Are You Suffering From a Purpose Hangover?

Key points

Too much purpose can lead to burnout and unhappiness.

Purpose shouldn’t define your self-worth or enoughness.

Focus on the process, not the destination or goals.

Pivot when purpose stops feeling joyful or fulfilling.

I’ve long defined happiness as a mix of meaning and purpose. Meaning is how we cognitively make sense of our past; purpose is about the actions we take in the present and future. Happy people tend to tell themselves heroic stories about their past in a way that allows them to feel “enough.” They then embrace a version of purpose that’s process-oriented—a “little p” purpose—anchored in everyday actions that light them up.

That’s happiness in a nutshell.

But many of us, especially high achievers, tend to overdo it. We fill our lives with so much purpose that