At 22, I had one ultimate goal: to be successful.

I built my first startup while still in university, then moved on to high-growth companies like Meta and Shopify, thinking each step up the ladder would bring me closer to fulfillment. The thrill of launching products, scaling teams, and leading innovation fueled me—until it didn’t. 

By my late 20s, I had everything I thought I wanted: high-impact roles, financial security, and the prestige of working with top companies. But instead of feeling accomplished, I felt disconnected. I had lost my ‘why.’ My work had become about performance metrics and outcomes, not purpose.

I ignored the signs for years—exhaustion, creative depletion, a growing sense that something was missing. Then, in 2022, I hit a wall. After a decade of relentless work, I burned out. I needed to step away to understand what truly mattered.

So I left. I spent months traveling, reconnecting with my intuition, studying Eastern and Western healing traditions, and asking myself the questions I had avoided:

What do I actually want?

What drives me beyond external success?

I thought purpose would come from finding the perfect career path. But what I learned is that purpose is something you bring into your work—not something you find in a job title.

The Difference Between Success and Fulfillment

Success brings financial security, status, and recognition. But fulfillment runs deeper.

Dr. Amy Wrzesniewski, a psychologist at Yale, found that people experience work in three ways:

• A job (a paycheck)
• A career (progression and achievement)
• A calling (purpose-driven work)

Those who see their work as a calling report higher job satisfaction and resilience—regardless of their industry.

The difference? Understanding your 'why.'

When I stepped back, I realized that my most meaningful moments weren’t about promotions or achievements. They were the times I helped someone pivot into a career that felt aligned, the moments I guided teams through big decisions and the ways I used storytelling to connect with people on a deeper level.

My ‘why’ had always been about helping others navigate transformation. I just hadn’t seen it clearly before.

How to Reconnect With Your Why

If you’re feeling unfulfilled at work, the answer isn’t necessarily a new job—it’s a new perspective. Finding your 'why' isn’t about changing careers; it’s about shifting how you see your work and aligning it with what truly matters to you.

1️⃣ Ask ‘So What?’ Until You Reach the Root

Most people describe what they do in functional terms. But what you do is not the same as why you do it. Keep asking, “So what?” until you reach the deeper meaning behind your work.

Example:

A software developer might say, “I create apps.”

👉🏽 So what?

“These apps help businesses operate more efficiently.”

👉🏽 So what?

“That efficiency allows businesses to serve their customers better and grow sustainably.”

👉🏽 So what?

“I believe technology should empower people, not overwhelm them.”

That final statement? That’s the 'why'.

2️⃣ Reflect on When You’ve Felt the Most Fulfilled

Think back to moments in your work when you felt energized and truly engaged. What were you doing? Who were you helping? What impact did you see?

📝 Exercise:

Write down three past work experiences where you felt most alive. What do they have in common? Patterns often emerge that reveal what truly drives you.

👉🏽 For me, my most fulfilling moments weren’t about corporate success—they were when I mentored others, wrote stories that inspired transformation, or helped someone see a new possibility for their future. ✨

3️⃣ Reframe Your Work Through the Lens of Purpose

Even if your job isn’t ideal, aligning your actions with your purpose can transform how you experience work.

Example:

Instead of saying: “I work in marketing”

Say: “I help businesses tell their stories in a way that connects with people.”

Instead of saying: “I manage a team”

Say: “I create an environment where people can grow and thrive.”

👉🏽 The words we use to shape our reality! Reframing your work can reignite your passion for it. 

Discovering Your Purpose: Pay Attention to What Comes Naturally

Sometimes, our ‘why’ isn’t something we have to search for—it’s something we’ve been doing all along. A friend once told me, “Notice what people already come to you for.”

Everyone has a gift, a natural inclination, a way of contributing that feels effortless.

It might be:

🎶 Giving the best music or book recommendations

📞 Being the person everyone turns to for advice

🥂 Organizing dinners, retreats, or travel plans

🍽 Cooking meals that bring people together

💰 Sharing financial tips, health advice, or mindset shifts

Your purpose isn’t necessarily some grand revelation—it’s often hidden in the smallest ways you help others.

The question is: How do you want to amplify it?

There are three ways you can integrate your natural strengths into your life

Step 1: Serve Your Community First

You don’t have to quit your job to start living your purpose. Bringing more of your natural gifts into your community—through volunteering, mentoring, or informal support—can give you a deeper sense of fulfillment while keeping your financial stability intact.

• If people come to you for travel advice, consider organizing a community retreat or helping friends plan experiences.
• If you’re the go-to for career or mindset advice, mentoring someone younger in your field could be deeply rewarding.
• If you love creating experiences—whether it’s dinners, retreats, or creative workshops—offer to host one for your close friends.

👉🏽 Sometimes, your purpose isn’t about making a career out of it—it’s about making life more meaningful through service.

Step 2: Bring More of Your Authenticity Into Work

Your work environment doesn’t have to be separate from your deeper purpose. You can infuse more of what you love into your job, no matter what industry you’re in.

• If you’re a natural listener, create space for colleagues to share ideas, frustrations, or personal goals.
• If you love bringing people together, organize a team dinner, retreat, or workshop.
• If you enjoy teaching or coaching, mentor junior employees or lead a training session in an area you excel in.

👉🏽 Sometimes, fulfillment isn’t about changing what you do—it’s about changing how you show up in your work.

Step 3: Turn It Into a Career (If It Feels Right)

For some, the ultimate step is making their natural gift their full-time work. That’s why:

• The friend who loved planning trips now organizes international retreats.
• The one who always gave relationship advice became a therapist or coach.
• The person who was obsessed with sustainability now works in environmental policy.

✨ This path isn’t for everyone—but if there’s something you can’t stop doing, something that excites you even when you’re tired, something that feels right—then maybe it’s worth exploring how to turn it into a career.

Ask yourself:

Would I still do this if I wasn’t getting paid for it?

Is there a way to monetize this without losing my passion for it?

Does this align with my lifestyle and long-term goals?

Finding Alignment: When Work and Purpose Merge

As I deepened my studies in Taoism and Eastern philosophy, I realized that fulfillment isn’t about forcing a perfect career path. It’s about bringing intention into everything you do.

✨ Taoist wisdom teaches wu wei—effortless action. Rather than chasing purpose, you allow it to emerge through aligned action.

✨ In Vedic philosophy, dharma is not a rigid career choice—it’s the natural expression of your gifts in the world.

👉🏽 For me, that meant blending my analytical background with my passion for personal growth—writing, coaching, and helping others align with their own path. For you, it might look different. The key is trusting that your purpose isn’t out there waiting to be found—it’s already within you, waiting to be uncovered. 

The Difference Between Happiness and Fulfillment

Happiness is fleeting—it comes from external events, like receiving praise, hitting goals, or getting a raise.

But fulfillment lasts.

It comes from knowing that what you do matters in a way that aligns with your values and beliefs.

Dr. Viktor Frankl, psychiatrist and author of Man’s Search for Meaning, found that people who connected their daily actions to a sense of purpose were more resilient in difficult times.

His research shows that meaning sustains us far more than pleasure alone.

The Why Behind Your Work

Fulfillment doesn’t come from what we do—it comes from why we do it.

Whether you’re a CEO, an artist, or an engineer, connecting your work to a greater mission can transform your experience from routine to meaningful.

What’s one aspect of your work that aligns with your deeper values? How can you lean into that more?

Take 10 minutes to write down your own why statement.

Keep asking “So what?” until you reach the core of what drives you. Then, integrate that perspective into your daily work—and notice the shift. 💥