The Last Few Weeks Have Been Rough
Work has been chaotic. Tough decisions, significant turnover, decision rollbacks.
Life threw its curveballs, too. The kind that hit you out of nowhere and leave you questioning whether you’re on the right path at all.
And in the middle of all of it, I kept coming back to one thing:
My why.
My mission. My passion. My purpose.
The foundation that tells me I’m doing the right thing—even when it doesn’t feel like it. The thing that keeps me moving forward and focusing on outcomes, even when it feels like everything is falling apart around me.
When the noise and chaos are happening, my why lets me make the right decisions that keep me on trajectory toward my overall goal and purpose.
And that’s what this series is about.
What Are Mission, Passion, and Purpose?
If you’ve been following along on Authentic Evolution, you know I talk a lot about values, goals, and staying aligned.
But mission, passion, and purpose? These take it deeper.
They’re the anchor that keeps you grounded when the seas get stormy. They’re the compass that guides you when the path isn’t clear. They’re the foundation that allows you to know you’re doing the right thing—even when it’s hard.
Here’s how I think about them:
Mission: What You Do
Your mission is the action you take in the world. It’s the work you’re here to do, the impact you’re here to make.
For me, my mission in my career has always been to make things better than I found them—no matter the industry.
When I was a geologist, it was about ensuring the buildings and foundations were safe to build on and the water was safe to drink or be in.
Now, given that most of my career has been set in banking and fintech, it’s about ensuring it remains easy and safe for people to access their money.
Passion: What Fuels You
Your passion is the work that energizes you. The thing you could do for hours and not feel drained.
For me, my passion has always been teaching.
When teaching was no longer an option, I realized I started coaching and mentoring by nature. And now I’m working toward building that into my future.
It’s what makes me feel the happiest. The joy of watching others figure out that insight that was eluding them.
Purpose: Why You Do It
Your purpose is the deeper reason behind it all. It’s the thing that gets you out of bed each day. The legacy you want to leave behind.
For me, my purpose—whether at work or in my personal life—is to help people understand what they need to achieve their goals, and help them derive the insights and experience needed to do it.
When mission and passion come together, they define your purpose.
And when you’re living in alignment with all three? That’s when you feel anchored.
Why This Matters—Especially When Life Gets Hard
Here’s the thing: when life is easy, you don’t need to think about your mission, passion, or purpose.
You just… exist. You go through the motions. You do the work.
But when things get hard—when you’re dealing with workplace chaos, personal loss, burnout, or just the relentless grind of trying to keep it all together—that’s when your why becomes everything.
It’s tells you:
- You’re still on the right path, even when it doesn’t feel like it.
- This discomfort is temporary, but your purpose is not.
- The decision you’re about to make aligns with who you are—or it doesn’t.
When you’re anchored to your mission, passion, and purpose, the noise and chaos don’t disappear. But they become easier to navigate.
It becomes less emotional and more tactical. You focus on figuring out the solutions. And that can make you feel more calm, peaceful, and less stressed.
How I Discovered My Why
I didn’t wake up one day with perfect clarity about my mission, passion, and purpose.
It took a long time. It took hard seasons. It took being asked the right questions at the right moments, and now you can learn from what took my years to put together.
The Initial Catalyst: My Nephews
The most obvious insight came when my young nephews asked me, “Aunt Missy, what do you do?”
An entire inner dialogue happened in my head: How on earth do I simplify what I do in terms that a 7- and 8-year-old would understand?
So I said, “I make it easier for people to use their money.”
At the time, I was working for a fintech and had everything from branch and merchant tech to ACH, credit cards, and ATMs in my umbrella. So it was truly the easiest answer to give.
But it also clarified my mission in a way I hadn’t articulated before.
The Deepening: Leadership Workshops and Job Searching
As I completed leadership workshops, professional assessments, and then found myself looking for a job again, I had to start thinking about what set me apart.
How was hiring me going to be different than the person next to me?
That’s when someone gave me a cover letter template that asked three questions:
- Who are you?
- What drives you?
- What are your accomplishments?
Answering those questions forced me to define my mission and passion in a way that was clear, authentic, and actionable.
And once I did that? Everything shifted.
What’s Coming in This Series
Over the next three posts, we’re going to dive deep into each piece:
Mission:
We’ll explore what mission really means, how to identify yours, and how it guides your decisions when life gets tough.
Passion:
We’ll talk about what fuels you, how to identify your passion, and what happens when your job doesn’t align with it.
Purpose:
We’ll bring it all together and explore how mission + passion = purpose, and how living in alignment with your purpose changes everything.
For me My Mission is to Make things better than I found them. My Passion is teaching, coaching, and the joy of the Aha Moment, and my purpose, is the legacy I want to leave behind.
Why This Series Matters for You
Here’s what I want you to walk away with:
An energy that drives you to want to define your why, what you stand for, and what makes you unique.
That’s powerful—whether at work, in your personal life, or in your relationships.
It makes it so much easier to understand why you feel conflict with some people and situations and not with others.
Humans are super complex. But when you know your mission, passion, and purpose, you become a little less complicated to yourself.
And that clarity? That’s the anchor.
A Quick Note
If you haven’t already, I encourage you to revisit the Understanding Your Values post and exercise. Your values are the foundation that your mission, passion, and purpose are built on.
You can’t define your why without first knowing what you stand for.
Final Thought
The last few weeks reminded me why this work matters.
Because when everything feels like it’s falling apart—when decisions don’t make sense, when people don’t act with integrity, when you’re stretched too thin—your why is what keeps you going.
It’s not a magic fix. But it’s an anchor.
And sometimes, that’s all you need.
Next up: Part 1 – Discovering your Mission