Why are you here?

Why are you here?

This simple question is perhaps the most important question of our lives.

First, consider it in the existential sense:

Why are we here? Why are humans on this planet? Why are these creatures, capable of such thought and creativity here and not anywhere else (that we have identified yet)?

Next, consider it in the context of your life:

Given this unique gift of being a sentient, self-actualized being on this planet, why am I here? What is my purpose? How can I best fulfill the potential of my time on this planet? Does my current work deeply align with my true purpose?

This question applies really in everything we do. In every meeting, call, in every task we can task ourselves why are we here. This brings intention to the surface.

Without intention life just happens to you. You are a passenger. With intention, you happen to life. You are a pilot.

Let’s take the simple case of a meeting. Many participants arrive without a clear intention. They are here but have no clear purpose other than being told to be here. Contrast that with someone who has a clear intention, a clear purpose for that meeting. That person will be engaged and direct the conversation towards that purpose.

Most people feel that meetings suck. Heck, Shopify just more or less abolished them. I believe that meetings would be far more powerful if everyone showed up with intention. With a clear purpose.

I used a key word back there: engagement. This is the key to life. Fully engaging with it. Making the most of our limited time on this random planet.

I have not really figured out the big existential question of why we are all here. As I wind down work in the distant future, I will spend more time on this.

I did, thankfully, figure out very early on what my purpose is: it is to help entrepreneurs succeed. This goes all the way back to my very first accounting job. I worked directly under the founding partner of that firm. He became a second father to me. I saw the deep relationships he had with his clients and was moved by it.

This became my purpose. This is why I have always moved away from a direct operating role (serving one CEO) to venture, fractional CFO, investment banker and now coach, so that I can serve many CEOs and have more impact.

I realized pretty early on what my purpose was. This clarity has helped me make the important choices in my career.

I encourage you to spend some real time reflecting on what your unique purpose is.

Why were you put on this planet? What will you do with your time here? Does your company align with that purpose? Does how you spend your time align with and support that purpose?

My belief is that knowing this purpose and aligning yourself with it will deeply motivate and energize you. It will propel you to achieve greatness.

Give it a try!