It’s that time of year - new beginnings, new resolutions, new plans. Our minds are racing with personal goals, business goals, vacation plans, etc. The excitement of all there is to do!
Yet we have limited time in the next 12 months; approximately 365 days, of which 1/3 of that time requires sleep (to feel our best). So, we really only have 243 days or 5,832 hours of awake time. How will you spend your limited awake time? Will you be intentional about it? If we don’t approach our time intentionally, it ticks by, second by second, and before you know it, another year passes inconspicuously like sand in an hourglass. We often take time for granted, (“I’ll get to that next year,” or “I’ll tell her how I feel next time I see her/him,”) because we falsely think we have unlimited time. Sometimes we even falsely think that time has control over us. “My days are out of control. I don’t know where the time has gone?” Sound familiar?
However, when we have clarity on what our ‘purpose’ is, we can be intentional about how we choose to spend our time. Purpose is our North Star. It gives our lives direction and meaning. Without it, we are like a ship on an ocean without a clear destination; a vessel without a captain. Without knowing our purpose, our wellbeing suffers. Various research has pointed to purpose as a key driver of engagement.[1] Because of this, forward thinking organizations have spent significant time, organizational effort, and even consulting dollars trying to define their organizational purpose and making it relevant at the individual, employee level. The research shows that without purpose, employees are disengaged, contributing far less than their true potential, and negatively impacting an organization’s bottom line.
In “Find Your Why, A Practical Guide for Discovering Purpose for You and Your Team,” best-selling author, podcast host, & TED Talk speaker, Simon Sinek, explains that each one of us only has one purpose or “why” and that “it’s not a statement about who we aspire to be; it expresses who we are when we are at our natural best (p.30).” If you are searching for your purpose, some questions to contemplate: 1) What actions do you perform that make you feel best about yourself? 2) When do you feel energized and excited? 3) When do you feel most fulfilled?
It’s no surprise then how important purpose is to our overall wellbeing. Why are we here? Why do I matter? What gives me the energy to get out of bed each day? These are all important questions that we can only answer individually, with no right or wrong answer. However, without it, we feel discontent. And with it, we can be intentional with all that we do, ensuring our decisions are aligned with our values and purpose. With it, we can jump out of bed each day, knowing why we do what we do and feeling energized by it.
How will you spend your 5,832 hours of awake time in 2023?
[1] https://www.kornferry.com/insights/featured-topics/employee-experience/5-drivers-of-employee-engagement-that-work & https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/deloitte-review/issue-16/employee-engagement-strategies.html
