By Pradeep K Jaisingh, PGP 1989
“Not all those who wander are lost.” — J.R.R. Tolkien
“Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.” — Søren Kierkegaard
What is so special about Purpose@50
Well, 50 is just a number I picked, but essentially what I mean is the purpose in catching the second wind or this phase in one’s career or life, many years after graduating from WIMWI.
Initially, it seemed clear enough, but having worked in the corporate world for 20-25 years, most people begin to wonder if this is what they want to continue doing, or if it’s time to reflect and redesign or re-imagine the next phase of their life.
We live in interesting times. The present times are truly unprecedented. We have the highest ever cases of cardiovascular disease, cancer, and other diseases related to lifestyle, and yet we are living longer. All of us—around the world.
Living longer is, of course, a blessing, but it also presents some challenges—two main ones are: how to live younger longer (and healthier) and how to find a purpose in the next phase of life that begins, say, at 50 or around that.
Both answers being negative for most people, they lead to a quest. A quest that is based on reflections, introspections, a lot of self-talk, regrets on roads not taken, and choices not made, amongst other things.
But all that is in the past.
The very best thing you can do about the past is to “learn from it” and move on.
What matters most is what choices you make NOW.
Your entire future depends on these choices.
If you recently turned 50 or are at an age around that, and are wondering about the next phase of your life, and are in search of a “Purpose,” you need to think about these three important things
- What matters most to you now and why?
- What (who) from your life thus far do you want to take with you to the next phase of life
- Where would you (ideally) like to go in the next 25-30 (or more) years, and how
The first one will help define what impact you want to make/ legacy you want to leave behind. It will also help create the key elements of your purpose. Remember, purpose is not just about you, it’s also about what all is important to you / matters to you.
The second one is to leverage your core competence and build further on that. It’s also about the relationships in your life—-the ones that you truly care about and the ones you don’t and really shouldn’t. Change the things you can and accept the ones you can’t.
The third is what I call the D J of Life—-The Destination and The Journey.
We must never forget that the journey is even more important than the destination.
Life journey is not undertaken through Navigation.
It’s undertaken through Wayfinding.
Wayfinding involves getting lost. It also involves the inevitable ups and downs, the joys and sorrows, the successes and the failures ( what I prefer to call the Learning Opportunities as there really are no failures).
Purpose finding can help you identify a good destination, even a great one and to that extent finding a worthy purpose is very important but it’s really the journey that determines the quality of life for the journey is full of memorable moments, the moments that get created with those you chose to travel along with.
A renewed sense of purpose is what led a very successful lawyer friend who was a senior partner in a renowned law firm to become a middle school maths teacher. Another one to give up the pinnacle of corporate world to embrace the world of financial inclusion for the underprivileged. The examples are many.
In my own personal experience with many fellow IIMA alumni and other friends, I have come across so many amazing stories of people renewing their purpose, aligning it closely with what matters most to them, now and really getting ready to set sailing on their journey for the future.
May yours be full of Joy, Adventure and Meaning.
JAM on.
Pradeep (PGP 1989) has been an entrepreneur, a global business executive, and a fellow at the Distinguished Careers Institute at Stanford University.
Founder of International Oncology, Healthstart, and Outcancer Foundation.
Presently, one of India’s most prolific angel investors.
