Purpose is being clear on what we want to achieve, it gives us a clear sense of direction and a framework for setting and achieving goals.  Purposefulness is a pillar of positive resilience and an element we can develop.

Understanding purposefulness

‘One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. ‘Which road do I take?’ she asked.

‘Where do you want to go?’ was his response

‘I don’t know’ Alice answered.

Then said the cat, ‘it doesn’t matter’ (Lewis Caroll)

I love this quote from Alice in Wonderland which describes the impact of lack of purpose.  If we don’t know where we are going, we can’t work out how to get there.

Our purpose is the ‘aspirations that motivate our activities’ (Ivtzan et al., 2016).  In Japanese culture finding meaning and purpose in life is called finding your ikigai – that point where the elements of what we love, what we are good at, what the world needs, and what we get paid for, converge.

However, we can consider purposefulness as having a strong vision for the future and the belief and commitment to achieving the goals we set ourself.  Having that clear sense of where we are going enables us to strive for more. Our purpose does not have to be world changing, it is having clarity on what is important in our vision for the future.

Having a clear purpose is an element of many models of wellbeing.  It is part of the PERMA model of flourishing (Seligman), a factor of psychological wellbeing (Dodge), and one of the pillars of positive resilience.

The benefits of having purpose

Research into purpose in life has found people with a clear purpose have greater resilience and psychological (mental) wellbeing. 

Those with purpose set goals and have the drive and commitment to achieve them.  They are also more likely to achieve the goals and to persevere when challenges arise, which makes sense as they are working towards something that is important to us.

If we are lacking purpose, we may be demotivated and not see the value in what we are doing because it isn’t aligned with something we have identified as important to us.

If we have a strong sense of purpose, we will feel energised and motivated, with a commitment to act, as we see value within it.  It is likely to enable us to take risks and make sacrifices to achieve our goals.

Tips for developing purposefulness

Purposefulness includes having a clear vision for the future, persevering to achieve challenges goals, and having the self-belief to strive for more.

Some people have a clear purpose, almost a mission in life, that drives their actions.  For many of us we need to reflect and think about it, working to gain greater clarity on purpose.

• Identify the values that are of fundamental importance to you. Our purpose must be congruent with our values.
• Identify the things you do willingly and with enthusiasm. Think about the outcomes of these activities.  Seek out more opportunities to achieve these outcomes.
• Set yourself meaningful goals in the different areas of your life. Ensure they are goals that are important to you and not things you think you should/could do.

This is the one of a series of blog about the seven pillars of positive resilience.  Each includes tips on developing the resource. You will notice overlaps and focusing on one can benefit other pillars with a cumulative outcome of greater positive resilience.  If you would like your personal Positive Resilience Profile to identify your current level in each of the areas get in touch.

The Positive Resilience Profile is a psychometric test developed by Peoplewise which we are accredited to provide.  It enables you to understand your current level in each pillar and get tailored guidance on developing each to enhance your positive resilience.  Contact us now to learn how to get your profile.