{"id":10419,"date":"2025-08-29T17:50:00","date_gmt":"2025-08-29T16:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/salomons.coach\/?p=10419"},"modified":"2025-11-14T07:48:21","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T06:48:21","slug":"find-your-true-purpose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/salomons.coach\/en\/find-your-true-purpose\/","title":{"rendered":"Find your true purpose"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Why true purpose isn\u2019t a slogan \u2014 and how to sense, not invent, your direction<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Purpose is everywhere. It\u2019s become one of the most used \u2014 and misused \u2014 words in leadership and business today. Organizations proudly call themselves \u201cpurpose-driven,\u201d crafting carefully written statements that sound morally correct and socially responsible. Individuals do it too. We write personal purpose sentences for CVs, coaching programs, or leadership profiles. But more often than not, these statements come from the head, not the heart. They sound right \u2014 but they don\u2019t feel<\/em> alive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve been there myself. I remember sitting with a blank page, thinking, what would sound inspiring? what would others expect from me?<\/em> Every sentence felt forced, designed to fit someone else\u2019s view of meaning. I later realised: that\u2019s not purpose \u2014 that\u2019s positioning. True purpose isn\u2019t found in what sounds right. It\u2019s discovered in what feels inevitable<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What deep purpose really is<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Deep purpose is not something you create; it\u2019s something you sense. It\u2019s a quiet inner knowing that calls you forward, even when it doesn\u2019t make logical sense. Frederic Laloux, author of Reinventing Organizations<\/em>, describes it beautifully: \u201cPurpose is the thing that forces you to make choices.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

That word \u2014 forces<\/em> \u2014 is key. Purpose isn\u2019t about comfort or image. It pushes you. It makes you say \u201cyes\u201d when you could stay safe, and \u201cno\u201d when the world expects you to comply. It aligns your energy and attention toward what really matters, even when it costs you something.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laloux explains this concept in a short and insightful video: Frederic Laloux \u2013 Deep purpose and how it finds you<\/strong><\/a>. In it, he shares how true purpose arises not from ambition or intellect, but from sensing what life is asking of you \u2014 something larger, quieter, and far more powerful than any goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When purpose is genuine, it shows up in action. It doesn\u2019t sit on a wall or a website \u2014 it lives in how we lead, what we prioritise, and what we\u2019re willing to stand for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The role of sensing, not thinking<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Purpose doesn\u2019t start in the mind. The mind is often too noisy, too conditioned by expectations, too eager to rationalise. Purpose emerges from sensing<\/em> \u2014 from awareness of what resonates, energises, and feels undeniably true.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This requires reflection and self-discovery. It\u2019s the same inner work I describe in Strong emotions aren\u2019t the problem \u2014 your frame is<\/em><\/a>. Learning to pause and sense what your emotions are trying to tell you is also how you sense purpose. When you strip away fear, ego, and external validation, what remains is a quiet but steady signal: this is mine to do.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Self-discovery isn\u2019t about becoming someone new \u2014 it\u2019s about remembering who you already are, beneath layers of roles and expectations. The American English Dictionary defines it as \u201ca becoming aware of one\u2019s true potential, character, motives\u2026\u201d<\/em> That awareness doesn\u2019t come through performance reviews or job titles, but through honest reflection and courageous choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The journey to deep purpose<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Finding purpose is not a straight line. It\u2019s a journey of cleaning up, letting go, and realigning. You revisit old experiences \u2014 good and bad \u2014 and see how they shaped you. You face fears, confusion, and doubt. You confront your own ego and how much of your drive has been external \u2014 recognition, approval, control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It can be uncomfortable. Sometimes it means reshuffling not only your inner world but your outer one too \u2014 relationships, habits, even your career path. But on the other side of that discomfort lies clarity, direction, and a sense of peace that doesn\u2019t depend on circumstances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Once you align with deep purpose, decision-making becomes simpler. Not easier, but simpler. Because you know what\u2019s yours to do \u2014 and what isn\u2019t. You stop chasing everything that looks appealing and start committing to what feels true<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is also where leadership and purpose meet. In Leading in a VUCA world<\/em><\/a>, I wrote about how uncertainty and volatility test leaders\u2019 clarity and authenticity. Purpose is the antidote. In VUCA environments, purpose becomes your internal compass \u2014 the constant in a world of motion. When leaders connect with deep purpose, they create stability not through control, but through coherence. Teams can feel it. Purpose-centered leadership creates trust and focus, even amid chaos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Purpose as leadership practice<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In my coaching and leadership development work, I help leaders and teams explore their individual and collective purpose \u2014 not as a branding exercise, but as an act of alignment. We do this through reflection, dialogue, and sensing \u2014 discovering what truly energises the team and how that connects to the organisation\u2019s broader mission.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This process always involves three layers:
personal purpose<\/strong> \u2013 what drives you as an individual, beyond roles or ambitions.
team purpose<\/strong> \u2013 what your team contributes uniquely to the whole system.
organizational purpose<\/strong> \u2013 how the collective serves something larger than itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When these three align, energy flows naturally. Work feels lighter because it\u2019s meaningful. Change becomes easier because it connects to something beyond compliance or KPI pressure. Purpose is not a motivational speech; it\u2019s a structure for making better choices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is what I often call leading from within<\/em> \u2014 connecting who you are to what you do and how you lead. It\u2019s the bridge between reflection and action, between inner clarity and external impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reflection for leaders<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When was the last time you made a decision that felt deeply right, even if it wasn\u2019t easy? What is quietly calling you that you\u2019ve been postponing? What would change if you trusted that inner signal more often?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Work with me<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In my coaching programs, I help leaders and teams reconnect with what truly matters \u2014 their deep purpose. Together we explore how purpose can guide decisions, strengthen culture, and create focus in a fast-moving world. \ud83d\udc49 Contact me here<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Purpose isn\u2019t a slogan or a statement \u2014 it\u2019s a force that moves you. In this post, Jan Salomons explores the difference between intellectual purpose and deep purpose: the kind that calls you into action even when it\u2019s uncomfortable. Drawing on insights from Frederic Laloux, his coaching practice, and his experience in VUCA leadership, he explains how purpose guides choices, builds trust, and creates focus amid uncertainty. Discover how to sense your true purpose \u2014 not from your mind, but from what feels deeply right \u2014 and how to lead from it.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":8281,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"rs_blank_template":"","rs_page_bg_color":"","slide_template_v7":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,193,22],"tags":[72,486,148,472,467,352,376],"class_list":["post-10419","post","type-post","status-publish","format-video","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog","category-self-personal-growth","category-video","tag-leadership","tag-purpose","tag-self-awareness","tag-self-care","tag-self-leadership","tag-self-management","tag-self-regulation","post_format-post-format-video"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t