We know that purpose is a strong predictor of health and wellbeing, cognition, and financial success. And these are all great and important. Now more than ever, though, purpose matters because it’s the perceptible sense that your life has direction.

Sometimes you’re making progress—you nail that job interview, you hit the gym 4 times a week, you enjoy a fun date that leads to a second date, you make it through a family gathering without fighting—but, soon enough, you’re right back to where you began.

And then, of course, there’s the pandemic.

Often, people will seem desperate to discover the one thing that lights them up. They’ll search for it in books, in courses, in meditation, maybe church.

All the while, their purpose seems elusive. As though it’s some sort of game or hunt to find a treasure. And their brains are hell-bent on figuring it out. And because they’re not quite saving the world--maybe because they’re exhausted from raising kids and teaching at home during a pandemic--they’re just going to continue searching for that perfect flavor of purpose that’ll make it all seem effortless. And then they’ll keep searching and searching, without ever finding the answer.

Imagine a pill. Now think about what you would pay for this pill that will…

Reduce the effects of Alzheimer's by a significant amount

Reduce the incidence of macroscopic stroke by 41%

Reduce your risk of dying early--no matter your gender, race, socioeconomic status, or education level

Improve your sleep, including sleep apnea and other sleep disorders

You’d probably pay a lot of money, right?

Most of what we understand about purpose at work comes from Hollywood. And, sure--stories are a powerful way to learn. Everybody loves a Hero’s Journey. But the stories of screen and stage romanticize the role of purpose in our lives at large...and especially at work. And look: I’m a die-hard fan of any Nancy Meyers film--always featuring a dynamic heroine with a cool career and beautiful home. But, with all due respect to Nancy, these types of stories create myths about purpose that actually make it harder for us to focus on what matters.