Do you believe there’s more to life? Maybe you’re stuck in a rut and need a change. Maybe you have an idea that you can no longer ignore.
When you wonder if there’s more to life, it prompts other questions like “Why am I here?” and “What is my purpose?” These are great questions. The fact that you’re asking yourself these questions means you want your life to have meaning and purpose.
If you want to live a more fulfilled life, then the question you really need to ask yourself is:
Am I doing my life’s work?
This is a simple “yes/no” question. If the answer is “yes,” good for you! Keep going and never stop!
If the answer is “no,” then you have some thinking to do. Start by thinking about what you want to build. And how can you spend time each day building it?
Before I started Margin of Excellence, I felt I wasn’t building anything of substantial value. Something was missing. I had talent, but wasn’t sure how to use it for the greater good.
Things changed when I started building. My time began to amount to something. My thoughts became words, which became blog posts, which became a coaching course, which has become my platform to make a difference. And there’s no saying how far I can take it – as long as I continue building every day.
It’s taken a lot of time to build my platform – about an hour a day for the past two years. The road hasn’t been easy. There were days I wanted to quit and abandon the entire project. But I kept going. I kept building. And as the days went by, the building became easier.
You might shy away from your “life’s work” because the pay and hours aren’t great, especially at first. And you’re absolutely right – the pay isn’t good (at first). I could’ve traded the hours I spent on my project making minimum wage at Burger King. I would have made more money at Burger King.
But what would I have built?
Or, you might be afraid others will laugh at you if you pursue a different path. I was scared out of my mind when I published my first blog post. I was even more scared when I launched my coaching program. What if I failed?
Deep down inside you know what your life’s work should be. You know what it looks and feels like. You just haven’t pursued it yet because it’s scary. It requires you to make a decision that might disappoint someone or cause uncertainty.
But the few, brave souls (like you) who will take action and do their life’s work realize there IS more to life. There’s a lot more. More than you can ever imagine.
Thoughts?
I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below.
-Scott
Scott Mackes is a leader and founder of the blog Margin of Excellence. A U.S. Navy veteran and graduate of the United States Naval Academy, Scott’s mission is to help others lead remarkable journeys. Connect with Scott on facebook and twitter.
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Scott,
I am sure I stated this before, but I honestly feel that our paths crossing is no mistake. This blog post is not just speaking about you, but it is also speaking to those that are willing to be honest with themselves and break out of the everyday of just getting by, earning a pay check.
When I met you I was that person you talk about in this post, I had been searching and trying to be that person that has meaning. It is through this post that I was given that hope that I cannot be afraid to be who I was created to be. So here is something for you to reflect on if you did not step out, if you did not start this blog, I would still be searcing and not have a piece of a puzzle. With your blog you have started a chain reaction, I know now that I want to give back to others like you are giving help and providing direction, if we all did this there would be less lost, empty people.
Thank you for listening to that desire to find purpose.
Thanks Shelley! It’s been a pleasure working with you. Remember to think big!
Great post that really resonates well with me and the work I’ve been putting in over the past year with developing content on the waveborn wiki (http://wiki.waveborn.com/resources). It also aligns perfectly with the core themes of my first book, Becoming So Good They Can’t Ignore You, which I just published this week! 5+ months later, I’m ecstatic to be done with the project, and I truly appreciate all your support during the process. You can download the free PDF version here:
http://www.tinyurl.com/becomingsogood
Thanks Mike! I look forward to checking out your new book.
Scott, you hit the nail on the head here. I try not to think too deep, like “Am I doing my life’s work?” That generally hurts my head. To push those thoughts away, I just get busy…doing anything. Problem is, doing just anything gets me nowhere.
I’ve realized that the “do anything” approach is just a way of avoiding taking action and making real decisions. Your post here is a whole lot of motivation for people (me included) to get moving and taking action. Fear of failure is no longer an excuse. Thanks and keep it up.
Hi Brian! Sorry, didn’t mean to give you a headache
Someone asked me that question last week. It made me think about my different pursuits and how effective I am at each of them. I’m most effective at the ones I consider to be my life’s projects. The others just support my bigger goals.
There have been multiple times in my life where I have been forced to ask myself “what is my purpose and what do I want to do”. Funny thing is that one of the questions I always ask when interviewing candidates is: “What do you want to be when you grow-up?” and now I am having to ask that question to myself.
Your timing with this article could not be more timely for me…thanks!
Thanks Kevin, glad you enjoyed it. Have a great week.
Scott, great post! I’m exactly where I want to be career-wise, but I know I’m getting closer to an expiration date with the military so finding the next thing is incredibly valuable to me. My own blogging experiment is one of those feelers. Even with the reasonable success that has been, my desire to build something substantial, perhaps even something more physical than a blog, has not yet been realized. I’m happy in the here and now, but I’m also straining a bit at the gate waiting to do the next thing!
Hi Mike, thanks for stopping by. I think a blog is a great place to start when starting a new adventure. At the very least, it will help you organize your thoughts and connect with some cool people.