6 Misconceptions About Purpose

“How can I find my purpose in life?” This is a question asked by nearly every person at least once in their lives, likely more. Regardless of our age, career choice, and life stage, humans long to know why they are here. Questions around purpose are important because the answers have the potential to shape every area of our lives.

It’s not surprising then that the answers to our purpose questions also affect our engagement with work. In a study conducted by Harvard Business Review, researchers found that across industries and pay levels, “more than 9 out of 10 employees were willing to trade a percentage of their lifetime earnings for greater meaning at work.” This data reveals that working with and for a purpose truly matters for most people. It also means that the questions we ask about our purpose matter just as much.

In Senior Fellow Mark Roberts’s extensive research on purpose, he found that asking the question, “How can I find my purpose in life?” can actually hinder us from discovering it. He notes that the question itself is laden with misconceptions that block us from truly living into our purpose.

We want to help you understand those misconceptions. Below you’ll find six misconceptions about purpose, several of which are adaptations of a study from Harvard Business Review, plus alternative ways of thinking to help you develop a new narrative of what it means to live with purpose.

Misconception #1 – You will find your purpose inside of you.

The spiritual life is one of deep introspection. In fact, in our research on flourishing leaders, we found that leaders who do their inner work are more capable of navigating seasons of change and disruption. Doing your inner work matters, but we should also resist the temptation to limit our understanding of purpose as something to be discovered exclusively inside ourselves.

As followers of Jesus, we have the unique advantage of knowing our purpose is far greater than our individual life accomplishments. We are told in Scripture that we are created by God’s purpose and for God’s purpose. That means that understanding our purpose doesn’t begin inside of us, but outside. We were made to be used for God’s purposes in the world. This is an upgrade in purpose, shifting our view of purpose from an emphasis on what we do to what God does through us. Your purpose is in God and God’s purpose for all things, including you.

We are told in Scripture that we are created by God’s purpose and for God’s purpose. That means that understanding our purpose doesn’t begin inside of us, but outside. We were made to be used for God’s purposes in the world.

Misconception #2 – Purpose is something you find.

Purpose is not something hidden, though it can be a journey of unfolding discovery. Mark Roberts offers a helpful framework for understanding this. Purpose, he says, is something we receive, clarify, craft, and live. We receive it because it comes from God and God’s purpose for all of creation. We clarify our purpose by doing the work of reflecting on Scripture, listening to others, and looking at our own desires and longings. We then craft our purpose by looking at how God’s purpose will take shape in our own lives. This includes identifying particular facets of your overall purpose that could come through assessments like the Enneagram, Myers-Briggs, Clifton’s StrengthsFinder, and Working Genius.

God’s purpose, though received, is something we get to creatively craft alongside God. Finally, we then get to live our purpose by choosing to let our crafted purpose guide our actions, intentions, and objectives. This received, clarified, and crafted purpose in return points you in the right direction and can help you avoid the wrong purpose.

Misconception #3 – Your purpose remains the same throughout your life.

Far too many people assume that their purpose in life is static. It’s easy for us to think that our sense of purpose in one stage a life—even one that held deep meaning and offered a level of fulfillment—will be the same throughout life. That, however, is unlikely. It’s true that we all possess the purpose to glorify God, love God, and love our neighbors. That does remain static. But how we live out these purposes is not.

Throughout our lives, our purpose will shift and change, largely dependent on factors such as age and life stage, personal health, family, and jobs, among others. The specific form and expressions of your purpose will change throughout your life. That is good news when you consider the sudden twists and turns life often takes. The road you’re on does not dictate your purpose, it simply shapes the way you drive it.

Misconception #4 – There is one path to finding your purpose.

In his Purpose in the Third Third of Life course, Mark Roberts offers a helpful illustration to help us think about our purpose journey. If you were to hike Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park, you would discover one single path to the top. For Angel’s Landing, there is one way up the mountain and one way down. However, should you choose to go to Tanzania and hike Mt. Kilimanjaro, you would find multiple paths up the mountain. Hiking this enormous mountain offers various paths—there isn’t just one way to the top.

When it comes to discovering your purpose, there isn’t one path that will get you there. Like the hike up Mt. Kilimanjaro, there are a variety of paths to journey to the top. This is important to remember: Your experience of receiving, clarifying, crafting, and living your purpose will be distinctive from those around you.

Misconception #5 – Finding purpose is mainly for young people.

When we are young, people flood us with questions of purpose and meaning. From the time we are children, adults are asking us, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” In other words, what is your life’s purpose? As we get older, we choose college majors, advanced degrees, and career paths, all primarily in search of ways to find and live out our purpose.

While it’s true that questions around purpose are frequent in our youth, these questions persist even as we age. Living with purpose matters to people at all stages of life, but the questions we ask ourselves to discern it change. For those in the first third of life, questions around purpose might be focused on career paths you want to pursue. Those in the second third of life might be wondering how they can make a difference in life within a system that feels broken. And people in the third third of life are likely experiencing a radical shift in purpose as they step back from long-occupied roles and consider what God has next for them. Regardless of your age and stage, purpose in life is an essential element of flourishing in all of life.

Living with purpose matters to people at all stages of life, but the questions we ask ourselves to discern it change.

Misconception #6 – Finding my purpose is something I do on my own.

One of the largest, and potentially most harmful, misconceptions around purpose is that we need to find it on our own. But separating our search for purpose from the author of it and from those who know us best will only hinder us. Reflection and time with God are essential for knowing our purpose and God’s purposes. Additionally, Scripture, science, and experience tell us that discerning purpose should be done in community with others. Our research echoes this, noting that leaders who flourish don’t go it alone. A trusted community can offer a sounding board and help you see within yourself what you don’t. In other words, you should receive, clarify, craft, and live your purpose in community as well as alongside God.