OPINION: What gets you out of bed? – Andrew Thornton

Last month, we discussed organisational purpose and how critical this is. Today, I’d like to ask you to consider what your life purpose is – why are you here, what excites you about life and why do you work so hard?

I believe we all have a purpose in life, yet many people never discover theirs. I was in my late-40s before I realised this.

The Japanese have a word for life purpose – ikigai, which means ‘a reason for being’. I have also heard it described as ‘the reason I get up in the morning’. The diagram shows how this works.

It’s really simple – if you find yourself in the sweet spot where the four circles intersect, you’re more likely to find yourself springing out of bed in the morning, full of joy.