Connecting your career to your purpose

Have you felt that your work doesn't align with what truly inspires you? You're not alone. Many people spend years climbing professional ladders only to find they lead to unfulfilling paths.

The quest to connect your career with your purpose is not just a growing trend—it’s a deeply personal and rewarding pursuit that can lead to greater personal satisfaction and professional success.

Read on to learn more about understanding your purpose, finding the right career path, and navigating transitions to build a fulfilling work life.

What is purpose and why does it matter?

Purpose is the driving force that fuels our ambitions and connects us to our core values and passions. It transforms work from a mere job into a meaningful journey, propelling us toward personal growth. Imagine waking up excited because your work aligns with what you deeply care about and how you want to impact the world. Purpose answers those big questions: "What matters most to me?" and "How can I make a difference?"

This clarity doesn't just guide our career choices—it strengthens our resilience. With purpose, setbacks become stepping stones, pushing us toward our goals with renewed focus and determination.

Discovering your purpose can also be a game-changer for your mental wellbeing. Studies show that when you have a strong sense of purpose, stress takes a backseat, burnout becomes less of a threat, and your emotional health gets a serious boost. Knowing that your work makes a real difference to others or supports causes you're passionate about, gives you a clear direction and fuels your motivation, even when the going gets tough.

In the workplace, purpose-driven individuals tend to be more productive. They not only find deeper satisfaction in their roles but also stick with organisations that resonate with their values. When personal and professional purposes align, it sparks a vibrant work culture, builds stronger relationships, and fuels a shared sense of achievement.

Ultimately, aligning your career with your purpose means doing work that truly satisfies you. This connection can boost your job performance, ramp up your work engagement, and leave you feeling fulfilled.

Embracing ‘Ikigai’

Ikigai is a Japanese concept that translates roughly to “reason for being.” It's all about finding that sweet spot where your passion, skills, and what you can offer the world come together to give you a real sense of purpose.

The concept of Ikigai is often represented as four overlapping circles, each representing a core element:

1. What you love – Activities and interests that bring you joy and excitement.
2. What you’re good at – Skills, talents, and strengths that you’ve developed or naturally possess.
3. What the world needs – Ways to contribute meaningfully, addressing broader societal or community needs.
4. What you can be paid for – Roles or projects that provide the financial support you need.

The idea is that when you line up what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can get paid for, you end up with a life that's both meaningful and balanced.

Weaving Ikigai into your career development can greatly enhance your motivation, engagement, and wellbeing. When you become more mindful about choosing roles and projects that align with your own Ikigai, you can find a deeper sense of satisfaction and alignment, even when facing workplace challenges. It turns your job into more than just a means to an end.

For many, discovering their Ikigai is a slow process that involves a lot of self-reflection and exploration. But once you find it, it becomes a powerful guide, steering your career choices towards opportunities that support both your personal and professional growth.

Self-reflective prompts to help you identify your purpose

Identifying your purpose requires self-reflection and honesty. After all, purpose is personal—it combines your values, passions, skills, and the impact you wish to make in the world.

We have just what you need to get you started looking inwards. These self-reflective prompts can help you uncover what truly drives you and clarify your direction.

• What activities make you lose track of time? Think about times when you're completely absorbed in what you're doing. These activities usually show what you really enjoy and what you're good at, giving hints about what naturally makes you happy.
• What problems do you feel most passionate about solving? Purpose often ties into the issues or causes you're passionate about. Think about social or environmental challenges that really fire you up and make you feel a sense of responsibility.
• What do people come to you for? Consider what advice or help people often ask you for. These could be strengths or talents you can use to make a real difference for others.
• What would you do if money were not a concern? What if money wasn't an issue when making decisions? Thinking this way can help uncover what truly interests you and might just lead you to a fulfilling career.
• What legacy do you want to leave? Think about the kind of impact you want to have on the people around you or even the wider world. What do you want people to remember you for? This can really help you figure out which values and contributions are most important to you.
• When do you feel most aligned and authentic? Think about those times when you really feel like yourself and everything clicks with your values. These moments show what's truly important to you and can help steer you toward meaningful actions.

Take as much time as you need to really ponder on these prompts and jot down your thoughts. You'll start to notice patterns that reveal what's most important to you. Before you know it, you'll be able to carve out a career path that's driven by purpose and brings you satisfaction, motivation, and lasting fulfillment.

Reconnecting with your purpose in your current career

You might find yourself disconnecting from your purpose in your current career, but you’re not sure if you can get that passion back. Fortunately, there are a few steps you can take to reinvigorate that spark:

Reflect and realign: Reflect on what first attracted you to your career and the elements you still cherish. This introspection can illuminate the path for making meaningful adjustments in your current role.

Take advantage of your strengths: Tap into your current skills to tackle projects or roles within your organisation that truly resonate with your values. Share your aspirations with your manager and explore exciting ways your role can evolve.

Pursue new opportunities: Explore lateral moves or new initiatives within your company that could align more closely with your personal goals. For instance, you could consider joining a sustainability team to help reduce the company’s environmental impact or initiating a Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) group to promote a workplace culture where everyone feels valued and empowered. These shifts have the potential to reignite your passion, offering a fresh perspective without the need for a total career change.

Final thoughts: Engage in a purpose-driven career

Having a career rooted in a real sense of purpose can have profound and lasting benefits. It gives you a feeling of achievement that goes beyond just job titles or pay checks, helping you stay resilient professionally and feel good personally over the long haul. Plus, as industries change, staying in touch with your purpose can help you keep growing and adapting in your career.

To thrive at work, keep checking in on your career path and tweak it when you need to. It's also important to remain open to new opportunities. Overall, staying connected to your purpose can boost your job satisfaction and make a positive impact on your life too.

If you’re struggling to connect your career to your purpose and looking for a way forward, our Associate Programme offers a supportive path for making a career change to one with more impact and purpose. Learn more about how it can help you make a healthy transition here.

This blog post was co-authored by PMAC, a UK based organisation of mental health & wellbeing trainers providing psychologically-informed workplace mental health training to businesses in the UK.