CUT THROUGH THE NOISE
The simple 3-step process that helped me find fulfilling work that I love
What should I be doing with my life and how on earth do I figure this out?All of us have asked this question at some point in our lives. Some of us ask this and simply move on. Some of us ask this over and over again but do nothing. The truth is, most of us only decide to change when the pain of doing the same thing becomes greater than the fear of the unknown.
Most of us are not afraid of working hard, what kills us is working hard for something that we don’t believe in.
There are so many articles out there that gives out a myriad of tips on how to figure out your purpose in life. It illustrates how many people are living on autopilot or are wandering out there, directionless.
What people don’t realise is that figuring out what you want to do with your life isn’t an exercise that you just do once and then you’re all set forever. You’re constantly growing and being shaped by your experiences and the world around you. It makes sense that your passions and purpose may change too and there’s nothing wrong with that. When you start to see this as not just a one-off exercise but as a continuous process of self-discovery then the whole thing becomes much less daunting.
This is the process that I follow which helped me to find fulfilling work that I love. I would recommend that you repeat this exercise at least once a year to make sure that whatever you’re doing is bringing you closer to who you know you can be.
Step 1: Discover your passion by looking at what you love reading and learning about every day — What issues or topics are you naturally drawn to? When you’re browsing the internet, what kind of articles do you like to read? What are the topics that make you really excited when you start talking about them to your friends?
I’ve always been fascinated about how technology can affect change on such a global scale so quickly. I love learning about how startups are using technology and innovation to change the world. Instead of reading about business or politics, I would find myself being drawn to news about the latest inventions and technological breakthroughs. I also enjoyed learning about psychology and behavioural science and I was especially interested in the mindsets of successful entrepreneurs.
Step 2: Discover your purpose by asking yourself what problems you want to solve — What are some problems that have personally affected you or the people around you that you want to solve?
My journey towards entrepreneurship took way too long and I had felt lonely and isolated when I didn’t need to be. I was held back for a long time because I didn’t think I had the experience, money or time to get started. It wasn’t until I decided to let go of all these limiting beliefs in my head that I realised they weren’t actually obstacles at all.
I had no qualifications in entrepreneurship but this meant that I was open to all kinds of fresh ideas and all schools of knowledge. I was able to add tools and frameworks to my arsenal and decide for myself which ones were the best fit for what I was doing.
I had no money saved which meant that I really had to be lean in how I approach things. It also meant that I had to constantly focus on the concept of right action, right time which means prioritising on the riskiest parts of my business model first because I literally did not have the resources to do anything else.
I had no time because I had to maintain my full time job to pay the bills which taught me that my time was my most precious asset and how to prioritise and stay organised which is one of the most important skills a business owner can have.
I realised that my purpose is to show more people what took me years to figure out and to help them reach a point where they’re no longer held back by their lack of experience, money or time. Leading by example, I want to show people that they have everything that they need right now to get started. Once they realise that, they are free to experiment and discover what they’re truly capable of.
Step 3: Find ways to combine your passion and your purpose with your strengths — Think about your strengths whether it is something you’re naturally good at or if it is something you developed over time and think about how you can leverage these to solve a problem in areas you’re naturally passionate about.
My natural strength is in strategic planning. I’m also very resourceful and am good at creative problem solving. A skill that I’ve developed for myself is the ability to thrive in uncertain environments and to connect with new people. By forcing myself to attend so many networking events and meetups when I first arrived in Sydney, I’ve found myself to be the person that can bring a diverse group of people together whether it’s in my personal or professional life.
The combination of my passion, purpose and my strengths resulted in The Weekend Club. I’m using my strengths as a strategist to build my business model. I’m using my resourcefulness to iterate as quickly (and as cheaply) as possible and find creative ways to get things done. I’m using my interpersonal skills to connect people who can help each other and grow the community. I feel challenged and I’m learning and growing every day in an area that genuinely fascinates me. Lastly, this all goes towards my purpose of empowering more people to pursue their dreams and achieve their full potential.
What if I pick something and I get it wrong?
Well…so what? It’s not the end of the world. Even if you quit your job in order to explore something else, you can always go back and get another job if you want to. At least that way you’ll know for sure that you’ve tried it and it’s not for you. You won’t have to keep wondering and asking yourself the question of “What if?”
What if I have a lot of things that I am passionate about and I don’t know which one I should pick?
Just like when you’re faced with many choices in a restaurant but still have to pick something to order in the end, sometimes in life you just have to make a choice and decide. You may not know if you have made the right choice for the rest of your life, but you still have to choose. Somewhere down the line, you may even realise that you have made the wrong choice. Luckily, there’s not many choices in life that you can’t change. Don’t worry if you don’t get it exactly right the first time. Life is a journey of constant learning and not a destination.
