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Passion vs. Purpose: Which One Should Drive Your Business?

Updated: 2 days ago

Is Finding Your Purpose Overrated? Let’s Talk About It.


The word purpose gets thrown around a lot in the coaching world.


We’re told we need to “find our why,” discover our calling, and align everything we do with some grand, life-changing mission.


But is it really that simple? Or is purpose just another mystical unicorn, like the ever-elusive work-life balance?


I try not to get too hung up on finding my purpose. It’s probably closely linked to my passion, but I don’t dwell on it. I do what feels aligned and right. And thanks to journaling, it’s easy for me to make decisions that support that alignment.


For many of us, our passion is shaped by life-changing experiences. Yet, when I look at my own life, I wouldn’t say I’ve had a particularly dramatic or extraordinary journey. It’s been fairly normal.

Yes, I’ve had children. Yes, I’ve lost loved ones. Yes, I’ve navigated career changes and started my own business. But there’s been no rock-bottom moment, no big adversity to overcome. And for a long time, I felt like that meant I wasn’t allowed to claim my purpose.


The Pressure to Have a Strong Why

At the start of my freelance journey, I believed I needed a powerful story - something deeply transformative to justify my work.


But having a strong why is key to staying motivated and taking big leaps as a business owner. Yet, your purpose doesn’t have to come from struggle. It doesn’t have to be dramatic or even fully defined.


Purpose isn’t a single moment of revelation. It’s an evolution.


The Changing Landscape of Purpose

For most of human history, our purpose was defined for us—by gender, class, background, or the job we inherited. That’s not the case anymore. We have choices. We can craft a career and life that feels meaningful to us.


And yet, many women still find themselves trapped in roles of service,whether in their personal lives or careers.


I know this firsthand. I spent over a decade as a PA/EA, managing other people’s needs, inboxes, and even their breakfast orders. I thrived on being helpful, on making life easier for others. But at what cost?


I've helped other women step into their own voices, define their unique message, and shed the layers of corporate conditioning. I guide them through the messy, uncertain transition of leaving a structured career and stepping into the unknown world of entrepreneurship.


That sounds like a purpose, doesn’t it?


But truthfully, the idea of having a single, defined purpose has always felt too big, too restrictive. Maybe even a little pretentious.


Instead, I’ve come to see purpose as something that flows and evolves, just like passion.


Passion vs. Purpose: Do You Need Both?

Here’s a perspective shift:

Passion is the energy that fuels you.

Purpose is the clarity and direction that drives you.


One without the other can feel overwhelming or aimless. But together? They create something powerful.


When I work with clients, they often struggle to find, articulate, and share their story. They worry they’re not “interesting enough” or don’t have anything unique to contribute.


But the your voice is what makes your work different. The way you think, create, and serve is unique to you. And that’s what makes your work resonate with the right people.


So, do you need a crystal-clear, unwavering purpose?

No.

Do you need to love what you do and bring passion into your work?

Absolutely.


So, Is Purpose Overrated?

Maybe.

Or maybe we’ve just overcomplicated it.


Instead of searching for some big, defining moment, what if we embraced the process? What if we let our passion lead and trusted that our purpose will evolve along the way?


What do you think? Do you believe in having a single, clear purpose? Or do you see it as something fluid and ever-changing?

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