Figure Out What To Give While You Figure It Out

A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of hearing a good friend, Kathy Love, speak about self-care and purpose. She gave a compelling argument for the why having outlets of impact improves your life, and added an honest perspective about how hard it is to find your purpose in the first place.

Kathy commented that a lot of people put pressure on themselves to get their purpose right. They feel the weight of a lifelong commitment. They struggle to feel fully aligned with a single direction because they don’t know how their interests, personality, or heart might change.

It’s important to be thoughtful about things like this, but the problem is it keeps people stuck doing nothing. They miss the opportunity to make a difference in small ways because they’re consumed with getting clear on what the big thing is.

To that, Kathy shared a beautiful recommendation: Figure out what to give while you figure it out.

Finding ways to make the world a little bit better in the meantime comes at no cost to the larger thing you feel called to do. If anything it actually helps it because you gain exposure and become more familiar with impact work.

And of course, it takes the pressure off of making a commitment that feels more permanent. Volunteering here or donating there doesn’t need to mean that it’s squarely aligned with your personal impact thesis. It just means that you’re willing to help out what’s immediately in front of you.

I like this positioning and have adopted it myself. Here’s my take. I actually think we all share the same purpose, which is to become all that we can be and use our gifts and talents in service of others. The direction of our growth and the application of our impact changes over time, with different seasons, and under different conditions.

The short-term impact you’re looking to make: Think of them more as a mission. Missions can take years or can be finished in moments. Missions change, get reassigned, and involve having a clearly defined task. 

So if you’re feeling the weight of figuring out that big thing to commit your life to, instead think about what you’re prepared to support right now. It could be a nonprofit movement, or it could be providing for a young family, or it could be taking care of yourself. You are a person worthy of your help just like anyone else. 

No matter the case, know that you’re making a difference regardless of its direction so long as you seek to serve. 

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