This blog has been instrumental in my personal self discovery journey to find my purpose in life. I don’t think I am there yet but I have a feeling that I am getting very close to crystalizing the thought. It started off with the core purpose being to build a company from an early stage startup to a global company. I think a lot of entrepreneurs start off with that vision and some of them actually make it all the way to the end. However the more I spoke to people who have attained great success in all aspects of life I found that none of them had a central purpose of that was singularly driven by material acquisition. In fact the individuals I have met who have placed this purpose at the center of their lives are far from happy as to where they are today.
There was one thing I did know that I loved and it was startups. For the last 7 years I have been hacking away at startups of all types. I have assumed different roles and responsibilities, through this process I have learned about myself. What my strengths are, which areas I require assistance and most importantly learning what I really enjoyed doing on a daily basis. One of the biggest learnings personally has been that I really love what I do on a daily basis. Not only do I work on my own businesses I also assist others in getting started and helping them through the first 2 years of the business where one has to find their footing. Which has slowly brought me to what I really want to focus on as being a core purpose. It is to assist individuals find career paths & professions that bring them a similar sense of satisfaction and enjoyment as I have found in the one I have selected. I still haven’t quite articulated the way that I would like but I know I am very close.
To accelerate this I have a new startup which is currently in development called Identifii. Its core purpose is essentially to assist individuals in making more informed career decisions. It is quite remarkable how both these paths have merged. Over the last few years I have been coaching individuals but always felt constrained by the number of hours in a day. I also became a certified psychometric consultant in 2007 and that was another major factor in learning about personality types and finding appropriate career fit. All of these experiences seem to culminate at this one point where these two paths merge. None of this could have been possible without all the support I have got from my family, my awesome business partners, clients who helped me bankroll myself till date, this blog for being a place to articulate my thoughts and a little bit of luck.
If you are reading this blog and have found your central purpose in life, I would really like to hear from you.
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
That is great to hear Shannon. The world needs more people like yourself to inspire them to do more with their lives. It is by our actions that we give others the confidence to follow suit and create their own pathways to find their purpose.
Glad to hear from you again. Wishing you the best of luck.
Wow…Great post Usman.
It´s great to see that you are finding your purpose and that Reevolo is evolving. By the way, I think finding your purpose is a great need from the modern society, everyone I know is searching for something.
I´m in the same situation, as you know, and I hope I can get closer too. Tell me something, I think, now, that this journey everyone has about self-discovering is a long process and not a one day insight, what you think?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!!!
Keep on Rocking in the Free World
Great post Usman. Through my own entrepreneurial journey, I’ve discovered that my purpose is inspiring others. By following my dreams and creating new ones, I know that I’ve allowed others to feel that they can do the same. It feels good that by being true to myself, I inspire others to do the same and start on their own journey.
Thanks for the compliment Lasse. Finding your purpose is most definitely a long journey and something that I believe can rarely happen overnight. As mentioned it becomes clearer as you put yourself into different situations and learn about who actually are.
The key really is that you need to keep on looking. I believe too many of us stop looking for that purpose because the road to find it is never linear. Also it is extremely challenging, which results in a lot individuals making compromises.
Wishing you all the best in your journey ahead. I hope I can be of assistance along the way.
Good post Usman…Yes I have discovered the true purpose of my life. And this has not come easy..in the early years i experimented with many career options, from being a doctor, or an interior designer, conducted personality tests over myself, but couldn’t really figure out what my true calling was. However I had a certain urge that I want to do something that has a global appeal and without doubt it should make a positive difference to people’s life’s. Destiny made me rest as a journalist for startups and SMEs and that’s my true calling. At present mainstream business media provides scanty coverage to startups and small companies. Writing for startups and entrepreneurship, giving them their due piece of recognition gives me a great sense of high. A huge sense of elation comes from the feeling that I can make a small company look big with the power of an article…I get entrepreneurs telling me that they were able to get some very crucial clients because of the coverage I provided…At present I am combing out 100 best emerging companies in India for a special issue of the magazine…Wish me luck..
Great to hear from you Saba. I am really excited about the path you have found as I believe it is much needed especially in South Asia. Also I strongly believe that the next wave of great startups will originate from Asia which needs individuals like yourself to help promote them. Best of luck with your search for the Top 100 emerging companies in India! I would really like a copy when you are done! Best of luck!
Good post Usman…Yes I have discovered the true purpose of my life. And this has not come easy..in the early years i experimented with many career options, from being a doctor, or an interior designer, conducted personality tests over myself, but couldn’t really figure out what my true calling was. However I had a certain urge that I want to do something that has a global appeal and without doubt it should make a positive difference to people’s life’s. Destiny made me rest as a journalist for startups and SMEs and that’s my true calling. At present mainstream business media provides scanty coverage to startups and small companies. Writing for startups and entrepreneurship, giving them their due piece of recognition gives me a great sense of high. A huge sense of elation comes from the feeling that I can make a small company look big with the power of an article…I get entrepreneurs telling me that they were able to get some very crucial clients because of the coverage I provided…At present I am combing out 100 best emerging companies in India for a special issue of the magazine…Wish me luck..
It is great to hear stories when things came together for the best. I will put you in touch with another reader who is on a similar path as yourself. I am sure the both of you will have lots to talk about!
Best of luck! Please do forward me the article when it is completed.