In the last Purpose Newsletter, I asked: “What’s your #1 single biggest challenge with living your purpose right now?” I was flooded with responses. Thank you!
“I know my purpose, but I’m not living it.” Because I need to make money to support the people who depend on me. So, I feel like I’m not the person I want to be. I thought life would be different.
Sound familiar? I’ve been there too.
I started a company organizing a running event. As a marathon runner, it was my passion and purpose.
I knew my purpose. I was living it.
But, I wasn’t making any money to support the people I cared about. In fact, I was going into serious debt. I thought my life would be different.
I shut down my company and got a job with a local bank in marketing and special events.
I knew my purpose. I wasn’t living it.
The job at the bank was okay, but it sure wasn’t my passion and purpose.
Then one day, while I was running at lunch with the president of the bank, he asked me to find a way to help clients who struggled with debt. I piloted a personal finance program. My partner and I participated. We paid off $165,000 in debt and saved $20,000 in 15 months.
True purpose.
The program never got out of the pilot phase, but I discovered a new way to live my purpose – helping people get out of debt. It turns out running, the “what,” wasn’t my purpose. My purpose is helping people change their lives. What I really loved about running and organizing events was seeing a new runner do something they never thought possible and the changes in them as they trained.
Inevitably, I left the bank over my ethical objection to marketing reverse mortgages. But, by then I’d started offering personal finance classes in the evenings. What we’d now call a side hustle.
I turned that into my full-time project. Getting paid to help people do what they never thought possible.
Earn money while making the world a better place.
I shared my story with you because I hope you’ll see:
- You don’t have to go broke living your purpose.
- There many ways to live your purpose.
- Serving others and being paid fairly for your service is good for you and the people you are meant to help.
Resources to help you learn to earn a living while living your purpose.
Simple wisdom for complex lives.
Purpose Formula
In his article, What you need to live a life of purpose, Jacob Sokol shares his purpose formula:
Your Values + Strengths + Passions + Service = Your Purpose
He says, “Don’t let all the different variables discourage you. Once you dedicate some time for introspection and reflection of those variables, you’ll rapidly start to realize the direction you need to move in.”
Start by creating 3 lists:
- Your values
- Your strengths
- Your passions
Then, see yourself being of service. Describe what it looks like. Like what you see? Maybe now is the time to test your idea.
Start with a side hustle.
Chris Guillebeau wrote about creating how to create a new source of income without quitting your day job in Side Hustle. I encourage you to transform your vision of service into that stream of income. Guillebeau lays out a plan to go from idea to income in 27 days.
Become an owner of your life and work.
Take a deeper dive with Seth Godin’s newest workshop called The Bootstrapper’s Workshop. Godin says this is “The chance to do work you’re proud of. Work that makes a difference for the people you’d like to serve. And perhaps, work that pays you what you’re worth and gives you the freedom to make your own choices. And the people you care about are waiting for you to do this work.
You have the chance to plan your day, to be in charge, to build something that you own.”
The Resistance
I have no doubt the resistance will show up. Arm yourself with Steven Pressfield’s War of Art.
With the resistance out in front of you and an income stream generated from being of service.
Live your purpose full time.
Once you are living your purpose, serving, and earning income consider getting yourself booked solid so that you can serve as many clients as you desire. I discovered Michael Port and Book Yourself Solid when my clients who provide a service needed to earn more money by getting more clients.
Living your purpose is about giving, not getting. And you shouldn’t suffer financially while doing it.
Live a Bold & Authentic Life
Matt
