The Fulfillment Paradox
Many people assume that once they reach a certain level of success—a specific income, a job title, or a published game—happiness will follow. However, success without purpose is a recipe for burnout. True fulfillment isn’t found in the destination; it’s found in the alignment between your daily actions and your internal values. When your work contributes to something larger than yourself, it ceases to be a burden and becomes a source of energy.
Three Exercises to Discover Your Compass:
- The “Impact” Audit:
- Look back at your proudest moments. Don’t focus on the rewards you received, but on the impact you had. Who did you help? What problem did you solve? These moments are breadcrumbs leading to your core purpose.
- The “Five Whys” Technique:
- Take a major goal (e.g., “I want to publish a successful mobile game”) and ask “Why?” to the answer five times.
- Why? To earn a living.
- Why? To have freedom.
- Why? To spend time on what matters.
- Why? To create things that bring people joy.
- By the fifth “why,” you usually reach a foundational value.
- The Eulogy Test:
- It’s a bit macabre, but effective: How do you want to be remembered? When people talk about your life’s work, do you want them to talk about your bank account, or your creativity, your resilience, and the ways you inspired others? Your legacy is your purpose in its final form.
Navigating with Intention
Defining your purpose doesn’t mean you have to change your job tomorrow; it means you change the intention behind your work. When you understand your “why,” you become more selective about your “what” and more resilient in your “how.” You stop drifting with the current of societal expectations and start navigating toward a horizon of your own choosing.
What’s Coming Next…
In our next installment, “The Values Filter,” we’ll explore how to use your personal core values as a decision-making tool for everyday life.
