Creating a life and business that matters

Ask any content person what the secret sauce for their good feeling is and I’ll bet my bottom dollar that purpose will be one of the reasons they give for feeling good about life.

Us humans are at our best when we’re growing and moving towards an outcome that benefits us and the people around us. I’m yet to meet someone who’s stuck and feels happy.

So how does one find purpose amongst the chaos of everyday life? When you’ve got bills to pay and things to do, where does purpose come in?

Purpose doesn’t have to be complicated, it doesn’t require a meditation sabbatical in a dark cave to find it, however if this feels like a good idea, rock on and there’s no need to quit your job in search of it, although your purpose may call for a career change.

You’ll find your purpose when you take the time to pause and listen to your inner wisdom.

My experience of purpose has always been a feeling of alignment with what I’m doing, or not as the case was when I finally realised I needed to make some big life changes back in 2015. I hit absolute burnout in my photography business and injured my back which forced me to wake up and smell the coffee of impending and much required change.

I was fed up of feeling like I was on a never ending treadmill, taking photos held no joy for me because I’d packed my schedule so full that my days simply involved getting through one shoot to get to the next one (goodbye creativity) and then constantly playing catch up with editing and admin had me exhausted. Worst of all, despite working every hour I could, I was broke.

It took being literally stopped in my tracks for me to refocus on what mattered to me and make a plan to get back onto a different and more purposeful track. 

Purpose for me is about using my skills as a creative person to make life better for others. It’s why I coach and it’s why I have a houseful of shelter dogs (that’s what happens when you volunteer to photograph dogs looking for homes). I’m here to make a positive change in the world and when I’m doing that I feel fulfilled, at peace and incredibly happy.

When I’m not feeling these things, it’s a trigger to stop and take stock of how I’m spending my time, who I’m spending it with and what I could be doing instead.

With that in mind, here are three questions to ask yourself about your purpose:

• Why is what I’m doing important to me? (If what you’re doing isn’t important to you, take some time to reflect on what would be)
• Who does my work help?
• Why does what I do matter?
• What does the work I do add to my community?

Once you have the answers, you can start to course correct in the right direction for you.

Small changes are sometimes all it takes to move you towards your purpose. 

I’m here to help you navigate towards a life and business that’s on purpose for you. Please feel free to schedule a complimentary strategy session with me to discuss your next steps.