Have you stopped to reflect on why you do what you do?  To understand your purpose?  That thing that keeps you heading forward despite the challenges you may encounter?

Now you may assume seeing a rugby union photo, I going to talk about sport.  I am not.  Nor am a fan of the sport, it is my husband who is the fan, in fact he is a fan of pretty much all sport.

However, I was prompted to write this article after watching the post-game interview by the captain of South Africa Rugby Union Team, Siya Kolisi.

In his interview, he spoke of purpose. He spoke of:

  • The team playing for a higher purpose than themselves.
  • The team playing for all of South Africa, of seeking to be an example of how a group of diverse people can unite behind a single purpose, to achieve an outcome great challenge.
  • He of the context of his purpose, the significant challenges his country is facing right now.

So why is purpose so important?

Purpose can give you:

  1. Motivation to take action.
  2. Inspiration to reach beyond your current capability.
  3. The stimulus to create a vision, to imagine a why, of how something can be better.

However, there is one more thing purpose can help you build. Something essential you need in navigating the ebbs and flows of your path to achieving your purpose.

  1. Resilience; help you build and cultivate resilient, the impetus, energy and drive you will need to adapt and respond as you encounter the ebbs and flows on your path.

Siya Koilisi did not say a lot in his short interview, but what he did say clearly articulated his his purpose.

What is your purpose?

Yes, you knew this question was coming. What is your purpose?

I encourage you to not mistakenly assume it needs to be grand or so big in scope that it makes you feel weighed down or bewildered as to where to start on your path.

It needs to be a purpose that enables you to be self-directed and anchored to your why.

A purpose that will:

  1. Motivate and propel you to action.
  2. Inspire you to stretch and move beyond your comfort zone.
  3. Allow you to craft a vision, a why of wanting to make something better.
  4. Help you build and cultivate resilience, your ability to adapt and respond as the path you take inevitably ebbs and flows with challenges and progress.

Good luck on your journey.

ciao Jan