How to Know If You're Working (and Living) With Purpose

Who doesn't want a deeper sense of purpose?Ask these four questions to discover your path to more meaningful work.

"If you deliberately plan on beingless than you are capable of being, then I warn you that you'll be unhappy forthe rest of your life." --Abraham Maslow

Living with purpose is one of the mostself-actualized activities we can participate in. Unfortunately, it eludes manyof us. I get asked many questions about happiness and the meaningful life--butby far the most frequent one is, "How do I know my purpose?"

To better understand if you're living alife with purpose, begin by asking these four questions:

Is the work I'm doing exciting and/orsatisfying?

Regardless of your neurological wiring,when you're living with purpose you should be feeling one of these twoways--excitement or satisfaction--most of the time. Your moments ofexhilaration, curiosity, and contentment should far outnumber your moments ofboredom, frustration, or despair.

Feeling excitement and/or contentment ishow you know when your body and mind are in harmony. Some refer to it as beingin flow--or a psychological state of immersion, focus, and energy where youconcentrate fully on the task at hand. Developers feel it as they code; artistsfeel it as they paint; ideators feel it as they brainstorm; speakers feel it asthey orate.

When you're living with purpose, you feelit, too--either excitement, contentment or both. To better understand if you'reliving with purpose, don't ask what you do most of the time, ask yourself howyou feel most of the time.

What keeps showing up in my life?

Life has a way of showing us ourpurpose--if we'll only listen. These indicators show up in certain ways: Whatdo others consistently seek you out for? What kinds of activities get assignedto you? What do you keep volunteering for?

Examine those activities and find thecommon thread. Most of us have a few activities that we truly love doing.

I believe that we each have a purpose thatspirals around a certain style of interacting with the world: Doing, Leading,Loving, or Learning. Although I label them working styles, these styles reallyrepresent four simple ways that we can understand our purpose.

For those who know me, this is no secret--I'ma Lover. I feel most purposeful when I'm helping someone discover new insightsabout him or herself and then use these insights to wake up to the urgency oftheir lives. I enjoy helping them become happier and more connected, and getmore clarity about why they're on the earth.

Am I using my gifts in service to others?

Chris Sacca, accomplished investor andadvisor, gives a great interview where he contends that you must "createvalue before you ask for value back." He goes on to say that the only wayto expand your network in the start-up community (either as a no-name founderor a deal-seeking investor) is to be helpful to others first with little regardfor what you'll get out of them.

I suggest that it is only in the process ofgiving to others that we can really live with purpose. Service to others is thebedrock of success, but it may very well be the foundation of a meaningfullife, too.

Adam Grant, Wharton professor and author ofGive and Take, makes a case that giving to others is THE strategy for gettingahead in business.

I make the case that giving to others getsyou ahead in life. Research supports the idea that giving to others makes youhappier, is good for your health, promotes social connectedness, and evokeskindness and gratitude in others.

Is the work I'm doing elevating others insome way?

You cannot be living on purpose whilesimultaneously bringing other people down or exploiting them for your owngains. That's inconsistent with the nature of human creativity and development.Humans are wired to survive, but we are also wired to connect.

There's mounting research to support theidea that we grow in adaptive ways because of our ability to collaborate, play,compromise, and even love. Outdated business philosophies will tell you thatonly competitive victors win, but more and more data show us that this is justnot true.

Your purpose is intricately tied to theelevation of others around you. If you are promoting others and acknowledgingtheir contributions, then you are more than likely living within your purpose.