Purpose Isn’t Found. It’s Chosen.
Your purpose doesn’t need to be found.
It needs to be chosen mindfully.
I’m not talking about the kind of purpose you chase because your business demands it or your role requires it. I’m talking about the kind of purpose that feels effortless. Expansive. Energizing.
And yet, so many leaders stay stuck in obligation. They carry out a mission that no longer lights them up, grinding through goals that feel unaligned.
But here’s the truth: when you tune into your Zone of Genius, you create a ripple effect. You shift your experience of work from pressure to flow. And the legacy you’re building becomes something you’re proud of - not something you feel obligated to do.
The Power of Asking the Right Questions
The key to having the power to make this shift is asking the right questions.
1. What percentage of time in the past week has work felt effortless?
This is noticing how much of your energy is coming from alignment versus obligation. When you’re in your Zone of Genius, flow becomes the norm - not the exception.
The ideal is for leaders to spend 80% of their time doing things they love, which are energizing and only they can do. The truth is most leaders are only in flow 20% of the time, if they’re lucky. But when purpose is aligned with talent and genius, the goal of 80% in flow is possible. Anything less is a sign of misalignment.
2. What’s an ability or a talent that is so easy and fun that you forgot how brilliant you are at it?
Sometimes people don’t know what their Zone of Genius is. They’ve become so accustomed to operating in their zone of competency or excellence that they’ve forgotten work can actually be fun.
When I’m coaching my clients, they’re often surprised at how easily the answer comes when I ask this. That’s why it’s important to create space to recognize what comes naturally and the brilliance that follows.
3. If you had unlimited resources and time, what mission would you dedicate your life to?
What, who, and how would you serve? This question reveals your deepest values - the kind of service that is so meaningful you’d commit to it without question.
When the pressure to prove yourself is removed, a different kind of clarity arises. You reconnect with the mission that brings your vision to life and expands your impact far beyond yourself.
Where the Horizon Meets You:
It’s time to pause and ask yourself a profound question about the life you’re building and the impact you want to leave behind.
Imagine your 90-year-old self, surrounded by the people you love who have been changed by your presence, and ask yourself: What do I want to be remembered for?
If you knew you couldn’t fail and if you knew your contribution would be meaningful, successful, and lasting: What would you choose to create?
Your purpose isn’t waiting to be found. It’s waiting to be claimed - by the version of you bold enough to choose it.