Unlock The Power Of Your Purpose
Some big philosophical questions will come up at some point, if they have not already. For example, ‘Who am I?’, ‘What am I meant to do here?’, and ‘What am I trying to achieve with my life?’
I have always been intrigued by the concept of purpose. We go about our daily tasks, but when asked why, most of us are stumped.
At this point, we may think about things of meaning or significance to us. For example, an athlete may find meaning in playing a leadership role in their team. Or a sports coach may love helping an athlete achieve their goal.
But This Is Only The Tip Of The Iceberg
Richard Leider, an international bestselling author and coach, describes purpose like this.
“The deepest dimension within us- our central core or essence– where we have a profound sense of who we are, where we came from and where we’re going. Purpose is the quality we choose to shape our lives around. Purpose is a source of energy and direction.”
Our purpose is the reason we do something or why something exists. It is having a clear direction or goal that drives our choices and actions. The Japanese call it ikigai, – a person’s reason for being.
A real sense of purpose is one of the most fundamental human needs. It is vital in shaping our lives and bringing us satisfaction. It is the subjective perception that one’s daily life is worth living and full of energy and motivation. There are three core components of purpose:
- Goal orientation
- Personal meaningfulness
- A focus on aims beyond the self
Purpose Is Unique
There isn’t one definite area that needs to be fulfilled to live a more meaningful life. People derive purpose from various activities. For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger continued to pursue his plans to become a great bodybuilder despite reservations from his parents and others.
For the Okinawan community, a sense of purpose involves working in their garden to bring vegetables home, working a stall in the morning market, or giving social support to the elderly.
Viktor Frankl, an Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, explored the idea that purpose is essential for human well-being and resilience. Even when faced with extreme suffering and adversity. He suggested that having a purpose gives people a reason to keep moving forward, providing a sense of direction, motivation, and fulfilment.
Purpose is unique and arises from one’s values, passions, and sense of responsibility.
Why Purpose Matters
Research has shown that having a sense of purpose is connected to experiencing less conflict when making decisions and can help overcome stress, anxiety, or depression. It is also shown to increase health and decrease mortality rates. In the Netflix documentary Live to 100, having a sense of purpose is believed to be one of the most influential factors contributing to individuals’ longevity.
Companies driven by purpose are also shown to have better growth, increased employee productivity, and higher success rates. A sense of purpose in life has ripple effects on most areas of life.
Benefits of Purpose for Sports Performance
Greater goal engagement: Setting goals that motivate you to work hard towards achieving them helps to provide a sense of purpose. This old but still helpful article by the Founder of Condor Performance, Gareth J. Mole, delves into this topic in more detail.
Higher emotional resilience: You will inevitably encounter challenges and tough moments during your sporting career. This makes it even more important to return from these testing times more robust than before. Having a clear sense of purpose helps us remember our reasons for doing what we are doing and continue working towards becoming the athlete and person we want to be, even after disappointing performances.
Higher levels of internal motivation and passion: Having a strong sense of purpose can help maintain a high level of internal motivation that draws on the core reasons you became involved in your sport and your inner desire and enjoyment when feeling that sense of achievement. It may help to reinvigorate your passion for participating in your chosen sport and spark new areas for achievement. It has been suggested that when athletes can play sports and live their lives with a sense of purpose, they feel connected to something bigger than themselves.
Why Don’t I Know My Purpose?
Knowing about purpose and its benefits doesn’t automatically result in knowing yours, and often, people will struggle to define their purpose in life. This is because we are usually distracted from our goals or pressured to follow a path away from our core passions.
It is estimated that only 20% of adolescents report having a sense of purpose. And that 59% of American adults felt they had found a purpose and meaning in their lives. This suggests that developing a sense of purpose is complex and may take a long time. Our sense of purpose needs to be discovered, and it is only by working on purpose and consistently asking ourselves, ‘Why do I get up in the morning?’ that we inch closer to finding the answer to this question. We must commit to discovering our sense of purpose, as without purpose, we will find ourselves lost and far away from our true fulfilment in life and work.
It goes without saying that there will never be a substitute for working one-on-one with qualified sports and performance psychologists (like the growing team at Condor Performance*). However, I have compiled some quick tips below that may at least help you get started.
5 Tips To Help You Find Your Purpose
- Explore what is personally meaningful to you about sports.
- Set personal goals that align with this meaning.
- Explore what is beyond self-motivation. For example, I want to improve the life of my family or be a positive role model for children.
- Share your thoughts with others in your inner circle (e.g., family, friends, coaches).
- Live your purpose by exploring how you can bring it to life.
* For more info on our services, fill out our Contact Us form here.
This article highlights that discovering one’s purpose is both a personal journey and essential for fulfillment. I found the link between purpose and resilience particularly impactful, especially Viktor Frankl’s assertion that having a purpose helps individuals endure adversity. Additionally, the application of purpose to sports performance made me reflect on how meaningful engagement boosts motivation and passion for anyone striving for excellence, not just athletes. The idea that purpose transcends self-interest and connects to broader goals, like inspiring others and contributing to the community, offers a refreshing perspective on our pursuits.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts Emma! It’s great to hear that the article’s connection between purpose and resilience resonated with you. Indeed, Viktor Frankl highlights how individuals having a strong sense of purpose can help guide them through challenging circumstances. I found your reflection on the way meaningful engagement helps boost motivation and passion to be really insightful, since in my applied work with a variety of individuals (athletes, coaches, parents, and performance staff), I have seen the impact of this for both personal and professional growth.
The blog mentions that ‘developing a sense of purpose is complex and may take a long time…….’. The idea of purpose often isn’t introduced to us formally until later in life, if at all. By the time many of us encounter this concept, it’s framed as something to “discover” or “find,” almost as though it were a distant goal rather than an evolving, integral part of our lives. If parents, teachers, and leaders were to actively encourage young people—pre-teens especially—to identify and pursue what excites them, it could profoundly shape their sense of self and their outlook on life. Asking questions like, “What excites you about the day ahead?” or “What activities make you feel alive and fulfilled?” might help children start noticing what brings them joy or meaning. This approach could foster not only a sense of purpose but also confidence, curiosity, and resilience from a much younger age. By highlighting these small moments of joy and encouraging them, adults can plant the seeds of purpose early. Over time, these experiences can evolve into something deeper and more intentional. If this were part of our upbringing, I believe we could indeed be a much happier and more fulfilled population. When purpose is nurtured from a young age, it becomes a guiding principle rather than a puzzle to solve later in life. What’s more, it might help us navigate challenges with greater clarity and optimism, knowing that our lives are anchored by things that matter deeply to us.
Thanks for this great comment Rebecca! Indeed, I have to agree with your thoughts about introducing the idea of purpose from a young age. If children are encouraged to discover what excites them, it may lead to purpose naturally evolving, as opposed to feeling like an end-goal to be achieved (a lifelong journey, rather than a destination). I really like your suggestion of parents or teachers asking simple questions such as “What excites you about the day ahead?” or “What activities make you feel alive and fulfilled?” as this could be vital in building self-awareness and confidence from early on, leading to increased self-discovery over the years.
This article beautifully highlights the profound impact of having a clear sense of purpose on athletic performance and I agree that strong sense of purpose is vital but it’s equally important for athletes to develop the capacity to reframe their purpose when circumstances change. For example, if an athlete sustains an injury, they may feel disconnected from their primary purpose, such as achieving peak performance or competing. This can lead to frustration, fixation, and even depression. However, by shifting their perspective, they can discover a new purpose—such as supporting their teammates, mentoring younger athletes, or contributing to the team’s strategy in a different role. This adaptive mindset not only helps maintain a sense of contribution and fulfillment but also fosters resilience. Ultimately, purpose should act as a guiding star rather than a fixed destination. Encouraging athletes to see their purpose as dynamic and multifaceted ensures they remain mentally agile and open to growth, even in the face of challenges. This adaptability not only enhances individual well-being but also contributes to a stronger, more unified team environment.
Thank you Malwina for this insightful comment! The idea of being able to reframe one’s purpose is incredibly valuable, especially in the world of sport, where challenges (e.g., injuries) are inevitable. The phase of “purpose acting as a guiding star rather than a fixed destination” is an interesting analogy and I think it will be helpful to use when athletes are trying to manage unexpected setbacks, as they’ll be able to maintain a sense of meaning and connection, fostering long-term growth and resilience.
The text touches on very fundamental human questions about existence and essence, or essence and existence. I like the idea of finding purpose beyond just winning or avoiding failure. It reminds me of one of the most important learnings from my past as a professional athlete about failure being a figment of imagination – that the only real failure is stopping and not learning from setbacks. The article talks about purpose as something that keeps us moving forward, and I think this mindset ties in perfectly.
If we play with fear, we’re stuck. If we play only to win, we’re trapped by the possibility of losing. But if we find that center ground, where we’re just fully engaged in the process, failure doesn’t really exist – it’s just part of learning. How do you think athletes can train themselves to embrace failure as part of their purpose-driven journey rather than something to avoid?
Thank you for this great comment Marius! Your perspective of the connection between purpose and mindset is really insightful, especially the importance of learning from failure to aid growth and development. I think there are numerous ways for athletes to train themselves to embrace failure as part of their purpose-driven journey, however something I try to help athletes focus on is fostering a process-oriented mindset as opposed to just focusing on outcomes. This helps them to focus on what they can control (e.g., effort, motivation, progress), rather than focusing on a particular result or winning/losing. Additionally, by reframing setbacks as learning opportunities, as opposed to failure, helps athletes to focus on growth and embrace their journey of development, rather than fixating on the fear of failure.