Success Myths: Purpose is Gaining Comfort

That cozy corner office. Having enough money to retire early. Being able to accomplish work with your eyes closed.

Do any of these sound good?

There is nothing wrong with these ambitions, but is it possible that good could be the enemy of great?

For Dan, comfort was a driver. We sat at Starbucks, exploring how he could define his Purpose in life. He was halfway through The Purpose Promise journey, and revelation was starting to take hold.

His work was on autopilot. He made more money than he needed, and yet he was unfulfilled. He worked a lot, which certainly was not ideal, but overall, most of the work world would look at Dan and think he had it made; he had it easy; he was living his best life.

That is not how Dan felt. He felt underutilized—the work he did made no noticeable impact to better humanity. Dan was sick of hitting the same old nail, even though those around him affirmed him for being an outstanding nail hitter.

The vanilla latte Dan had ordered had perked up his tone as he began to dream of utilizing his gifts in a way that could make a more significant impact. The benefit of doing work he loves, work that would challenge him and that would help him grow, outweighed the cost of taking a bit of a financial step back. His needs and wants could still be met, but the value of impact was the treasure he sought to find.

As we wrapped up our session that day, Dan had a clearer view of his Purpose. In the following meetings, we would map out a plan to transition into purposeful employment, but I knew it would not be easy. Dan's mental constructs delighted in the comfort that he had earned. He would need to be reminded that the benefit would outweigh the cost as he went back into his comfortable system of life.

I took out a napkin and wrote two words with a line in the middle. "Dan," I stated, looking him straight in the eye. To remain as passionate as you are right now about your new Purpose, you will need to live above the line. Take this as a reminder. It will not be easy, but the struggle will grow you and gain you greater insight into what you value.

I've never seen a person relish a napkin as Dan did. We met one week later, and he pulled it back out and emphatically stated, "I'm living above the line, now let's find my purposeful work."

Imagine the world with more Dans. Imagine if people put aside what the world values and sought how they could bring value to the world. Dan is an inspiration and is now living his best life: purposefully employed!

We meet every so often still, and he always enjoyed showing me that napkin. He says it changed his life. We hope his story can help change yours too!

So how about you:

• Are there aspects of comfort that keep you from your Purpose? If so, pull out a napkin… just kidding!
• What would the cost be to pursuing purposeful employment? What would the benefit be?

Habits to Cultivate:

• Analyze what is good in your life and ask yourself: "Could the pursuit of the good keep me from something great?"

If you are struggling with this success myth, grab The Purpose Promise book and start your journey to understanding how to craft your Purpose and find purposeful employment. We have helped thousands of purpose seekers obtain purposeful careers. You can do it too. We would love to help guide you.

Make the first step and take the Purpose Assessment now..