Leadership Memo 2022-6
“When do you plan to retire?”
Have you thought about this question before? Have you asked anyone this question?
After 2+ years of the pandemic, a lot of us are suffering from burnouts and are ready to quit work. However, if you were to ask someone in Japan when they will retire, they would look at you with a befuddled face. Because in Japan, there is no word for retirement in their dictionary. If you asked them for their Ikagai, they would smile and tell you why they wake up in the morning. Ikigai is their purpose. It’s a reason to wake up. It’s what helps them and many other communities in the world live lives well past 100 years of age. It is also what many people are desperately seeking since the pandemic.
Many of us know what we do and how we do it, but we rarely know our WHY. Simon Sinek gave a TEDx Talk in 2010 called “Knowing your Why”. Martin Luther King Jr. didn’t move the masses by telling everyone that he was a pastor or his process for writing speeches. He moved mountains because he had a dream, he had a vision. Most of all, he knew his WHY!
I am asked time and time again whether purpose really matters or is it just the fluffy stuff. To be honest, purpose is meaningless when it’s not authentic. We need to remember that our purpose is why we get up in the morning. It’s our motivation. It matters because our purpose drives how we make our decisions. Let’s apply this to our work. Without our WHY, we go to work to make money. Knowing our WHY, we not only try to make money, we also want to make an impact. If we have a business, our purpose is also why our business exists. Without the WHY, we’re just another basic business trying to make a profit. Businesses with purpose do more than make a profit, they make an impact.
Let me ask you some questions:
- Are your decisions purpose-driven?
- Do you know your social and cultural impact?
- Do you align with the purpose of your product?
When we truly believe in what we’re doing and the impact that we’re having, we are motivated and engaged. Quitting would be the farthest thing in our minds. So, know your purpose. And remember – purpose is only meaningful if it’s authentic.
Do you know your purpose? If so, how do you get to know your WHY? Or is it a challenge to get to know your purpose? Tell me by typing in the comment below. I’d love to hear from you. Or if you’d like, I can help you figure out your WHY. Contact me for a complimentary discovery call..
