Stop searching for purpose: how to create meaning through daily work
I’ve never liked the question: “What’s your purpose?”
It puts too much pressure on people. How could I ever live up to my ancestors? To my family? I had the privilege of attending great schools that groomed us into becoming our nation’s next leaders. Society’s expectations loom large too—how could one become the next billionaire, the next inventor, the next great thinker?
Over the years, I’ve learned that instead of chasing purpose to instead focus on meaning. Viktor Frankl, one of the authors who influenced this shift, wrote "we can discover meaning in life by creating work, experiencing relationships, and choosing our attitudes toward challenges."
Journey to meaning through work
My first job was selling kitschy Nantucket Golden Baskets in a shop on a Newport, RI wharf. I found it intensely boring, passing the time reading books between customers and panicking each time I made a sale. My boss insisted I get credit card authorization codes before customers left the store, but it felt distrustful - like I was treating them as potential criminals. The sales were so rare that between my technical fumbling and moral discomfort, each transaction was an ordeal.
My second job was as a garden laborer for a crusty former submarine captain turned master gardener. He taught me how to weed, prune roses, and operate a chipper shredder. The work was tough but satisfying - building muscle while getting fresh air - and it grounded me in a way that retail couldn't.
I truly found my stride when I became a reporter for our local weekly newspaper. Writing was the one skill I had developed through years of academic papers, and this job gave me the opportunity to use it for something real.
Through community journalism, I discovered a passion for protecting the vulnerable: children, the environment, and those facing injustice.
Fast forward 40 years—of writing for newspapers, magazines, blogs, and my own morning pages—that foundation built in school has blossomed into something far greater.
Rethinking purpose
We need to stop telling people to “find their purpose.”
This language implies that each of us has a preordained career or direction we just need to discover—and when we don't, we feel like failures.
In reality, we have multiple possible paths in life.
The pressure to find our "thing"—that magical purpose that ignites our passion—can be overwhelming, especially when combined with family expectations. Instead, I've found that passion arises from doing the same thing every day, even when it’s mundane.
The shoemaker wakes up each day to craft shoes
The cleaner wakes up each day to tend to rooms
The farmer wakes up each day to cut grass, milk cows, and mend fences
What do I wake up to do?
Writing as a source of meaning
I wake up to write. Much of my writing will never be seen, but it's what drives me forward. While writing is a skill that needs constant honing, its purpose extends beyond self-indulgent therapy. It's my creative way of dealing with life, communicating ideas, sharing lessons learned, and—hopefully—inspiring readers to take action to preserve what's good in the world.
One story crystallized this for me: investigating a mobster's corrupt real estate deal that threatened a local shipyard. Through reporting and writing, we exposed the scheme and protected this resource. It wasn't about following some grand purpose - it was about using the skills I'd developed to stand up for my community when the moment called for it.
Making meaning vs. making money
Silicon Valley venture capitalist Guy Kawasaki argues that focusing solely on making money often leads to failure. Instead, he says we should focus on making meaning. He identifies three ways to do this:
Improve the quality of life for others
Right a wrong (crime, pollution, abuse)
Prevent the end of something good
Take money out of the equation and focus on these elements—meaning will follow, and ironically money probably too.
Looking back, I can see how each of my jobs contributed to these goals. Selling golden baskets and gardening improved others’ quality of life in small but tangible ways. Journalism helped right wrongs and preserve what was good in my community.
The responsibility of privilege
I've often felt like an impostor, carrying guilt for the opportunities I've been given. But I’ve learned that privilege isn’t something to be ashamed of—it’s something to embrace and use responsibly.
As JFK and the Bible remind us: "To those whom much is given, much is expected."
This expectation isn’t about achieving greatness; it’s about creating meaning. Privilege provides opportunities to explore, take risks, and build something that helps others.
Building meaningful relationships
When you fine-tune your sense of meaning, you naturally align with your values. This alignment attracts others who share those values, leading to authentic relationships built on substance rather than superficiality. An added advantage!
Start small: create your legacy of meaning
If you’re struggling with the question, “What’s your purpose?” let it go. Start small. Whether through art, entrepreneurship, or philanthropy, take one step toward creating something uniquely yours.
When you focus on your values and live them out daily, you not only build meaning for yourself but also for those around you.
How will you use your values to create a legacy of meaning?