Define Your Game

Why is your purpose (AKA “the difference only you can make”) so elusive? 

Where do you find your life’s next vocation?

“Look to your dharma.”—The Bhagavad Gita

Dharma is an ancient Sanskrit word that defies easy translation.

It is often translated as one’s sacred role, calling, or duty—in other words, one’s vocation.

But, as the story of the Gita reveals, defining, embracing, and living your life’s purpose is fraught.

What do I mean by “fraught?”

Embracing and executing the difference only you can make to leave a legacy of meaning and impact is laden with responsibility and rewards in equal measure.

In other words, “it’s complicated.”

A big part of the challenge is the misconceptions about where your calling resides.

Maybe you’ve been told that your purpose is “out there,” and you need to go find it. Or perhaps you were told it’s “inside,” and you need to excavate it?

Here’s the thing. Purpose isn’t a destination to be discovered or an asset to be mined. Discovering the difference only you can make is a process. It’s a journey.

To cultivate purpose, define an endeavor to do on purpose. Engage in that work for a purpose and with purpose. That is how you determine the difference only you can make now.

Finally, do that thing with and for people you care about.

Here’s an overview of the 3-step approach we use in Creative on Purpose’s programs to help clients define the difference only they can make and stop feeling lost, overwhelmed, or empty so they can start thriving in an endeavor that matters.

1. The first step is to identify who you really are. What are your core values? What’s your vision of a world worth working toward? What are your guiding principles? 

2. The second step is to define what you’re good at. What hard skills did you learn in school and on the job that light you up? And what about the soft skills of connection, communication, collaboration, and creativity you’ve been honing since you exited the womb?

3. The third and final step is to determine where you belong. Where is that? You belong with people who share your values and need your talents to enhance their lives.

Do the Work

What happens if you take a few minutes to dial in who you really are, what you’re really good at, and where you really belong?¹ How might that change everything?

Take time to journal or discuss your work, and be sure to apply your takeaways.

This article is the republished third lesson from my handbook, “The Art of Encore Living.” See the links in the footnotes to access additional chapters² or to purchase the complete guide for $1 on Amazon.³
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