Finding Purpose in Business

It’s a New Year and no doubt you’re all set to make your business more profitable. But before you rush off to expend precious time and energy, it’s worth asking yourself some important questions:

1. Why are you in business? Beyond profit, what does ‘work’ mean to you?
2. Will your business accomplishments count when you’re lying on your death bed?
3. What is your purpose in life? Where do you fit in? Why does it matter?
4. Is your work a vehicle through which you can achieve your purpose in life or is it a hindrance?
5. If it all ends now, how will you be remembered?

Go ahead, grab pen and paper and put your thoughts in writing. Sometimes in the frantic pace of modern life we forget what’s really important.

Did you lose a loved one last year? Have you experienced loss in one way or the other? I did lose a family member in the later part of 2007 and unpleasant as it was, the experience reminded me just how precious life is, just how important it is that our time here counts for something.

Some say business and pleasure shouldn’t mix and that work doesn’t have to be fun as such, but think about it, we spend the majority of our time working (whether that means running a business or holding down a conventional job). So if two thirds of your life is spent in the working environment, can you really afford not to get more out of work, can you really afford not to fulfil your purpose through the work you do?

‘But, I already have a mission statement!’ you may say. Well, personally I have never quite understood the usefulness of mission statements. Why have a mission at your company’s core when you can have purpose? Missions may come and go but purpose remains the principal guiding force. A mission is a single goal (e.g. mission to Mars) but purpose births and outlives any mission.

Material wealth doesn’t provide enough motivation for long term success. Listen to the greatest achievers of our time and rarely will you hear them mention money as a motive (even though they ultimately achieved financial success). Likewise, it’s not enough to say that the purpose of your business is to be the ‘best provider of this or that in the marketplace’. However, when you correctly define and pursue purpose, your business will take its rightful position in the marketplace.

The purpose for your life is the reason why you’re on this earth. The purpose for your business is the reason why precious time, energy and resources are being invested in it. Whilst defining purpose, one ought to take economic, relationship and spiritual contexts into consideration. For instance, ‘The purpose of my business is to help people create financially rewarding work that allows time and energy for the things that matter most in life (e.g. family, fitness, recreation, worship… things we sometimes sacrifice in pursuit of career success).

Whilst the year is still in its infant stages, stand back and see the big picture, take a deep breath and re-evaluate what’s important to you. Remember the mistakes you made last year and resolve to learn from them. Remember what you wanted to be when you grew up; who you really are inside and take the steps necessary to accomplish the more meaningful goals.

Clarity of purpose is essential to success - especially business success. Purpose defines existence, fuels motivation, enhances meaning. Without purpose one can only react to events and hope for the best. Where there is purpose, there is vision, hope, focus and fulfilment.

There are many ways in which one can fulfil one’s purpose through work. To find out more about how you can save time, achieve a better work-life balance and get more fulfilment out of the work you do, Just Click Here Now

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Ogo Ogbata is a multi-talented writer, speaker and consultant. Through her work at CreativityandSense.Com, she empowers people to find (and create if necessary) financially rewarding work that allows time and energy for what matters most in life.