what they are aiming for and every part of what they do is focused on delivering to those goals - often with significant sacrifice I might add. But when I read or listen to the stories of others who have achieved great things I notice that there is a common theme that they didn't know what this was all in service of until they looked back and put their story together. It's the reflection and refinement of their message that makes it all clear.

This couples nicely with the power of story. I was encouraged recently to watch a TED Talk on the 'Power of a Single Story', the essence of which is that if you only tell a single story about yourself then this is what people will see and believe of you, so take the time to look for or tell the other stories to show the multiple facets of who you are. Conversely if you want to reinforce a message or a purpose, be consistent in how you tell the story to shape what you want people to believe. I suspect politicians worked this out a while back!

I know that I'm beginning the see my story, and feel confident in a growing sense of purpose that wasn't there for me even a few years ago. The nice thing about now having passed the 2 year mark at work also is that I'm feeling now a sense of commitment and loyalty that just wasn't there initially. Is this a time thing - maybe that's part of it. Is it a feeling of belonging - I think that helps as well. For me though I believe that much of it has come about from this reflection and taking some time to think about where I bring value - where do I feel most engaged and valued for my contribution. I know that the little interventions I make with the people around me - the time I spend talking to them about not only what they are trying to do but how they might do it - is important. Increasingly it feels like this is where I can make a difference. We can all focus on selling, and this is important - it's what pays our bills, but also focusing on how people feel about themselves and the people around them as they go about this is different.

I've getting clearer and more confident every day about the legacy I want to leave, and hence my purpose and path. I want to create an environment where people can strike a balance and be the best they can be at work while still finding the balance to be the best they can be out of work. It's easy to write that and much harder to achieve, particularly in a high performing, metrics led organisation. The good news is that I'm in an organisation that believes this is the right thing to do, even if it's not happening everywhere, everyday. I think that's why I'm finally feeling like a fully paid up member of the team.