Purpose Is Built, Not Found

Does the question "What should I do with my life?" feel huge, intimidating, and impossible to answer?

For many of us, the advice to "find your purpose" feels like being told to find a single, specific needle in a global haystack. The pressure is immense, especially when you feel like you are staring at a blank blueprint.

But what if the entire approach is wrong? What if the problem isn't that you are lost, but that you are looking for the wrong thing?

Purpose isn't something you find (like a hidden treasure); it's something you build through intentional action. It isn't a magical destination you stumble upon; it is a structure you erect, brick by brick, through the small choices you make every day.

Stop searching. Start designing. Here are two practical tools to start building your purpose today.

1. The "Why" Test: How to Find Your Why

Your purpose is often hidden just one layer beneath your daily to-do list. If you feel that my work has no meaning, it's often because you haven't connected your tasks to their ultimate impact. The "Why" Test is a powerful tool for this, and it works for both your professional and personal life.

Become a detective in your own day. Take a standard task and ask why it matters. Then, ask why that answer matters.

Work Example:

• The Task: I need to get this report done accurately by the deadline.

• Why? So my manager has it for the leadership meeting.

• Why does that matter? Because leadership uses this report to make strategic decisions.

• What's the ultimate "Why"? Because my accuracy empowers my leaders to make smart choices that lead to growth and stability.

Non-Work Example:

• The Task: I need to cook dinner tonight.

• Why? So my family has something to eat.

• Why does that matter? Because sharing a meal is one of the only times we all connect during a busy week.

• What's the ultimate "Why"? Because creating a space for connection and providing nourishment for the people I love is fundamental to who I am.

Suddenly, you're not just "doing a report" or "making food." You are a guardian of stability and a creator of connection. The task is the same, but now it has purpose.

2. Your Best Days Are Your Compass

If you are looking for direction, don't look at a compass; look at your data. Your best days hold the blueprints.

Think about a time you left work feeling utterly exhausted, but in the best way possible. A day you felt "bone tired but victorious."

Now, reverse engineer that day. Don't just say, "I finished the quarterly forecast." Dig deeper into the nature of the work you were doing.

What specific part of that process felt good?

• Was it the initial phase of gathering scattered information and organising it into a coherent structure, essentially creating order out of chaos?

• Was it the problem-solving aspect, like digging through the data to find the one number that didn't tie out?

• Was it translating the complex results into a simple, compelling story that your stakeholders could finally understand?

The feelings you get from those specific actions are not random. They are data points. They point directly to the type of problems you enjoy solving. Your purpose lies in the problems you get excited to fix.

The Final Design

Forget the pressure of a single, grand answer. The first step to designing a life that feels good AND works is simple.

Stop asking: "What is my purpose?" Start asking: "What is a problem I actually enjoy solving?"

Understanding the design is the first step. Building it is the second.

You don't need more inspiration; you need a strategy. Every Tuesday, I send The Sweet Spot - containing a 5-minute action to help you stop searching and start building a life that feels good AND works.