How to know if you’re not in alignment with your purpose
I believe that everyone has something they were created to do. That mysterious moment when you tap into how you were wired, connect it to a greater sense of meaning, and then brought to reality through the tangible day to day work that you’re doing.
Maybe you’ve felt this before. An almost magical season where work feels like play, where you’re filled with passion and an innate determination no matter what comes your way. That’s not to say that everything is always rosy—but the greater sense of purpose that drives your day-to-day gives you the energy needed to overcome life’s challenges.
“The most powerful form of self-belief comes from believing in something greater than you. Because when you’ve got purpose, everything becomes possible.”
—Greg McKeown
Perhaps you felt this way before, but over time and a few job changes, the excitement faded. Or maybe you’ve never experienced this greater sense of meaning in life. Either way, it’s possible for you to fall out of alignment with your purpose. How do you know if you’re not aligned with what you were made to do? Keep reading and we’ll unpack 3 common ways to know if you’re misaligned with your purpose.
1. What you’re doing does not come naturally—It’s a constant struggle
We all have things that come naturally to us and other things that are always a chore to accomplish. Some of us are excellent cooks, effortlessly combining ingredients from the fridge to create an exquisite five star meal. Others have a hard time making a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Some of us are masters of code, creating mobile apps, websites, and more, while others struggle sending an email. Some of us can create beautiful pieces of furniture from raw materials, while others can barely tape up a moving box.
Often, we get out of alignment when we’re trying to do something we weren’t made to do—something that we don’t have a natural ability to do. Think of your current job. Does it come easily to you? Or do you struggle through it every single week? Sometimes we’re simply in the wrong line of work, striving to convince ourselves it’s something we should be doing.
Perhaps you ended up there because you were following in your parent’s footsteps. Maybe you were expected to help with the family business, but it’s not where your strengths are.
You will do your best work when you’re operating out of your strengths, doing what you are gifted to do.
When you have a gift, what you’re doing comes naturally—not a fight or a struggle. Now that doesn’t mean that it’s always going to be easy, but more often than not, you’re able to do it well. Frustration and misalignment happen when this area is out of sync with your strengths.
Think of your current work—is it something that comes naturally to you? Or are you fighting through it, with every day a struggle? Perhaps it’s because you’re not aligned with your purpose.
2. You’re not passionate about the work you’re doing
We’ve all experienced moments where we’re engrossed in our work, solving problems, or having fun, feeling like it’s been just a few minutes, only to look at the clock and find that several hours have passed. Psychologist Mihály Csíkszentmihályi describes this as the state of flow when someone is in a state of complete immersion in some activity.
Working hard for something we don’t care about is called stress; working hard for something we love is called passion.
—Simon Sinek
While even those most passionate people don’t experience this state of flow every single day, if you don’t occasionally experience this state, it could be a signal that it’s time to ask yourself some tough questions.
Am I doing my current job out of obligation?
Like we mentioned earlier, perhaps you ended up in your current job because of other’s expectations. Maybe you stay where you are because a friend helped you get the job and you don’t want to appear ungrateful.
Take a moment to reflect on your current situation.
When we work out of obligation, and not our own sense of autonomy, it can suck the life out of our daily work and make us blind to our purpose.
Am I just doing what I’ve always done?
Sometimes life happens—you started out in a specific career for various reasons, you got married, had kids, and 15 years later you finally look up and realize that you’re just going through the motions. Maybe you started out loving your career, but over time you realize that you’re just doing what you’ve always done—never really pausing to ask yourself if it’s what you want to continue doing.
Am I disconnected from why I started in the first place?
Similarly, perhaps you started out passionate and excited about your work and the difference you were making. But as you started climbing the corporate ladder or as your company grew, you slowly lost the focus and energy that you started out with.
It could be that you simply need to reconnect with your original why, rekindle your passion, and start working again with purpose. Or maybe the job has changed and is no longer in alignment with the why that motivates you.
No matter what your situation is, a loss of passion is a good reminder to pause and reflect on where you are and how you got there. If you find yourself stuck it just may be a sign that you’re out of alignment with your purpose.
3. You’re constantly thinking about doing something else
When you’ve found your purpose, you go through each day focused on your goals, always working to improve what you’re doing. Not because someone is telling you to, but because it just flows from within you.
If that’s not the case, you may find yourself dreaming about other opportunities. Maybe there’s an ember of an idea you’ve had that’s small, but glowing. You often find yourself thinking about ways to bring that idea to life. Maybe you already have a plan that you’ve outlined that you just need to start on. Perhaps it’s a product you’ve already created, but it’s just sitting there lying dormant. It could be an opportunity that scares you because what if you fail, what if no one likes your work, what if, what if.
Sometimes the what if’s keep you from stepping into your purpose.
If this is where you find yourself, it could be yet another sign that you’re out of alignment with who you were created to be and what you were made to do.
Where do you go from here?
Life is too short to live each day unfulfilled and devoid of purpose. But how do you wade through the confusion and frustration to get to what’s next? There’s no one-size fits all answer, but I can offer up some questions to point you in the right direction.
What burdens you deep in your soul?
What is that thing you find yourself continually thinking about doing, but always find an excuse to never do?
What’s something you would just have to do, whether you were paid to do it or not?
Think about this right now—write it down if you have to.
Do you have it in your head?
Great.
Now, what step can you take today that will get you closer to that idea?
You don’t need to have everything figured out. You don’t need a five year plan. You don’t need all the answers—you just need to start.
As you take one step, and then another, things will start to become more clear. Are you sensing a little more excitement when you work on your idea? Do you get closer to a state of flow? Do you find yourself thinking even more about how to bring your idea to life? Great. This is a good sign that you’re on the right path.
If you take a step and something does feel quite right, that’s also a good thing! It’s simply an opportunity to cross something else off of your list that’s not your purpose. Don’t get hung up on wanting everything to be perfect. You just need to keep taking steps. And I believe that eventually you’ll become more aligned with your purpose.
If you take a step and start gaining momentum or simply found this post helpful, I’d love to hear from you.
Coaching
Sometimes, you just need to read an article like this to jolt you out of the monotonous cycle that’s keeping you stuck. Other times you need an outside perspective to give you some encouragement, guidance, and to help you see what you can’t see.
At NewCulture, we are super passionate about helping people discover their purpose so they can live fulfilled lives. We’ve been where you are, frustrated at life, and we’ve been to the mountaintop, living each day excited about life. It’s 100% possible to get out of the rut you’re in and take steps to change your life.
We would love to talk with you in a laid back, casual environment to help you work through discovering your purpose. Whether you need a one-off conversation, or are ready to commit to several sessions, we’ll gladly meet you where you are. Head on over to our coaching page to learn more about what we do or dive right in.
No matter what, I believe in you, and I know that it’s possible to live more aligned with your purpose. You’ve got this!
