Is Your Career Missing Purpose?

The one step you can take that will make all the difference between stagnating and thriving in your career: know your why.

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What truly sets apart those who thrive isn’t just talent or experience—it’s clarity about their why, a deep understanding of the purpose behind their work. Knowing your why fuels your drive, brings deeper satisfaction when you achieve goals, and gives you resilience to overcome inevitable challenges.

A simple metaphor to bring the importance of your why alive: Imagine running a marathon knowing that crossing the finish line will cure cancer. Wouldn’t that kind of purpose give you the energy to train, care for injuries, fuel your body, get the right gear, and build the support team you need to finish strong?

What is Your Why?

Your why is your inner motivation—the reason you show up every day. It’s not tied to titles, paychecks, or recognition. It’s about the impact you want to make and what you care about most, even if no one notices.

Your why is your reason for being that acknowledges your natural talents and how you use them to make a difference in the world.

Your why isn’t your job or career. Your job is just one way you live out your purpose.

Every client I’ve worked with who has clarity about their why has been able to overcome challenges that once seemed impossible. Take my client Gigi, for example. After 18 years as an analyst at Boeing—a job she landed right out of college—she was laid off. At first, she was devastated. Her work had always been a source of pride, and her career goals were centered around building stability: starting a family and saving for retirement. But after the layoff, she realized that job security wasn’t a real why.

Gigi took the time to reevaluate her purpose and “start from square one.” Through our work together, she rediscovered her passion for solving unsolvable problems and (ironically) her talent for long-term thinking. She also realized how much she cared about leaving the world a better place for her kids. Her new why became clear: combining her love of problem-solving with her data analysis skills to help create a more sustainable future for generations to come. Today, Gigi is interviewing for roles as a sustainability analyst, where she can help companies reduce their carbon footprint while living out her purpose.

Finding Your Why

To connect with your why and use it to move forward, ask yourself:

• What do you love to do? What brings you joy and makes you lose track of time? These often align with your natural talents.

• What are you good at? If you’re unsure, ask friends or colleagues for feedback.

• What breaks your heart? What feels intolerable in the world that you wish you could change?

Photo by Andrej Lisakov on Unsplash

Write Your Purpose Statement

Once you’ve reflected on these questions, write your why statement. Here’s a simple structure to follow:

1. What you love …

2. What you’re good at …

3. What you’re called to change …

I know this might feel daunting so I’m going to give you two examples. One from me and one from a client.

1. What I love: I love to bring structure to chaos through planning, organization and strategy. I love to learn and share knowledge. I love to create community and brave spaces where people can be vulnerable so they can find connection, community and belonging.

2. What I’m good at: listening, project management, editing, curriculum development, seeing possibility.

3. What hurts my heart are barriers to entry and when people believe that they are less than because of a setback.

When I tied it all together into a why statement, this is what it looks like:

I am an intuitive, compassionate listener, creative problem solver, and highly organized strategist who excels in nurturing safe spaces, project management, curriculum development, and writing. I make grief work in the professional realm socially acceptable so people can fully honor their values, rewrite their narratives, return to wholeness, and hit their moonshot with grace.

When writing your statement, use the present tense. Saying, “I am an intuitive, compassionate listener” is far more powerful than, “I hope to become an intuitive, compassionate listener.”

Clara’s Story: Living Her Why

Clara, a marketing director, felt stuck. She thought success meant climbing the ladder, but promotions and pay raises left her unfulfilled. To find clarity, she asked herself:

• What do I love? Storytelling and helping others communicate their value.

• What am I good at? Simplifying complex ideas and making them relatable.

• What breaks my heart? Seeing people struggle to tell their stories.

Here’s Clara’s why statement:

I am a compassionate storyteller and skilled communicator who excels at simplifying complex ideas and making them relatable. I am passionate about helping underdogs—like small business owners and individuals who face bias—find their voice and share their value with the world. My purpose is to empower others to tell their stories with clarity and confidence, so they can overcome obstacles, connect meaningfully, and thrive in the face of adversity.

With this clarified why, Clara started to refocus her work. But there was a challenge: her boss didn’t see the value in shifting resources to support smaller businesses, which seemed less prestigious than working with big-budget clients. Clara had to advocate for her vision. She gathered data, shared case studies, and rallied her team to support fresh, creative ideas.

Her why gave her the clarity and confidence to push through resistance. Clara launched a pilot campaign for small businesses, which strengthened client relationships and energized her team. The success reignited Clara’s passion and eventually led to a VP role where she continues to align her work with her purpose and inspire others.

Bottom Line

Knowing your why turns your career into more than just a series of tasks—it becomes a meaningful journey that reflects your strengths and values. Your purpose gives you the clarity to face challenges, the resilience to grow through them, and the energy to achieve meaningful goals. When you center your why, you create momentum that inspires others and opens doors you never imagined.

Journal Prompts

Sometimes the idea of knowing your why feels exciting. Other times, it can feel overwhelming, even intimidating. These prompts are designed to help you get curious about what your why means to you and how it can show up in your career. Take a little time to think about each one, and see what surfaces.