After 20 years as an employee in the banking and corporate world followed by 18 years as a self-employed marketer, author and speaker, I’ve discovered that the grass is not greener on either side. I’ve discovered that my perfect livelihood, one that would fulfill my purpose, wasn’t actually found working for someone else, or in fact, working for myself.
If I have any regrets in my work-life, it is this… I wish, before leaving the corporate world, that I’d had the foresight and wherewithal to begin exploring my why starting right where I was instead of jumping ship and hoping I’d find it in my own business. (Particularly, as at the same time, I’d also separated from my husband and moved to a new home with my 3-year-old son. Talk about throwing all the balls in the air at once!)
Gloria Steinem once said “Writing is the only thing, that when I do it, I don’t feel that I should be doing something else.” That’s how I feel when I write too. After all these years, I know that my highest purpose is to write books that truly matter. There’s nothing else I’d rather do than write (mostly). What one ‘doing word’ would you replace the word ‘writing’ with?
If I’d known 18 years ago what I know now, I could have stayed at work and still pursued a writer’s life. I could have completed a creative writing course after work hours. I could have written short articles, stories and poems. I could have learnt how to write a whole book and then how to publish it. I could have written a 50,000-word manuscript over 50 weekends.
In short, I could have become an author and remained a worker. At some point, I could have even brought my own why right into my workplace – if I’d had the mindset to create the opportunity for it.
When it comes to discovering and creating our purpose, it’s not an ‘either/or’ scenario. You don’t need to leave your job to pursue it. It’s an ‘and/and’ scenario. You can do both at once, if you have the will. And you can start right now simply by being curious and taking action by trying out that thing you’ve always wanted to do, because action always precedes clarity of purpose.
Now of course regrets are useless. If I hadn’t left the corporate world and gone on my purpose adventure, I wouldn’t have been able to share what I’ve learnt with you.
I wouldn’t have been able to write the book or produce The Purpose Project Online Course for you. This course fast-tracks in 7 steps and 7 lessons what has taken me many years to learn. It takes the best lessons from the book and helps you explore your purpose, write your own purpose statement, plan a project and pitch it to your boss.
There’s a course for individuals keen to take a DIY approach and get started now. CLICK HERE
And there’s a course for leaders who are keen to lead and coach your team through the course. CLICK HERE
I look forward to supporting you in your adventure.
With love and purpose
PS: The first 20 people to register will receive a complimentary copy of The Purpose Project book and everyone who registers before midnight 22 October will receive a special limited offer of 3 x live group coaching calls with me.
