“There are two great days in a person’s life –the day we are born and the day we discover why.” ~ William Barclay  

What motivates entrepreneurs to establish a business? Some are driven by market needs, others by solving the world’s biggest problems. Whatever your reason, it would be fair to say that the ultimate goal pursued by anyone starting a business is entrepreneurial success. However, successful entrepreneurs often emphasise the power of passion. Entrepreneurial passion is considered an indispensable and important factor on the road to entrepreneurial success. It is the driving force that drives you to continue pursuing your goals when you hit a bump in the road and helps you overcome obstacles, challenges, and difficulties in the process.

Passion
To stipulate an understanding of purpose, we first must create an understanding of passion. So, what is passion? Well, passionate people are compelled, perhaps even called, to do something meaningful. Passion is about emotions, motivations and what makes you feel good. It is about what you do and what you love. Purpose on the other hand, is the reason behind why you are doing it. It is the contribution of what you do and how it affects others. Where passion can be all over the place, wild and exciting, purpose is narrowed and more focused. In other words, passion is about your emotions and purpose is the reason behind these emotions. Former monk and public speaker, Jay Shetty once quoted; “Your passion is for you and your purpose is for others. When you use your passion in the service of others, it becomes your purpose.” When you feel passionate about something, it does not only drive you to enjoy what you are doing, but it helps in overcoming obstacles. Entrepreneurs who love what they do, rather than just be “in it for the money,” tend to have a more positive outlook and are more likely to overcome difficulty through problem-solving. Evidently, purpose can play a significant part in the success of a business. The bestseller book, Built to Last by Jim Collins and Jerry Porras showed that visionary companies guided by purpose are six times more profitable than their purely profit-driven rivals. In other words, a business driven by purpose can make a significant difference between a good and a great company.  

The 4 Stages of Purpose

1. Your Calling
Your purpose emerges naturally when you are living your true nature. Perhaps you sense you have a bigger purpose than what is currently being expressed and you feel pulled to something more or have the burning urge to switch things up. There may be a sense of frustration, ‘something’ missing, a sensation pulling you towards ‘something’ you perhaps can’t quite understand. This burning desire for more meaning, more contribution, and more impact. Scott Dinsmore, entrepreneur, and founder of Live Your Legend revealed that your values, strengths, and passion must be aligned to find your purpose. When you experience a calling, practice to bring more of your true nature into your everyday life. By allowing this to come to the forefront your purpose is revealed to you. Once you dedicate some time for introspection and reflection of those variables, you will start to realise the direction you need to move in.

2. Receive and Embrace
As you follow your true nature, things will unfold naturally. Once you begin to receive a sense of your purpose, things become clearer. Be curious in the process! Whatever comes up, do not deny, or judge it or push it away, allow it and free up the space for it to unfold. As the legendary Oprah Winfrey famously summed it up: “Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you.” Finding your true passion can be challenging and might go through several phases of metamorphosis before you find a viable business opportunity that you can align with your calling. Do not worry if you cannot find a way to directly translate your passion into a business idea, do not forget it. Most people’s passionate callings can be involved in their entrepreneurial business plans in some way. Surrender and let go of what wants to go and allow what wants to come. Learn to listen to your internal compass, embrace it and begin to own your purpose.  

3. Articulate, Align and Embody
Now your sense of purpose and meaning has come into focus, your ideas need to become coherent and fluent. Tune in and articulate it in a few simple words that inspire and resonate with your heart. Next, align your values, strengths, and passion with what the world needs. Align your purpose with your actions, decisions, behaviours, and the service you want to offer and how you aim to make an impact. Once you have given a visible form to your ideas and purpose, your intellectual understanding to your purpose evolved to a tangible, living expression of who you are and serves as the beginning of your start-up journey. These are your building blocks towards a sustainable and meaningful business idea. The more you can appreciate the deep fulfilment, value and impact embodying your purpose brings, the greater your vision and directions become and the more clarity you gain. Like Walt Disney famously said; “If you can dream it, you can do it.”

4. Lead, Inspire and Shared Purpose
As you further grow in the embodiment of your purpose and true nature there will be a noticeable integrity, dedication and congruence which naturally inspires others around you. By communicating and sharing the wisdom of your experience openly and transparently, you hold the power to become a visionary and inspiring leader in your field. When your business is rooted in purpose, your passion will be contagious. Not will only people fall in love with the service or products you are offering because your passion shines through, you will also hold the exponentially powerful driver of passion for a shared purpose for the people involved in your business.  

Building a successful business is often built on sweat equity and becomes easier when you choose the path aligned with the fulfilment of your purpose. With a lack of passion, you might not feel motivated enough to stick with it and see it through its startup phase into the growth phase. If your business is built on passion and purpose, you will continue to pour enthusiastic energy in pursuing the journey. On the occasions self-doubt creeps in, purpose empowers you. Enthusiasm and passion can be the driving force to entrepreneurial resilience, personal satisfaction, and long-term organisational success.

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