PURPOSEFUL HUSTLE BLOG

It was 5:30 in the morning and my full-to-the-brim teal minivan made its first stop at my grandmother’s home. Big Mama, as she was affectionately called, was sitting on her front porch with people from up and down the block. The kids I had played with my entire life came to see me off as I embarked on a new adventure; one that was not afforded to most people in my community.

Does it matter the speed we’re going if we don’t know where the final destination is? Socrates famously said, “The unexamined life is not worth living” and this has proven to be true in a fast-paced world filled with distractions and detours. How then do you align your thoughts and decisions to a life of purpose? The answer is self-reflection.

These days, we hear the word “self-care” tossed around a lot. It’s used in so many different ways and has become a buzzword to sell products ranging from face masks to yoga classes. It’s used so much that it can almost feel like another form of stress. We might get caught thinking, “I have so much going on already, and now I need to worry about self-care too!” But whether we like it or not, taking good care of ourselves is essential. We need to be a friend to ourselves. Especially as Purposeful Hustlers, in order to live into our purpose, we need to be able to be the best versions of ourselves. We need to know what we need to stay healthy, mentally, physically, and emotionally. Our wellbeing is SO IMPORTANT.

If you’re at a point where you’re feeling like your career isn’t aligning with who you want to be in the world, it may be time to revisit your sense of purpose. This is something I need to do regularly to make sure I’m showing up as the best version of myself and making values-driven decisions, and it is the central theme of my book Purposeful Hustle.

This month I am talking about transitions. A lot of people have been reaching out to me to discuss the idea of transitioning into a new career. With people having some time to reflect, they are contemplating going into a totally new line of work and they are realizing they want to do things differently. They’re in this place where they’re starting to wonder what it looks like to transition into new work. I thought it would be a great idea to share some ideas for transitioning into new work in a way that is purposeful. And THAT is why so many people are calling me: they know they don’t want to do just anything and nobody should be doing just anything. You want to be doing things that are going to feed your soul, the things that are really going to feed who you are as an individual and leave a positive impact in the world.

It is totally possible for you to have the impact you hope to have in the world while maintaining your career ambitions. The two are not mutually exclusive. You can contribute to positive social change AND be successful professionally. In fact, being able to marry the two is the key to maximizing your Purposeful Hustle. Investing in and developing yourself to be the best you can be means that your contributions to the greater good have the capacity to be that much better.

You’re ready to start living in your purpose. You’ve identified your personal purpose statement using these Simple Steps to Make Career Decisions That Better Align With Your Values, or maybe you already felt clear and confident in what your purpose is. You’ve checked your fears and your doubts at the door. Maybe you’ve read 5 Questions to Ask if You Want to Take Action But Think There is Nothing You Can Do. Either way, you’re talking the talk of a Purposeful Hustler. Now it’s time to walk the walk. Here’s where to start:

Making a change in this world requires really hard work. It requires long hours, strategic scheduling and pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone regularly. It requires taking chances that may feel ridiculous. But more than anything, no matter how hard you hustle, to truly have a positive impact in the way that only YOU can, you need PURPOSE.

I like to think of those who make a social impact in the world as Purposeful Hustlers. They are people who know WHY they do something (their purpose), and HOW to get it done (their hustle). Their Purposeful Hustle is a propelling force that drives them to keep going, to explore all angles of a problem, and to not give up. It shapes the way they choose to move in the world and their ability to actualize their dreams. Purposeful Hustlers see the world for what it could be. They learn how to push things out of their heads and into reality. Maybe most importantly, Purposeful Hustlers learn how to do things without waiting for permission.

Maybe you’re fed up. Maybe you’re inspired. Maybe you’re furious. Whatever it is, there is an issue that you want to take action about or something that you want to change, but it feels too big. It’s too overwhelming. There’s nothing that YOU can do about it, right? Wrong! A Purposeful Hustler overcomes these barriers and doubts to live within their purpose. These are my tips for how to do so and questions to ask yourself when you’re feeling inadequate to make the change you want to see.