5 knows you should know.
We all want to feel empowered and feel connected to our purpose, but it is probably one of the hardest things to figure out about ourselves. The leaders I coach constantly inquire about how they can find their purpose. The best way I can help you begin the search is to start with strengths — at least, I can confirm that this is the roadmap that led to the clarity I needed to find my path and create a more meaningful life for myself.
I love to inspire people to become the best version of who they already are. We are all unique in our own way and all wired differently. My purpose is to ignite the spark within you to inspire you to achieve your goals. It took me 40 years to figure that out and put it into words, but I feel empowered to finally have the knowledge and grateful to live in my purpose.
In an effort to add value to you, I have put together the “5 Knows to Lead to Your Purpose”. I hope this will give you a start in your journey to find it.
Know yourself. Expand beyond knowing your strength themes. Identify what else is important for you to feel fulfilled and purposeful in a job. If you’re having trouble describing this, you may want to work with a qualified professional coach for this very important step.
Know what you love and loathe. Write down the top 5 tasks in the job you are paid to do. If you aren’t working right now, look at the job you last had. Be specific. For example, if you are in human resources, some of the tasks might be employee relations, doing payroll, negotiating benefits, or facilitating training programs. Look at your list and highlight those tasks that you wish you could do more of and put them in the “love” column. Then take the tasks you wish you could do less of or that you would never miss if you didn’t have to do them and put them in the “loathe” column. How do most of the tasks you are doing in your current job appear in each column? There is your first clue.
Know your value. It is extremely empowering when you can communicate to others the value you bring to an organization and what you need in return to perform at your best. Possessing and understanding the value that each of your top 5 strengths presents can be incredibly powerful. Understanding how to put that into words and communicate it to others is a priceless step in the pursuit of your purpose. For example, one of my most dominant strengths is called "Activator". The value I bring to an organization is in creating momentum and I can easily get people to take action. Organizations and people need my gift to succeed. I know how to communicate the value I bring. I can help my team members understand how to use my strength for the greater good.
Know what you value. Just as an organization has a set of core values that represent what it stands for, it is just as important that you know what the personal core values are that you stand for. If you are in the search for purpose and meaningful work, this will be a huge piece of alignment for you. Let’s assume that you value family and it is important for you to have the flexibility to be there for the special occasions in your family life. You need to assess the organizational culture to confirm it aligns with supporting those core values and flex-time around family. If not, maybe you should consider if the organizational culture will be a good long-term decision for your well-being. When is the last time you wrote down your personal core values in your search for purpose? You can’t get closer to where you want to go if you don’t hold the map to get there with the clues you need to find it.
Know the right questions to ask. When you are fully aware of your strengths and how they show up within you, it is much easier to form questions that you can ask in interviews to understand if the role will align with your strengths or if you will spend most of your time in your areas of weakness that leave you feeling drained.
If you have any other “knows” you feel would be great to add to this piece feel free to share your ideas with me.
To your growth,
Kelly Merbler