Never mind the dream job, what's your purpose?

You get up, go to work, give a good, honest account of yourself, then go home. Then repeat until you retire or die, whichever is sooner.

At some stage, many of us ask ourselves, “What’s the point?” Your answer to this question can have a significant effect on your attitude, not only towards your work but also towards your daily life.

Some people believe that finding their ideal job is all about discovering their purpose. But I wonder: if your purpose is completely wrapped up in your job, what happens when you retire, go on parental leave or become unable to work?

Your purpose can be far greater than the job you do. Believe it or not, you don’t need a job to have a meaningful purpose in life. Your job may be one vehicle that allows you to express that purpose, but there can be many others.

Your purpose might be a driving force in your life and part of the reason you get out of bed in the morning. If you are clear about what matters to you and make choices that reflect it, decision-making and prioritising may become easier. Your purpose can influence not only what you do but also the attitude with which you do it.

You may believe that God or another higher power has given you a particular reason for being here. Alternatively, you may believe that purpose is something you create through your choices, values and relationships.

Either way, there is no other person exactly like you. Your skills, values, personality and life experiences come together to create an individual who can be a friend, parent, child, colleague or classmate in a way that nobody else can replicate.

So, how can you begin identifying your purpose?

Here is one simple exercise you can try.

Imagine that you are at your own birthday party and have reached an age ending in zero. The party is taking place in a public venue and, at some point during the evening, you go to the bathroom.

While you are in the cubicle, four of your guests enter the communal area and begin talking about you. You hear a relative, a colleague, a former classmate, and your best friend discussing their relationships with you.

What would you want each of them to say about you?

Your answers may provide a useful starting point. Follow this by identifying what affects you deeply and what makes you feel angry or frustrated about the world or your community. Perhaps part of your purpose is to make a positive difference in a particular area using your unique combination of qualities and skills.

Ultimately, your purpose may be found in the impact you have within your community and relationships, and in remaining true to what matters to you rather than being driven entirely by what other people want for you.

At the end of the day, few people are likely to reach the end of their lives wishing they had spent more time in the office.