Purpose, Passion, Priorities: The 3Ps of Life
How they drive the things we do in our lives
The Conversation
The idea to write this piece came from a conversation with one of my mentors when we were discussing purpose-driven work. This eventually expanded to include the interpersonal interpretation of the topic. It was a deep discussion that really segmented the idea of purpose and two other important, relevant ideas that govern the way we carry out our lives. This piece shares the insights from this conversation, how these elements interact with one another and a potential way to integrate them as one.
Our personal purpose, passion, and priorities can be said to be the essential factors that dictate our actions in life. Though they may appear different at first, the conversation really brought into light how they are intricately interconnected. The question then is, can we balance these elements favourably to lead a meaningful life?
Defining Purpose, Passion, Priorities
As a preamble, these elements will be defined with respect to how they influence the way we carry out our lives.
Purpose forms the ‘why’, which defines the core drive in the things we wish to achieve in life. Purposes vary across individuals but that does not mean one purpose is better than the other, we are all unique individuals with our own drivers in place. For example, my mentor’s purpose is to ‘open the doors’, creating opportunities not only for herself but for those around her, where feasible. Aligning with one’s purpose is key to a fulfilling life as we act to make meaning of our lives through achieving our ‘why’.
Passion is the ‘how’ of carrying out your purpose. Similar purposes may have radically different methods of execution, which are determined by the way we have been shaped in our lives. To illustrate this, one may find purpose in animal welfare and this could be executed a number of ways, be it through animal welfare groups or becoming a veterinarian. This shows that passion allows for similar purposes to be executed in a variety of ways.
Priorities, on the other hand, are more grounded with external situations. They form the ‘what’, ‘why’, ‘who’ and ‘where’ of our lives, as we seek to accomplish these priorities before moving on to other tasks. Depending on our circumstances, our priorities may clash with our purpose and passion. A major priority is having sufficient income for our living necessities. Purpose and passion may, at times, be unable to fulfill these priorities and hence take a back seat at the time. Priorities, therefore, need to be managed if one is to leverage on the fulfillment brought on by purpose and passion.
Choosing Between Purpose, Passion, or Priorities?
From the above, it becomes clear that priorities usually take the driver’s seat for many people, myself included, as we strive to meet the necessities in life. While it is potentially possible that there exists an intersection between purpose, passion, and priorities, the reality is that this is a rare circumstance, especially in the professional sense. Without fulfilling priorities, we would be unable to meet our basic needs which diminishes the fulfilling effects of purpose and passion.
Does this mean that priorities will always take the driver’s seat in how we handle our lives? Fortunately, this is not always the case. Depending on the stage of life and circumstances we are in, we may still be able to pursue purpose and passion with great fervour as our priorities are rearranged accordingly. For those who are eager to pursue your purpose and passions while managing priorities, the integration of all three is possible given sufficient planning and dedication.
Integrating Purpose, Passion AND Priorities
Merging these three elements together at any point in time is rarely an easy task. All three require time and effort to execute and we cannot discredit the human element of fatigue in this pursuit. Our limited energy and time make pursuing different things difficult but if we are able to integrate these three Ps together, we would be able to lead more fulfilling and enriching lives.
The integration of the three Ps requires a broader mindset in allowing purpose and passion to permeate to different aspects of our lives other than in the professional sense. One way is such that while a professional career satisfies our priorities, our spare time is spent pursuing purpose and passion. This division ensures that we reap the most out of our lives, being able to live comfortably and with meaning. Such a switch can be difficult at first, as most would wish to unwind after work, but by assimilating rest with purpose and passion, one would be able to make the most of their time.
Bringing Everything Together
To sum up the key ideas,
Purpose: Our ‘why’ in life
Passion: The ‘how’ to our ‘why’
Priorities: The ‘what’, ‘where’, ‘when’ and ‘who’ in life
The integration of these key elements (the 3Ps) in life would allow us to fulfill our necessities and lead meaningful lives. Difficulties in integration rely on one’s circumstances, life stage as well as how one personally handles priorities. Many frameworks such as the concept of Ikigai exist to create an intersection between these fields but ultimately, how you choose to pursue them is entirely up to you. Be it in your core career or through external means in your spare time, integrating the 3Ps would provide greater purpose, passion, and allocation of priorities in the way you live.