Craig discusses how his purpose has shaped his life.
At Rambutan, ‘Why people do what they do’ is our behavioural drivers model which delves into both the cultural and personal factors that impact behaviour. One of these personal factors is purpose, which is all about why you exist and what you want to achieve.
A key aspect of purpose is spirituality. It’s the question, why do you exist? Why are you here? What do you want to achieve? Some people are very spiritual in their beliefs and the way they live their lives, whilst others’ behaviour can be driven by other cultural and personal factors within our model.
I often think about why I exist, and the answer is, I know my purpose and I’ve known it for a very long time. For me, my purpose is about improving people’s lives when they interact with me every day. It’s the very essence of my being. It’s what I live for.
Figuring out exactly what your purpose is can be difficult. At school, I was teased, picked on and bullied. One reason for this was my religion and another reason was for being rather overweight. This changed how I felt about myself. When I look back, I used to join in the name-calling to myself, just to be seen as fitting in and to stop the micro-bullying that usually followed. When I left school and grew up, I knew I wanted to help others to be proud of themselves and not experience what I had. I do that now by helping others recognise and build on their talents, and where needed, by offering candid feedback to help someone discover how their behaviour may impact another person. I’m a great believer that humans are generally lovely, and that sometimes, we just don’t realise our impact or we just don’t know another way to express our feelings or behaviours. It may be uncomfortable, but it’s because I truly want people to help others improve and be the best version of themselves. From the day I realised what my purpose was, I’ve not relented from this path.
Mission is another aspect of purpose. Your mission is about how you’re going to achieve your vision and what you want to be known for. I know how my mission fits with me. It’s like a drumbeat that guides me daily in how to behave. I don’t always achieve it but I’m aware of it all the time and I strive to be the best version of myself.
My personal mission aligns with our mission at Rambutan, which is about ‘creating inspiring and sustainable cultures that match the aspirations of colleagues’. That’s truly what I’m here to do. I always want others to achieve not only their work aspirations but also their personal ones. To me, it’s important to create an environment where people are able to constantly achieve and strive for better.
The final aspect of purpose is goals. As the saying goes, ‘You get what you measure’. If your goal is to make as much money as possible, your purpose may well be strongly aligned with this. Everything that you do, if it’s a strong belief inside of you, will drive you towards that outcome. I know my mission is to help others have the best day possible when interacting with me, and my goals are based on that. I’m always thinking, how can I challenge others to be the best version of themselves? How can I help or support them to arrive there?
If your goals aren’t driving your mission or purpose, it can feel uncomfortable. I know that if I worked somewhere where the only goal was to make money, I’d know deep down that it wouldn’t be the right environment for me. It’s important when you’re searching for a new job opportunity, that your own values, goals, and mission align with the culture and aims of the business. If you aren’t true to your purpose, it can be incredibly challenging to behave as your authentic self.
Some of us are highly spiritual. Some of us know our mission. Some of us are very clear in our goals. But everyone has a purpose, whether you know it yet or not. It’s so powerful to say and to know your purpose as to why you’re here, why you exist, and what you’re there to do. However, it’s ok if you don’t know it yet. It took me a while to figure it out. When I figured out my purpose, it made me shift my emphasis on what was right and wrong, making me more emotionally aware.
What’s your true purpose?
