PURPOSEFUL HUSTLE BLOG

One of the most common obstacles people mention to me when wanting to do impactful work is finances.

It seems like there’s never enough money to make the changes in your life that will help you live within your purpose or create the impact that you want to see.

This is where the hustle part of Purposeful Hustle kicks in.

With little or no money, I have seen people create countless impactful solutions.

In fact, I soon realized in my philanthropic work that the organizations with the biggest impact are often the ones who are underfunded. Why? Because those organizations prioritize impact over fundraising and are too busy doing the work to raise the money.

You CAN make a huge impact with a small cash flow.

Living in your purpose will require some risk-taking. Doing big things, and making big changes, requires big risk.

When people have big dreams - the ones that will help them fulfill their life’s purpose - but are unwilling to take any risk, there is a disconnect.

It’s true, the challenges we have in front of us definitely require money, but it is not the lack of money that is preventing change from happening.

The best question is not, “How do we get more money?” The better question is, “How can we use what we already have more effectively?”

Here are a few tips for how to make change affordably:

• Think non-traditionally about how to get things done. Be scrappy! Get creative! Purposeful Hustlers think outside of the box. Using what you have access to, how could you do something that would have a positive impact on your area of interest?

• Ask for help. Don’t be too proud to look for support and resources around you. When people understand what you are doing and why, they will try to find a way to help you. It’s how we’re built!

• Know that sweat equity is a valuable resource. The willingness to put in the hard work and the hustle is something that will propel your vision much farther and more effectively than money alone could. When you are willing to grind, you’d be amazed by what can be accomplished with little funding.

• Revisit your budget. If money is your hangup, make a budget that shows what you would need to make a purposeful move. Remember this should be the very bare-bones of what you would need. A lot of times when you write it out, you’ll see that making changes to better align your life with your purpose may be more within reach than you initially thought.

• Calendar with purpose. Look at your current calendar. Acting in your purpose does not always require huge life changes. It’s so possible to keep your career, make sure you and your family are secure and stable, AND work toward your purpose in a way that can have a positive impact. (See How to Hustle With Purpose When You're Already Committed 24 Hours a Day.) It just takes some intentionality. Where can you regularly allocate time to do purpose-related work? Can you restructure some of your days or weeks to make this a priority? Slight changes in attention and time can make a huge difference without costing you a penny.

• Make moves. Even small ones. Do one thing every day that will help you stay aligned - or get realigned - with your purpose. Think of five ways you can make an impact in your particular area of interest that does NOT involve money. Write them down. Think of bite-sized tasks that will move you in the direction of your purpose. Set aside 15 minutes a day and commit to accomplishing one purpose-related thing every day for 30 days. You will be blown away by what happens.

No one said it was easy to be a Purposeful Hustler, but that doesn’t mean it’s not totally possible. I can’t wait to see the positive impact that comes from your hustle!

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in October 2018 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.