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The Purpose Code

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The Purpose Code

How to unlock meaning, maximize happiness, and leave a lasting legacy

Harriman House,

15 min read
7 take-aways
Audio & text

What's inside?

People create and activate their own purpose, but it’s wise to start small.

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Editorial Rating

8

getAbstract Rating

  • Well Structured
  • Concrete Examples
  • Engaging

Recommendation

When you are trying to identify your purpose, bigger is not necessarily better, says author Jordan Grumet. Instead of chasing grandiose goals, he advocates pursuing smaller, doable targets – “little P” purposes – that are fulfilling, even if they lack a grand payoff. This choice, he says, assures a lifetime of joyful experiences focused on your journey, not your destination. Grumet promises more satisfaction now and less future regret about wasting time on joyless chores. In his framework, happiness requires finding both meaning and purpose – meaning from your past and purpose from your present and your goals for the future.

Summary

Health and happiness come to people who identify their purpose.

Happiness has two ingredients: meaning and purpose. Meaning is based on people’s perceptions of their past, and it is a prerequisite for identifying your purpose. Purpose refers to the intentions behind the actions people take in the present and will take in the future. Thus, it’s not surprising that people become healthier and happier when they have a sense of purpose, built on understanding the meaning they’ve found in their lives.

However, many people find that trying to identify their purpose sets up an anxiety-provoking struggle, because they regard purpose as a secret code that defies decoding. To decipher your purpose code, understand that most people who adopt an extremely ambitious purpose with a “capital P” find that a contented, meaningful life becomes much harder to attain. Instead, adopt an achievable, enjoyable purpose with a “small P.”

Purpose is the intent behind the things people do, often based on their life’s meaning and authenticity. “Purpose anxiety” afflicts people who lack a sense of purpose. Some people who suffer from purpose anxiety erroneously conclude that they...

About the Author

Jordan Grumet, MD, also wrote Taking Stock: A Hospice Doctor's Advice on Financial Independence, Building Wealth, and Living a Regret-Free Life; Five Moments: Short Works of Fiction; and I Am Your Doctor: and This Is My Humble Opinion.

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