Big P vs. Little P Purpose: Why You Don’t Need to Find Your One True Calling

People are told their whole lives how important it is to find their purpose. But many find the search frustrating. They feel there's one true calling or one grand goal they're supposed to be pursuing, but they can't seem to discern what it is.

My guest, Jordan Grumet, author of The Purpose Code, says that searching for what he calls your big P purpose can be fruitless and even harmful, and that a better path is to embrace a life of little p purposes. Today on the show, Jordan explains the difference between big P and little p purposes and argues that the former can lead to anxiety while embracing the latter can be the path to meaning, satisfaction, connection, and even the legacy you were looking for in the first place. We discuss how Jordan found his way to this philosophy after burning out as a doctor, practical ways to discover your own little p purposes, what he thinks we get wrong in making family our purpose, and what his work in hospice has taught him about living a life without regret.

Connect With Jordan Grumet

• Jordan's website
• Jordan's Substack: The Purpose Code

00:00 Intro & Show Overview

0:41 Meet Jordan Grumet

1:46 From Doctor to Purpose Writer

5:00 Big P vs Little P Purpose

8:32 Why Purpose Talk Makes People Anxious

11:15 What the Research Says

13:42 Burnout and Big P Purpose

16:18 The Podcasting Example: Process vs Goals

19:42 Legacy Through Little P Purpose

28:24 Finding Your Purpose Anchors

38:01 The Climb: Building Your Purpose

43:14 Family, Regrets, and Final Thoughts

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