Having a sense of purpose can involve goals, but it is not about the attainment of goals. Goals are not central to what purpose is about. The fixation on the attainment of the goals not only make the goals less likely to be attained, it actually takes us out of being in touch with a sense of purpose. We lose sight of what purpose truly is if all that is on our mind is the rewards and “the better life” on the other side when the goals are met. A sense of purpose goes deeper than goals, it is accessible at any given moment, and we can feel fulfilled right now in the present with experiencing it. At the same time, it is the best place to be to help us with our goals, but by the moment a true sense of purpose is experienced, we are no longer attached to goal-attainment.
A focus on being on track with goals can be helpful, but a fixation on goals can be unhelpful and even distracting, as we cannot see the purpose of the goals anymore. We spend more time self-consciously assessing where we are at with goals rather than on the process. Rather than experiencing a genuine sense of purpose, instead our minds are taken up with making comparisons with others, worrying about how far we are from a result, and whether we will succeed or not. Life becomes about thinking about measuring where we are, rather than feel present with a sense of genuine purpose.
Instead of a sense of purpose one feels an inner heaviness, which makes goal attainment less likely. When our personal value is placed so much on goal attainment, the weight of our value is keenly felt for every action towards the goal. Each potential misstep feels like an indictment on oneself, and we go about life warily. The scarcity mentality takes over, and we feel a sense of lack. In the long run, this will tire and burn us out. A sense of purpose is completely different from this. It is a state of mind, of being really—a light, meditative, and genuine focus on the activity itself, rather than where we are at in accomplishing it. It is not a self-conscious fixation on how the task reflects one’s own value, which does little to help with the activity.
I found I never had to be fully ready to start something, or come up with a flawless result. Rather than focus on finding the perfect start or finish, or rushing myself along the way, I kept playing and tinkering with what I did in a light, relaxed but focused manner. The result in the end was paradoxical. A strict and demanding energy actually slowed me down and produced poorer results and easily led me to avoidance and burnout. On the other hand, a playful approach that is not fixated on the result, happens to more naturally make the result be better. The process of working is smoother and came to me more easily, and I maintained a light energetic feeling along the way.
The experiencing of the process rather than a result, of a genuine and direct engagement with the activity itself, is what creates a sense of purpose, not a self-conscious fixation on one’s worth based on outcomes. A sense of purpose is not meant to be serious, dour, or heavy, but light, playful, and engaging, and that happens when you find a way to make what you do interesting.
