I was recently introduced to the one percent rule while reading Atomic Habits by James Clear.
In this book, he describes his philosophy that making a choice that is one percent better or one percent worse seems insignificant in the moment. But, over the span of moments that make up a lifetime, these choices determine the difference between who we are and who we could be.
While he presents this as a framework to encourage his readers to adopt healthier everyday habits, we can also use this framework to help find our purpose.
Purpose is a word that we see and use all the time, it’s something that most of us want, and it’s something we spend most of our lives trying to achieve.
When we talk about purpose, we have this idea that it is something we have to find, and once it’s found, it’s an end-all-be-all solution to our lives.
I don’t think this is necessarily the case, as purpose shouldn’t be this big race to the finish line. Rather, purpose is a lifelong process of growth and trial and error.
“Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become. No single instance will transform your beliefs, but as the votes build up, so does the evidence of your new identity.”
– James Clear, Atomic Habits
So, as we work towards ‘finding our purpose’, maybe we shouldn’t overlook what it means to ‘live on purpose’?
This slight shift can change our entire outlook.
Each day, ‘on purpose,’ we can strive to make that one percent improvement in ourselves.
With incremental improvements, we can also permit ourselves to enjoy the journey that purpose is, each day getting closer to the person we could and want to be.
What do you think? What does finding your purpose mean to you?
