Latest / The Talent Brief / Is Living with Purpose Keeping You Stuck?
Transcript
- Jeff Ganter: Welcome back to the Talent Brief. I'm your host, Jeff Ganter. I want to start this one a little differently. Not long ago, I wrote about finding your purpose. And I still believe in that work. But something's been sitting with me after a conversation I had recently. We're talking about purpose, what it means, how to find it, how to live it, all the right things. And then a thought hit me mid conversation. What if living with purpose has become one of the most accepted ways to stay stuck? Not intentionally, not consciously, but subtly. And once I couldn't unsee it, I started noticing it everywhere. Let's be honest. I just want to live with purpose. Sounds like growth. It sounds intentional. It sounds like you're moving forward. But here's what I've seen after 20 plus years sitting across from candidates, leaders, and teams navigating real decisions. Most people don't lack purpose. They hesitate to act. So instead, they reach for language that feels like progress while they stay right where they are. Because purpose is safe. It's broad enough that no one can challenge it. It's meaningful enough that it feels productive. But it's also vague enough that it doesn't force a decision. And that's where it becomes a problem. So let me give you a different lens. Something ⁓ I've been leaning into more and more. Signal versus script. The script is everything you've been told a meaningful life or career is supposed to look like. The right title, the right timing, the right path, the right perception. It's polished, it's predictable, and it's safe. The signal is different. It's quieter, but it's persistent. It's that feeling you can't shake. That conversation that sticks with you longer than it should. That moment where something looks right on paper, but feels off in your gut. Script says, make the perfect move. Signal says, pay attention. Something here matters. Script waits for clarity. Signal creates clarity through action. Here's the trap. Most people override the signal because it doesn't look polished enough to trust. So they wait. They overthink. They analyze every angle. They try to make their next move feel certain before they take it. And while they're doing that, they tell themselves they're figuring out their purpose. That's not purpose. That's hesitation dressed up. in better language. And I'm not saying that to call anyone out. I've done it too. That's why this hits me the way it did. Purpose isn't something you sit back and discover once everything makes sense. It's something you build by responding to what's already trying to get your attention. Messy, imperfect, in motion, especially in a career transition. Because the longer you wait for your purpose to feel crystal clear, the longer you stay disconnected from the very signals that would move you forward. So instead of asking, what's my purpose? Ask yourself something more honest. What signal have I been ignoring because I, because it doesn't fit the script. Sit with that. Because your next step. isn't hiding in a perfectly worded purpose statement. It's sitting inside a decision you've been avoiding. Here's your next challenge. In the next 24 hours, identify one signal you've been overriding and act on it before you've fully figured it out. No perfect plan. No overthinking. Just movement. Because clarity doesn't come before action. It comes because of it. And if this hit a little closer than expected, good. That usually means you're closer than you think. Thanks for listening. This is the Talon Brief, and I'm Jeff Ganter. See you soon. Bye.