Maintaining your sense of purpose

If there’s one thing we’ve noticed about resilient founders who keep pushing forward no matter the challenges they face, it’s their strong sense of purpose.

However, this sense of purpose can fade over time. After multiple pivots to achieve product-market fit, or when daily activities drift far from the original mission, founders may experience a loss of drive and a diminished sense of purpose.

So here’s some key insights tips, and first actions to help you maintain your Sense of Purpose:

Key Questions to Ask Yourself:

  • Do you still feel that personal drive and passion?
  • How often do you check in on your purpose?
  • Does your company’s purpose align with your personal values and goals?
  • In the past few weeks, how much of your daily activities have aligned with this greater goal?
  • What steps can you take to realign your activities and better express your purpose?

    • 5 tips

    Reflect and Revisit Regularly

    Check in with yourself (and your team). Take a step back and revisit the core problem you set out to solve.

    • How do your daily activities align with your purpose?
    • Are you on the right path? What changes can you make?
    Create a mental—or even better, literal—picture of the long-term impact of your work. This helps program your mind toward realizing this goal and reminds you why you’re doing it.
    Define your purpose in one clear sentence. Display it somewhere visible—in your office, on your desktop, or even as your phone background. This serves as a daily reminder for both you and your team.
    Understand how your company’s mission aligns with what matters to you personally and how you’re making a difference. When these are in sync, your drive becomes unstoppable. But if this alignment changes over time, staying motivated can become a challenge.

    Develop a plan to realize your purpose—or at least show the impact you’re making toward it.

    • Include measurable goals and track your progress to stay motivated and focused.
    • Highlight how daily KPIs contribute to achieving your purpose.
    Speak up about your purpose and personal drivers. Not only does this foster a positive connection in your own mind, but it also inspires the right people to join and act. Acknowledge milestones that directly align with your purpose and share these wins with your team to strengthen their connection to the bigger picture. Celebrate both big and small achievements along the way to reinforce progress and purpose.