Purpose and engagement

If there are two things that we look for and often find missing in our lives they are these: a sense of Purpose and a feeling of Engagement. Purpose is what gets us out of bed in the morning. Engagement is that feeling of really being committed to doing what we are doing.

So how can we live lives that are purposeful and engaged? Perhaps understanding these two concepts better is a good first step.

Our personal purpose is something we create for ourselves, and we own. We don’t inherit it and it can’t be delegated to us or imposed on us. If it does not come from within us then it is not purpose but obligation, and while we may well do many things out of a sense of obligation, as a driving force that sustains us obligation has nothing like the same power as purpose.

Just as we own our sense of Purpose, so we can change it. And we do – our Purpose can change as our life develops. We can have more than one driving sense of Purpose: we can have professional and private purposes that drive us, or we can have a private sense of Purpose around family and another around self. But we need to be aware that our sense of Purpose will drive our decision-making, so if we do have more than one sense of Purpose then we may find that from time to time (sometimes frequently) they are in conflict, and this can make decision-making fraught and stressful.

Here is an interesting exercise around Purpose borrowed from a business book called From Good to Great. First describe yourself in simple terms, focusing on what you do. For example, “I am a wife and mother” or “I am a police constable” or “I am a nurse” or “I am a graduate in R&D” or “I am a retired widow”. If you are looking for purpose in your life away from work, describe yourself in your away from work state. If you are looking for purpose in your life at work, describe yourself in your at work state. State your description out loud and then ask yourself this question: why is that important? When you have an answer to that question, ask of that answer “so why is THAT important?”. Continue this exercise until you have asked why five times. What you should now have is a description of who you are and what you do that is more meaningful that the merely descriptive. Take your time and be thoughtful. The harder this is, the less sense of purpose you have.

If you cannot either start or complete that exercise, then you may feel that you lack a sense of purpose. You might be someone who finds difficulty in embracing a growth mindset, finds it hard to see possibility rather than challenges or limitations. Moving from a fixed to a growth mindset may be the first important step to developing a sense of purpose for you. Think about what energises you, what captures your attention and absorbs you. Think about what matters to you. What you care about. What you’d die in a ditch for.

Our Purpose is why we exist. It guides us. Without a sense of Purpose, we tend to be rudderless and to drift, our direction decided by external factors that are equivalent to tides and winds. Our Mission is what we do to accomplish our Purpose. Our Mission drives us, providing motive power that is then guided by our Purpose. Our Vision describes where we will get to one day and it is what we aspire to.

When we have Purpose, a sense of Mission and a Vision, then we will find that we are truly engaged in what we do and in the world that we inhabit. To be engaged, we need to have a sense of meaningfulness about what we do, we need to feel safe to be ourselves in the environment we inhabit, and we need to be emotionally and physically available in that environment.

Meaningfulness is derived primarily from our sense of purpose. If my purpose is to be the very best parent that I can be, or to play the best part I can in alleviating the exploitation of child labour, or to contribute my best efforts to delivering sustainability initiatives that will help to drive positive climate change or to help build the best local football league that supports and develops young talent in a socially deprived area, then that purpose will give meaning to my life. I will feel that what I do has some benefit and is of some use. It helps if there is obvious significance in the tasks that I have to carry out – I want to feel meaning in what I do – and if there is variety in those tasks, so that I am not doing the same thing day after day. If that variety can call on a number of different skills, then that’s even better.

But in doing what I do to deliver that purpose (to fulfil my Mission) I must feel safe to be myself – I cannot be purposeful if there is pretence in my self-presentation. So, whatever my true self is, my internal and my external self, I must feel free to be that person as I pursue my purpose.

Availability is about being present fully in the moment. If I am distracted by other things that absorb my physical or emotional energy, then I cannot be as available as I need to be if I am to be engaged in my purpose. This is part of the challenge of huge external events such as the pandemic or the war in Ukraine or the challenge of climate change: these can distract us and sap us of emotional and/or physical energy, leaving us unavailable to our purpose, which becomes secondary and ignored or forgotten. Positive emotional events can also affect our availability – such as the arrival of a new baby, or the blossoming of a new relationship. These are positive events to be celebrated, but they can have a negative effect on our purpose because they make us less available at least for a period of time.

We also know that to feel engaged we need to feel a sense of autonomy and self-efficacy. This again shows us the close links between engagement and purpose. We feel we have self-efficacy when we feel we have a high degree of control over our own motivation and behaviour. If we have a well-developed sense of Purpose, a clear sense of Mission, a Vision that we are pursuing, then we are much more likely to feel in control of our own motivation and behaviour. We know what we are doing and why we are doing it. We feel good, or at least better about ourselves as a result – we are individuals with self-efficacy.

Autonomy is the ability to make informed, uncoerced decisions. We are more likely to feel we have autonomy in our lives if we have a clear sense of Purpose – because we will make decisions based on how the decision will impact our purpose.

When we are engaged, we work with vigour, determination and absorption to pursue our purpose by fulfilling our mission. Once our mission is fulfilled, we set ourselves a new mission. It is rare that our purpose is fulfilled – it is pursued but never captured, something that is there to guide us for life.


Roger Delves MA (Hons) Oxon, FRSA

Professor of Practice in Leadership

 

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Indigo Sails

Speakers & Storytellers

Our personal development programme is led by a blend of reputable academic professionals, renowned authors, and inspirational storytellers with a wide array of unique experiences. Each of our personal development leaders and storytellers have embarked on their own journey of self-discovery making them both knowledgeable and passionate about helping people transform their lives.

Share a cabin with a friend and receive 30% off your total booking price

When you place a booking, click the “Share a cabin” option and you and a friend can receive 30% off your total order.

What way to better spend an incredible week than to share this incredible experience with someone close to you.

You can find out more details on cabin sharing and your yacht crew on our FAQ page or contact us for further questions.

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Hotels & Resorts

Our programmes and workshops are hosted at some of the best hotel and resort venues across the Croatian islands that surround Split. These venues are some of the most prestigious in their locations. They include modern conference halls, unique spa and wellness centres, and access to entertainment and social venues, which are each remarkable on their own.

Community & Workshops

We’ll dive into exercises and workshops that provide time to reflect and respond to our past, present and the life we desire in future. We’re not saying you’ll be a completely new person by the end of the week, but our aim is that you’ll walk away refreshed, inspired and have more clarity about the steps ahead – life is all a journey after all!
The best part is being around like-minded people who are real and want better for themselves and the world around them – we’re so stoked to be doing this journey with you!

The best part is being around like-minded people who are real and want better for themselves and the world around them – we’re so stoked to be doing this journey with you!

Mediterranean Dining

The destinations on our retreat feature different and unique dining experiences. Each of these locations showcase the beauty of Dalmatian cuisine in a distinct and special manner. From the fresh tuna sushi at Carpe Diem, to the fresh-caught prawn tagliatelle at Hotel Podstine, to the Michelin Star dinner at Zrno Soli, each of your meals with Indigo Sails will be absolutely unforgettable.

Social Events & Nightlife

Let the night keep buzzing and the wine keep flowing. We’re hosting two exclusive dinner events to kick-off and conclude the retreat, first our opening event and our Gala dinner. These nights are the perfect opportunity to connect with like-minded people and enjoy the amazing local cuisine.
We’ve also been given exclusive access to some of the biggest island parties in the area with free entry.

Island Activities

Our retreat is full of adventures and activities to enhance the experience of our programme. We’ve teamed up with a number of local partners to provide the opportunity to enjoy water sports such as jet skiing and windsurfing, wine-tasting tours, city site-seeing, yoga sessions, chill water activities, wellness spas and hiking guides. Croatia is an amazing experience in and of itself, add on meeting new people, sharing new experiences and unlocking your True Self, it’s the way to live!

Sailing Route

Our established relationships with our charter companies spans over five years which means your sailing journey will be well looked after – so you can just sit back and enjoy the sun, wind and waves. We aim to limit our yacht accommodation up to a maximum of 5 x double cabins plus one cabin reserved for your trusted skipper who will be the guide and captain for your adventure.

Our yachts will be the anchor of some incredible moments throughout the retreat including, breakfast on-board, sunrise yoga sessions and exploring across the Croatian Islands.

Each boat is included with WIFI, Dinghy and a final cleaning.

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Croatia

Meeting point

Split / Trogir

First destination

Island of Brač

Second Destination

Island of Hvar

Third Destination

Paklinski Islands

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