Chapter 1: Why Do We Do What We Do?
Why do you get up in the morning? What is your mission in life? Where do you see yourself in five years? In short, why do we do what we do?
These may sound like philosophical questions that, at first glance, do not seem all that important. However, in my opinion, the older we get, the more important most of us find them. The answers to these questions become the Foundation for Living Ready.
I would suggest that, whether consciously or subconsciously, we all put some amount of thought and energy into our “why.” What is our purpose? Why do we do what we do?
For many of us, there are three life phases to the question of “why” we do things. In our early years, our purpose is to use our education to get a job. In our midlife, we find time to reflect on our purpose in life. In later years, many of us begin to think about our legacy. These were the phases I went through. Reflecting on our Purpose, Mission, and Vision gives that question a clear answer and provides a compass for the decisions that follow. It’s what gives us self-confidence when life feels most challenging.
The first time I sat down and really thought about my purpose, “my why,” was in my mid-thirties. I found myself in some of the hardest jobs of my career while also going through a divorce. Coincidentally, at the same time, I was reading Franklin-Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. I remember reading Habit 2: Begin With the End in Mind, which emphasizes having a clear vision of who you want to be and what you want to achieve. As you might imagine, that idea resonated deeply with me. I had focused so much time and energy on my career, but not as much attention on the personal side of my life. In that moment, I realized I needed to rebalance my life. I spent the next few months reflecting on my Purpose and Mission. My Personal Mission Statement was just a couple of sentences long and focused on my roles, responsibilities, and the goals I had for myself. Similarly, my purpose statement was a single sentence on how I wanted to live my life.
My purpose and mission statements weren’t perfect. For what it’s worth, perfection isn’t the intent of a purpose or mission statement. The intent is simply to take a brief moment to consciously think about your “why.” It’s also important to note that my life didn’t get easier overnight. I still got divorced, and I still worked long, hard hours. However, as I reflect on this period of my life, I can honestly say that going through this exercise was a little like picking up a compass for my personal life. A compass doesn’t necessarily make your journey any shorter or easier, but it does help you feel more confident in the path you’re taking.
From time to time, after going through this exercise, I would reflect on my purpose and mission, assess whether my choices reflected them, and, when necessary, adjust.
I believe most of us think about our Purpose, Mission, and Vision, either consciously or subconsciously. However, if you’ve only thought about them subconsciously, they may not guide your life choices as directly as they would for someone who has taken time to define them consciously. Taking a little time to reflect on your Purpose, Mission, and Vision helps create a sense of Meaning and Identity in a person’s life. Without them, it’s a little like being on a trip without a compass. You can travel, but you may lack confidence in the direction you’re headed.
Let’s explore what each of these elements means for each dimension of our lives: Personal, Professional, and Leadership. The Personal dimension is internally focused on how we interact with and are perceived by ourselves, friends, and family. The Professional dimension is externally focused on how we interact with and are perceived by our colleagues. The Leadership dimension is primarily focused on how we interact with and are perceived by those we lead.
What Is a Purpose, Mission, and Vision Statement?
Our Purpose:
This is the reason we do what we do or why we exist. What is your Personal and Professional Purpose? What is your Leadership Purpose?
Our Mission:
This is our aim, ambition, calling, or what we’re committed to doing. What is your Personal and Professional Mission? What is your Leadership Mission?
Our Vision:
This is our plan for the future. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? What is your Personal and Professional Vision? What is your Leadership Vision?
I can tell you that I don’t think a person has to consciously reflect and write out their Purpose, Mission, and Vision statement to be successful. But I would also say these elements are fundamental to the human experience. These statements, like a compass, help guide us and keep us true to ourselves. They provide clarity to the question “Why do we do what we do?” When we wake up in the morning, we should feel valued; we should know that we’re adding value to our family, our workplace, and the world we live in.
Purpose provides direction, but direction alone isn’t enough. Once we know why we’re headed somewhere, we need the Knowledge, Skills, and Attributes to stay the course. That includes the knowledge to make informed decisions and the skills to turn intention into action. That’s where the RuReady Framework begins.
Join us on this journey as we explore the fundamental elements of basic, advanced, and mastery-level leadership skills, as well as thoughts and ideas to grow your own.
If you’ve enjoyed this article, please be sure to check out the rest of this series: Preface: A Field Manual for Adult Life, Chapter 1: Why Do We Do What We Do?, Chapter 2: An Exploration of the RuReady Framework, Chapter 3: Life Skills for the Personal Domain, Chapter 4: Career Skills for the Professional Domain, and Chapter 5: Leadership Skills for Every Level.
Before moving on, feel free to use the checklist below to assess your Purpose, Mission, and Vision readiness.
Please feel free to share your own experiences and lessons learned in the comment box below. Your shared thoughts may help someone else going through a similar experience. Thank you.
Readiness Review Checklist
Each item below is worth either one or two points. Score yourself honestly; give yourself a point only if you can answer yes with confidence, not just in theory.
2.0 _____: Have you consciously reflected on and drafted a Personal, Professional, and Leadership Purpose Statement? Our Purpose is the reason we do what we do or why we exist; without defining it, we risk feeling lost and questioning why we’re doing what we’re doing.
1.0 _____: Have you consciously reflected on and drafted a Personal, Professional, and Leadership Mission Statement? Our Mission is our aim, ambition, or calling; without defining it, we risk feeling lost and questioning why we’re doing what we’re doing.
1.0 _____: Have you consciously reflected and drafted a Personal, Professional, and Leadership Vision Statement? Our Vision is our plan for the future; without defining it, we risk feeling lost and questioning our purpose.
_____: Assessment Grade
4 = A · 3 = B · 2 = C · 1 or 0 = D
Wherever you land, this is your starting point, not your ceiling.
“Begin with the end in mind.” Stephen Covey.
Stay Ready, My Friends.
Useful Resources:
RuReady Resources:
1. Chapter 1 Companion Worksheet. If you’d like help holding onto that compass, I’ve built a companion worksheet that walks you through each of these reflections, plus the Readiness Review Checklist above, all in one place you can save and revisit. You can pick it up in the store here.
2. Tools and Resources. Explore the full library of RuReady tools and put what you’ve read into action.
Amazon Books:
1. Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor E. Frankl. Suggests that even in the worst imaginable suffering, humans can endure by finding a deeper purpose for their lives. Frankl illustrates this through his Holocaust experience and introduces logotherapy, the idea that meaning, not pleasure or power, is our primary drive.
2. Start With Why, by Simon Sinek. Teaches that the most successful leaders and organizations inspire action and loyalty by clearly defining and communicating their core purpose, or “why,” which guides every decision and motivates others.
3. What to Make of a Life: Cliffs, Fog, Fire, and the Self-Knowledge Imperative, by Jim Collins. This is a deeply insightful and researched exploration into how people navigate life, find their purpose, and live a meaningful life.
4. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey, Jim Collins, and Sean Covey. This has long been one of my favorite books. I have used many of the lessons taught in this book throughout my career.
References:
• Viktor Frankl was an Austrian psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor who developed logotherapy, a psychotherapy and philosophy centered on the belief that the search for meaning is the primary motivational force in human life, and that even in the face of suffering, individuals can find purpose and endure
• Patrick L. Hill and Nicholas A. Turiano’s 2014 Psychological Science study found that having a sense of purpose in life was strongly associated with lower mortality risk across adulthood, indicating purposeful individuals lived longer than non-purposeful counterparts, and these benefits were consistent across age groups, retirement status, and time lived during follow-up.
• Edwin Locke and Gary Latham spent decades researching and refining goal-setting theory, which holds that specific, challenging goals, paired with adequate feedback, consistently produce better performance than vague or easy targets. Their work, spanning over 1,000 studies, identified five core principles and four mechanisms through which goals influence performance, making it one of the most cited and empirically supported theories in organizational psychology
• Edward Deci and Richard Ryan’s Self-Determination Theory suggests people are most motivated and psychologically healthy when their autonomy, competence, and relatedness are supported, leading to intrinsic motivation, the kind that comes from within and is sustained by personal commitment rather than external rewards or pressures.
Disclaimer: The information provided on this website is informational only and does not constitute professional advice or recommendation. This reflects my own experience, research, and opinions, and may not apply to your situation. There are a lot of things in life that, with a can-do attitude and a little elbow grease, we can Do It Yourself (DIY); however, there are some things that are better left to the professionals. When in doubt, please consult a professional; that’s part of being ready, too.