How Do You Know If You're Suffering From Purpose Anxiety?
It may be harder to realize than you think
Purpose anxiety can manifest in various ways beyond straightforward psychological distress. While we might not always be fully attuned to our inner feelings, the signs often become clear when we assess our actions and career paths.
Consider job hopping, for instance. On one hand, it can represent a healthy pursuit of higher pay and valuable experience. On the other hand, it might also signify purpose anxiety. When our focus fixates on finding the perfect job, it could indicate a search for external validations of our internal fulfillment and joy. In essence, genuine happiness doesn’t stem from job titles or salaries alone—they are mere labels and numbers. Instead, our aim should be to cultivate roles that are more fulfilling and engage in activities that resonate with our sense of purpose. Concentrating solely on job titles and salaries can awkwardly substitute for the more challenging task of creating genuine internal purpose. Moreover, achieving these new titles often leaves us feeling emptier than fulfilled, prompting us to consider moving on yet again in hopes of finding greater satisfaction.
Imposter syndrome provides another perspective on purpose anxiety in daily life. It leads us to doubt our competence and worthiness in our roles. While this is common among conscientious professionals pushing their boundaries, it can also signal a deeper issue: perhaps the role itself does not align with our true desires, needs, or goals. Rather than questioning our professionalism, we should question whether the job aligns with our personal aspirations.
Another indicator of purpose anxiety is the belief that if we struggle to identify our singular true purpose, then perhaps such a purpose doesn’t truly exist. This confusion arises from conflating discovering purpose with actively creating it. This mindset often leads to the mistaken belief that we must identify one definitive purpose, rather than appreciating the diverse range of purposes available to us, each with its own significance and impact. Striving for perfection in this regard can hinder progress, as the pursuit of an ideal purpose often detracts from the discovery of meaningful paths. Purpose, ultimately, is subjective and individual.
Lastly, falling prey to purpose anxiety often involves comparing ourselves to others, which can breed insecurity and further confusion. While it’s natural to gauge our progress against others’ achievements, this habit often leads to adopting others’ definitions of purpose instead of forging our own. Each person’s motivations and benchmarks for success are unique. Rather than attempting to conform to someone else’s standards, we should forge our own paths and define success on our own terms.
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Path to Purpose Coaching
Over the last year, writing my new book The Purpose Code, I have spent a huge amount of time thinking about, writing about, and discussing purpose. I have offered one-on-one and group coaching to my mastermind group, Wealth With Purpose. These discussions stem from my real life encounters with dying hospice patients as well as the numerous interactions I have had with people after reading Taking Stock.
What I've found is that most of us who listen to the Earn & Invest Podcast struggle with three basic issues:
How do I define purpose in my life?
How do I transition to a more fulfilling career?
What is enough money look like? Enough life?
To help navigate these waters, I have decided to offer the Path to Purpose coaching program. This is one-on-one coaching with me to help you further define purpose, direction, and career. Sessions will be spread over five weeks with a goal to provide a more concrete and enjoyable path to crack the purpose code and start living your life now whether you are broke, pre financial independence, financially independent, or beyond.
https://www.earnandinvest.com/coaching