Your Journey to a Purposeful 2025 - Part 1
Can you believe we're nearing the end of 2024? Endings open the door to beginnings, don't they? As we welcome 2025, this year's final editions of our monthly newsletter are designed to help you reflect on your current circumstances and plan for an exciting year ahead.
Our Journey Ahead
October: We'll explore the concept of purpose. While this term is often overused and can create frustration for some, there's undeniable value in it. Let's reframe it: we'll focus on becoming clear about what we are meant to do and/or be in this world. Another way of capturing this concept is by calling it your “why”.
November: We'll dive into personal values and how they can help you stay aligned with what truly matters to you on a day-to-day basis. You’ll begin to see how these values connect to and support your sense of purpose.
December: This final 2024 newsletter will provide opportunities and tools for self-assessment and goal setting, aimed at helping you start the new year with clarity and direction.
Why these topics? Because finding joy in both your professional achievements and personal life is possible! That's what this journey is all about. Are you ready?
Rediscovering Your Purpose
Let's kick off our journey by rediscovering our purpose! You'll notice the invitation is to rediscover your purpose. As children, we had an innate connection to our purpose - we knew what we liked and didn't like, unapologetically.
As we grew up, many external influences shaped us to adopt behaviors and make decisions aimed at "fitting in". These influences came from our family, educators, and communities we associated with, such as faith or sports practices. Our modus operandi consisted of adapting to what others seemed to expect from us. This often led us away from what we love in order to keep other people happy.
Several years ago, amid what was deemed to be a successful career, I remember reading a Tony Robbins quote that stopped me in my tracks: "Activity without purpose is the drain of your life." It was too relatable to ignore. I was there, and indeed, it was exhausting! And, I could not help but wonder how I got here.
Have you ever experienced that feeling of looking at your life and not being sure how you got to where you are? Do you feel unsettled, questioning if this is truly where you want to be?
If you're nodding along, take a deep breath. This sensation isn't something to fear. It's your life gently tapping you on the shoulder, inviting you to pause and reflect. Consider it an opportunity to step back, reassess your path, and realign with your genuine aspirations and values-your purpose.
Feels daunting? That's okay, we're going to take small steps together on this journey to a more purposeful 2025. The only thing that matters is taking that first step, which you are doing by reading this. 😉
Understanding Purpose
In simple terms, purpose is about knowing and embracing things that put a bounce in your step. That's why there's a lot to learn by taking time to reflect and identify the activities that leave you energized.
What do you do when you lose sense of time? Sometimes, you think you've been working on something for 15 minutes, only to realize that you've been at it for an hour, and you're late for your next commitment.
You know the feeling, right?
Well, take time to reflect on when this happens to you; there are clues to be found in there. What leads you to that sense of flow?
Here's a tip I discovered on my journey to regain alignment: it requires giving yourself permission to live a life of your choosing and step away from the sense of obligation to meet other people's expectations. It's about reconnecting with who you are and shedding layers created by the responses to the "shoulds" and "ought tos" accumulated in the first part of our life.
Essentially, it's a journey that takes us from fitting in to belonging.
Recognizing Alignment with Your Purpose
You may be wondering, if purpose is about doing what we were meant to do or be, how do we know when we are aligned?
You should be feeling one of these two ways—excitement or satisfaction—most of the time. Your moments of exhilaration, curiosity, and contentment should far outnumber your moments of boredom, frustration, or despair. It has nothing to do with your title or how much money you make.
And to fuel your reflection until we connect in November, we recommend reading "A Roadmap to a Life That Matters". This article provides valuable insights and practical steps to help you on your journey to a more purposeful life.
We look forward to continuing this journey with you next month as we explore personal values and their connection to our sense of purpose.
Kindly,
