Why do you exist? Why do I exist? What is the purpose of our lives? Big questions, hey! Well over the last few days, without meaning it, I've drafted and re-drafted a personal core purpose. What I mean by a personal core purpose is the reason that I exist.
How did I come to 'fall' into working on my core purpose?! Well I've been feverishly writing the Culture is Everything book and part of that process involved writing about the concept of a core purpose (you know, the short sharp statement that describes why an organisation exists).
Discovering the 'why', the core reason that a business exists is the starting point for any great organisation. As I wrote about this concept and reflected on how we discovered The Physio Co's core purpose, I started thinking about my own purpose. What drives me? What inspires me to continually get out of bed, set goals and then passionately work towards achieving them? Then all of a sudden I started to feel really silly. I thought to myself why on earth do I do what I do? Why do I set these seemingly random goals without a core purpose that guides my direction and aligns me to the reason that I exist? So I got to it and started working on discovering my own core purpose.
I spent quite a while thinking, drafting and working towards why I exist. I had many drafts and thoughts, but not one that I felt really nailed it. So I decided to try something different. I started thinking about my professional life. My job as founder and CEO of The Physio Co. What drives me in that part of my life? Again, I had lots of drafts until finally I discovered something that felt right.
What I discovered was that the work I do everyday, have done for the last 8 years and what I think will drive me for years to come, has just one focus. My personal purpose at The Physio Co is: "to create a business that feels like a family and inspires me to improve myself every single day." The reason this felt right is because it has a higher purpose, a meaning greater than myself. Because, if I improve myself every day, I'll become better at my job and contribute to an even better family at The Physio Co tomorrow.
Now, this purpose is still just a draft. I know there's more work to do on it and I'd prefer to have a personal rather than a work-related purpose. But, it's a start and I promise to share any updates as my purpose becomes clearer.
Ever considered why you exist? Do you have a core purpose already? I'd love to hear your thoughts. If you have a minute, please leave a comment or question below :)