Top “Purpose” Myths Stopping You From a More Fulfilling Career
This story has been adapted from a former article by Chris Castillo of Empowered Achievers
“Purpose” is one of those words we hear floating around endlessly. It’s so commonly used and yet so rarely understood—at least in the professional development space.
I’m just trying to figure out what my purpose is…
I want to do more purposeful work…
It’s really important to me that the company I work for has a clear purpose and mission…
As a career clarity coach who works to discover my clients’ deeper purpose (and in turn craft more fulfilling professional lives), I’m pretty comfortable with what purpose is and isn’t. In my last 5+ years in business, there are six common myths I’ve heard it comes to this word. Let’s break them down, and do a little myth-busting:
Myth #1: Purpose is something you either have, or you don’t.
This myth is especially resonant for those who are surrounded by folks who “always knew.” Perhaps your best friend grew up wanting to be a vet, your partner has always been destined to become a teacher, or your parents were determined to be doctors since playing with toy stethoscopes. If you’re someone who believes this myth, you probably think there are people who have “always known.” It leads you to believe if you’re not one of the lucky few, you’re out of luck.
In reality, many of these people who have “always known” are just as stuck as you are. You may see the perfect picture on the outside, but they’re often confused about what they want to do as well. It’s important not to compare our insides with someone else’s outsides. Purpose is something that can be clarified and cultivated, whether or not you’ve “always known.”
Myth #2: Purposeful work has to be altruistic.
In order to have a purposeful career, you need to work at a nonprofit or in some sort of “feel good” industry, right? Wrong. For some, the mission of their organization is an important factor, but purposeful work is not inherently tied to “how good” or meaningful the work itself is. Purposeful work can often be found within work that is meaningful to you. So if you love being in front of a classroom and training people, that will feel very meaningful, fulfilling, and purposeful to you (even if it doesn’t impact the world as a whole). Everyone has different motivations, so it’s all about designing a career that aligns with yours.
Myth #3: Purposeful careers seldom pay well.
In the same vein as the myth above, some people believe purposeful work is a vow of poverty. No, you don’t need to relegate yourself to a life of Top Ramen in order to pursue purpose. In fact, doing purposeful and fulfilling work can pay the big bucks! But again, it depends on what type of work is motivating to you. By building purpose around a job,, you can absolutely make good money and feel fulfilled at the same time.
Myth #4: Wanting a purposeful career is entitled.
This myth is often a talking point in the millennial vs. boomer power struggle. There’s a narrative (especially coming from the older generations) that millennials are entitled, avocado toast-eating, purpose-chasers. “Who the hell are you to expect a fulfilling career? I didn’t ask for that in my 45 years at the same company!” Here’s the thing, though: I would argue wanting fulfilling work makes you more devoted to your job, not less. You care enough to want more—let go of the “entitled millennial” myth. Just because someone didn’t ask for fulfillment themselves, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t either.
Myth #5: Having a purposeful career means the work feels easy.
This is what I call the “love what you do and you’ll never work a day in your life” myth. I hate that quote; it does more harm than good. In reality, fulfilling work is not about feeling like rainbows and unicorns each day. Purpose is a deep, driving factor, but there will still be tasks and activities you don’t particularly enjoy. I’m super motivated and fulfilled by my work, but I still don’t love it when I have to sit down and attend to Quickbooks. I’d argue a more accurate quote is “love what you do and the hard days will be worth it.”
Myth #6: Purpose is an “answer.” Once you find it, you’re set.
This is probably the biggest, most damaging myth. Many of my clients have this thought that purpose is an answer, and all they need to do is solve a secret math equation to unlock their own. This is why they often love assessments so much: they would love to be able to take a test and find their magic “answer” career path. This is a super problematic way to view purpose, though.
Purpose is not a vocation. It’s not a job title you need to “solve for.” If we look at purpose that way, it has a finite end-point. This is why so many people reach their “peak” and end up feeling unfulfilled. You’ll end up feeling empty, and back to square one.
So, if those are the myths we don’t want you to believe about purpose, what’s a better way to look at it?
Purpose is a North Star. It’s a clear idea about who you are, what’s important to you, and what you find fulfilling when it comes to work. It’s a deeper understanding of self. Think of purpose like an internal compass for your career, guiding all of your decisions so they’re aligned with your wants and needs.
In my experience, re-discovering your internal compass for your career (and life) requires a lot of trust in yourself, and enough silence to listen for what you truly want. While it can feel scary to pursue, it’s so worth it in the end.
Chris is the founder of Empowered Achievers, where she helps millennials build professional lives and small businesses that fulfill their true calling. Having worked in advertising with clients like Google, YouTube, and Expedia, she traded in the agency life for the world of talent development and culture. She created Empowered Achievers when she realized her deepest calling was to help others find their calling as well, and transition into a life of fulfillment doing work that they love. She was voted one of the Best Millennial Career Experts by PeopleMaven. Chris has articles in Thrive Global & Kivo Daily, and features on sites like Business News Daily and HelloGiggles.
