In today’s rapidly changing world, the guidance we once relied on may no longer be relevant. As we face these significant changes, it’s essential to find new ways to navigate through them. Daniel Goleman, who introduced us to the concept of emotional intelligence, advocates for acting from “what really matters to us,” which he defines as purpose.
A study from the University of Wisconsin in Madison highlights the importance of purpose in personal health and resilience. People with a greater sense of purpose exhibit reduced rates of depression, better cognition, a lessened risk of cognitive impairment, and a slower rate of cognitive decline. Our personal purpose is real, and when we put action to it, we create impactful results for ourselves and others. So what is your purpose, i.e. what really matters to you?
Without purpose, reactivity becomes our default. It is characterized by patterns of behavior we constructed over time to protect our preferences and attachments. When something or someone intersects our patterns, we automatically move to reinforce them, often without realizing it. The clue that we have done this is the emotional disturbance we feel when our pattern is interrupted. It can also be the resistance we feel against an idea, a person, or a direction brought by someone else. In this state we become obstacles to what is taking place, and to ourselves, as we are likely not using our productive thinking capabilities. We also expend a great deal of energy that physically exhausts us.
Pausing when we feel resistance towards something or someone, and refocusing on our purpose gets us back on track. Deep breath in, deep breath out. Examining our thoughts and narratives provides our biology the time to adjust from a protective, hunker-down tunnel vision stance to an open-minded, curious, and information-seeking stance. This enables us to have constructive conversations and move towards collaboration. It’s a movement away from “pushing against” to “moving with” others. We are then better positioned to bring our best work forward in service of our team and the business.
Remember that our preferences and attachments were created at a point in our life when they resulted in protection and/or reward for us. Are those preferences and attachments relevant now? Do they need to be evolved or replaced? What would best serve your purpose?
By distilling and acting on our purpose, we can navigate through significant changes with resilience and create meaningful impact in our lives and the lives of others. Frederick Buechner once said, “purpose is…where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” May your deep gladness meet your team’s deep hunger. May your deep gladness meet your community’s deep hunger. May your deep gladness meet your own deep hunger.
Interested in integrating your purpose for more effective leadership?
Reach out to Hien to learn how executive coaching can help you distill and integrate your purpose into more effective leadership of your team and the business.