Your Purpose May Not Always Align with Your Paycheck, But You Can Still Make A Powerful Impact

I get to chat with a lot of people and help them identify or reestablish their unique purpose. I love pointing out the gifts, talents, and abilities that they possess that allow them to experience fulfillment. I reflect on my purpose a lot as well and consider how to walk it out in different seasons.

Can we just set our hearts on an important truth for a moment? And that is, even successful individuals who seem like they have it all together sometimes face the same existential question - what’s my purpose?

The answer to that question is unique for every person, but a while back, while journaling about own journey and desire to make an impact, I uncovered a powerful truth. I realized that purpose and paychecks are not always synonymous. The reality is that your purpose may not always align with your paycheck, but you can still make a powerful impact.

In the role I resigned from last year, I spent a lot of time being frustrated because I didn’t have a title that matched my job. I thought the title might offer me leverage with individuals whose buy-in was necessary for me to do my best work or that if they adequately defined the work I did, they’d eventually raise my pay to reflect the level of work I was doing. I wasn’t wrong, but even after I was promoted, I often felt like I was viewed as “less than” (and hey, sometimes I was). Work I loved became so frustrating that I allowed myself to lose sight of an important truth.

I did meaningful work for people who benefitted from my help, but I left the work I (mostly) enjoyed feeling frustrated and unappreciated rather than satisfied with the frameworks I built that led to a smoother student experience. I didn’t leave because the job was so hard or the environment was so awful. I ultimately left because my managers were poor leaders. I had no control over that, but one big issue that I could have addressed was my perspective. If you take a look at LinkedIn, you’ll see that people are leaving traditional workspaces in droves in hopes of finding more flexibility, trust, appreciation, etc. I’m pleased with the choice I made to do the same.

Looking back, I can see that I was ready to move on, but I must also acknowledge that I was so focused on my title/position that the work I enjoyed became frustrating. I waited until I felt it was time to walk away from that role, but I would have saved myself from many days of anxiety and stress if I had focused solely on making an impact rather than the title of my position.

I’m pursuing a doctorate now, but I know many people with advanced degrees who still struggle with feeling like their titles don’t represent their work. People resign for all kinds of reasons, but the problem I recognized was that if I didn’t change my perspective on titles, wouldn’t I feel the same way next time I had a boss who wasn’t a solid leader? And further, if we depend on leaders who are stressed to value and affirm our work while they’re clearly struggling to make it through themselves, won’t we always be disappointed?

It’s humbling to recognize my faults and to acknowledge where I went wrong, but it’s crucial to do it if I want my future to look different. I’ve been hung up on titles for a long time, and as a result, I added stress for myself in what was already a toxic environment. I also missed out on moments of appreciation, happiness, and fulfillment. Now the paradigm has shifted. I’ve done uncomfortable heart work like that before, and it’s time to do it again.

For example, when I went back to school as a 30-year-old, I had to shift my thinking. I had something to prove, though I’m still not sure exactly what that was. I was insecure and totally uncertain about my future, but I knew I wanted a degree. I earned one and another, and now education is a big part of my life.

I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, with a double major in Public Relations and Health and Wellness and a minor in Marketing. A year before graduation, I started working in higher education, and weeks after I graduated, I started a 45-credit graduate program and earned a Master of Public Health in Health Education and Communication.

As I juggled working full-time and attending classes on a different campus across town, I felt motivated by my desire for more education, which I hoped would lead to promotion and more success. That isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It’s amazing to work hard to get that job you want! I just didn’t always hold a healthy view of it. Shortly before completing my master’s degree, I got a promotion. It just didn’t offer me the satisfaction that I thought it would.

I fought for that master’s degree and earned it. Thank you, Lord, that I don’t have to take any more Biostatistics to earn my doctorate! My education has allowed me to accomplish some big life goals, and I’m thankful that I’ve become a Behavioral Scientist because it makes sense out of all of my work experience to date.

I thought I needed to have a better title to be taken seriously. Perhaps that’s true but being “taken seriously” is no longer part of my agenda. Yes, I enjoy being liked and respected, but it’s not a driving force in my efforts anymore. I want to make a positive impact on the people in my sphere of influence.

The work I do now as a Success Coach offers a lot of flexibility and satisfaction, and I’m content with the reality that it takes follow-up questions and answers to help people understand what I do. I enjoy my work - encouraging people, calling them up to their purpose, helping them get “unstuck,” and graciously pointing out blindspots while helping them recognize and appreciate their strengths. It’s incredible.

Whether we recognize it or not, our purpose shapes our identity and influences our behavior. It helps us focus on our vision and build habits that align with it. If you are looking for a title to define your purpose, you might miss out on the big picture – living a life of significance.

At the beginning of this post, I said that I enjoy helping people identify their purpose and help them gain the right perspective to help them walk it out. I believe that’s part of my purpose. I also believe that I’m called, as a believer, to make disciples, so I spend a lot of time investing in people.

Sometimes that means offering advice that aligns with biblical principles, and other times it simply means listening. It can mean a lot of other things as well, but there’s nothing I’d rather do - at a coffee shop, on TV, in my writing, on the platform at church, in small groups, than encourage people to take a step closer to Christ. Who cares what my title is as long as I’m intentionally living the life of significance and purpose I’ve been called to live?

If you’re not sure, where to start, book a coaching session or a free consultation call with me. I’d love to partner with you to help you progress in your life too!