People pursuit many things. Some pursuit money, some pursuit friendships, some pursuit happiness, others pursuit time, freedom, or independence.
In this pursuit, we make sacrifices. If you want money, you might trade in time. If you want freedom you might trade in friendships. Everything has got a price. We know that. The problem arises when we do not know what an appropriate price is. To stick to the example: How many friendships or meaningful relationships is your freedom worth to you?
To complicate things most desires are not binary, e.g. "I want freedom and only freedom." Instead, most people have complex and/or multiple desires. I want freedom AND money AND friendships AND so on. But wait—it gets even trickier. People not only desires but also needs: Physiological integrity, security, belonging, esteem and self-actualisation. Needs are ranked (see Maslow's hierarchy of needs). If you consider your life you realise quickly that needs and desires might conflict with each other. What a mess!
Unsurprisingly, we often find ourselves in situations asking "How did I get here?" We are dissatisfied with the overall outcome. Our gut tells us we are missing something. It is, for example, quite common to find people with a lot of money and freedom reminiscing about the times they found themselves surrounded by friends and less pressure.
Every decision, so we find out later than sooner, bears consequences. Few are intended, i.e. under our control, while most are unintended, i.e. out of our control. Negative, unintended consequences ("I have no friends and am constantly under pressure") even counteract the positive consequences ("I am rich") and we are left with a negative net sum. In short: We are unhappy.
The question, now, is: How can we live a life where the fulfilment of needs, pursuit of desires as well as intended and unintended consequences of our decisions are kept in balance? How can we ensure that the net difference is positiv? Or: How can we live a fulfilled life?
The short answer: Do not be driven by your needs and desires — instead lead a purpose driven life. Let me explain: According to research, there are some questions everybody needs to answer: What is your mission in life and how is it relevant for others? What are your guidelines to make long-term and short-term decisions? How can you ensure consistency and sustainability in your pursuits? Who should you be surrounded with and how can you effectively leverage your relationships? How can you organise your decisions and todos to make your wishes a tangible reality? And how do you cope with external demands, especially when you gain a position of authority or leadership?
In other words: There are six areas that you need to clarify for yourself and balance to live a purpose driven life: Purpose (it all starts here), principles and values, energy, relationships, organisation, and leadership.
I have been working in the startup ecosystem for quite a while now. I have worked with companies, startups and business owners that wanted to launch a product or service that has an impact on the world. I learned that success or failure are not (only) determined by the usefulness or the lack of impact of a product. People sometimes do not even care for the price. In reality, the most decisive factor for a startup's success is… timing! Thus, startup founders have come to a conclusion: The world is not waiting for your product!
When it comes to your life and purpose, things are different, though. As you will find out sooner or later, every person has an infinite potential for impact. Realising this potential and living up to the purpose is not a matter of money, a team, or even market conditions. When it comes to purpose, it is a matter first of quality, then of quantity. Living a purpose driven life will be worth it—at least for your future self. And, in the best case, for many people around you.
So: Live your purpose. The world (at least your future self) is waiting for you!