Career and Purpose: Are They One and the Same?

By: Jamie Martin

Does your life purpose have to be your career?

I’ve been thinking a lot about this this past week. Many of us look at our calling (our why, our purpose) as being equal to our career.

I know I spent years feeling that way. You see, I’m a multipotentialite and not a specialist, and I thought that our purpose equals our career. This tug of war between a desire to learn all sorts of disciplines and the belief that your purpose is a singular specialty causes a lot of struggle. At least, it did for me.

I struggled for years trying to find that one career, that one job that made me feel fulfilled. But being someone who loves learning, there are so many things that I am interested in exploring. Narrowing it down to one career seemed impossible.

[Related: Job Hunting When You Have Many Interests]

The more I explored purpose, the more I learned that my career is only a piece of that bigger why.

It is freeing to realize that your purpose is bigger than your career. It opens you up to even more possibilities for how to live your life and how you can impact the world.

You see the opportunities in each of your relationships. Your family. Your friends.

You see the opportunities in your love life. Creating it with your partner on purpose.

You see the opportunities with your finances. How you make money. How you spend it.

You see the opportunities with having fun. Connecting with joy and laughter.

When you open yourself up to seeing that your purpose is bigger than your career, doors open that you would have never even considered when you were searching for the job title that just might make you feel better aligned.

[Related: Want a New Career But Unsure What? Do This First]

You find ways to live your purpose each day with everything you do. Whether it’s while you are having fun with a hobby you love or working through a task at work, you see the bigger connection. You know that even the most mundane task or frustrating moment gives you an opportunity to connect back to your purpose and shift your intention in that moment.

As you can see, your career is just a piece of your why. There are many ways for it to play into your purpose, too. It may be directly or indirectly contributing to it, but it is not the sole way your purpose comes to life.

By allowing yourself to know your why and your purpose, you can intentionally choose how it plays out in your overall life and career. You may just find that your purpose drives you to consider a completely different way of making a living other than a career.

Embrace your purpose and allow it to guide you on your journey.

[Related: What Happened When I Invested In Myself]

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Jamie Martin is a life and leadership coach who helps women who have been going and going and going for so long that they feel like they’ve lost themselves. She helps her clients give themselves permission to put themselves first, create a plan, and go after their dreams.

Originally published at https://www.ellevatenetwork.com.