The Lie Behind “Finding Your Purpose”

Everyone says it.
Find your purpose. Live with purpose. Align everything you do with your mission.

But here is what most people get wrong:

Purpose is not a goal. It is not a sentence you write down. It is a path you walk.

You cannot think your way into it. You have to feel it.
Most people overcomplicate it, turning it into an intellectual puzzle:
What is my passion? What is my calling? What is my life’s work?

That is the trap.
The harder you think, the less you move.
The more you analyze, the more disconnected you become.

Purpose is not something you declare. It is something you live.

Why Most People Misunderstand Purpose

Most people confuse purpose with goals.

Make a million. Build a business. Travel the world.

But goals are finite.
You reach them. You check them off.

Purpose is infinite. It carries you beyond any single achievement.

Philosopher Søren Kierkegaard called this the aesthetic versus ethical life.

The key insight here is:
People with purpose trust their direction even when it is hard to explain.

Purpose is not about knowing exactly where you are going.
It is about feeling whether the path you are on is the right one.

My Own Struggle With Purpose

For me, defining my purpose was always difficult.

At first, I thought it was clear: build my own business, create impact, be free.

But there were moments, even after hitting a goal, where I felt off.
It did not resonate. Something inside told me:
This is not it.

That is when I realized: purpose is not something you describe perfectly.
It is not a sentence. It is not a five-step plan.

It is a feeling.
A gut-level signal telling you if you are on track or off.

Now, that is how I live.
I trust my gut.

If something pulls me away from my path, I feel it.
If something feels aligned, even if it does not make total sense yet, I follow it.

That does not mean drifting aimlessly. It means moving forward while listening carefully to yourself.

What Purpose Really Is

Purpose is not external.
It is not about validation, money, or success.

It is about doing what you were born to do.

Psychologist Viktor Frankl said:
“Those who have a ‘why’ to live, can bear with almost any ‘how.’”

Your purpose is the deep ‘why’ behind all your goals.

It is not always clear in words.
But it is clear in feeling.

That is why overthinking destroys it.

Purpose lives in the body as much as in the mind.
It shows up as energy. Resonance. Or the opposite, tension and discomfort.

Simon Sinek’s Start With Why echoes this too:
Leaders with strong purpose build faster, deeper trust, longer-lasting impact.

But again. It starts personal first.

The Purpose Loop

Here is how I keep my own purpose clear and honest:

Step 1: Move. Take action toward things that matter.
Step 2: Listen. Pay attention to how it feels in your gut, not just in your mind.
Step 3: Reflect. Where did I feel most alive this week? Where did I feel off?
Step 4: Refocus. Double down on what feels aligned. Cut what does not.

That loop repeats. Always.

Purpose is not found once.
It is refined constantly.

Why Purpose Shapes Your Business and Personal Brand

If you are building a business or a personal brand, purpose is not optional.

It is the core of everything.

People do not follow you just for what you sell.
They follow you because they feel something deeper.

As branding expert Bernadette Jiwa says in Meaningful:
“The things that resonate most deeply with people are always rooted in something that resonates deeply with you first.”

So: if you want your business to feel real make sure your own purpose is clear first.

This article is not theory for me.
It is lived experience.

There are days when my path feels foggy. But I trust that loop: move, listen, reflect, refocus.

It is how I stay honest with myself. And with you.

Your Challenge

Forget about writing a “purpose statement” today.

Do this instead:

• Sit down quietly.
• Reflect on the last seven days.
• Write down one moment where you felt most alive.
• Write down one moment where you felt most off.
• Ask yourself: which direction feels more like my true path?

Then adjust. Simplify. Move again.

Because purpose is not something you find sitting still.
It is something you create through movement and honest listening.

Not tomorrow. Today.

Trust your gut. Start walking your path now.