Purpose Unlocked: How to Align Your Life with Meaning

What if purpose isn't something you discover in a single lightning bolt moment, but something you uncover layer by layer, job by job, failure by failure?

In this episode, George and Liz dig into purpose as the first cornerstone of the superhuman framework. They explore what it really means to find your why, how to stop chasing some grand revelation, and why the path to purpose looks more like a winding road than a straight line. If you've ever struggled to define your purpose or felt like everyone else has it figured out except you, this one's for you.

The Winding Road That Made Sense

George's journey to discovering his purpose reads like a resume that makes no sense until suddenly it does.

Military guy. Restaurant worker. Furniture store employee. Warehouse guy, then manager, then district manager. Water park manager. Horse riding instructor. Camp counselor. Bouncer. Youth pastor. Designer. Developer. Video editor. And eventually, the HubSpot guy.

For most of his life, he felt like a chameleon, shape-shifting into whatever role he found himself in. He questioned whether he was being fake, blending in wherever he went instead of standing out or being true to himself.

Then came HubSpot. Twelve years and counting. The longest he's ever stayed with anything.

"It's given me a space where my purpose could take root and flourish. HubSpot became this playground where I could educate others, help them grow, and be the catalyst I'd always been searching to become. It was literally the first time that all of these scattered pieces of my life began to make sense."

The lesson? Those previous roles weren't wasted time. They were building blocks, preparing him piece by piece for this moment.

Purpose as a Compass

George thinks of purpose as a compass. Not a GPS with turn-by-turn directions. A compass.

"When challenges hit, whether it's career setbacks, an identity crisis, or those moments where everything feels off track, purpose is the only thing that has helped me keep my sanity. It grounds me. No matter how I feel, this is the direction I need to go."

Here's what makes the compass metaphor so practical: A compass doesn't stop the storm. It just points you in the right direction while you're in it.

"Purpose isn't about having all the answers. It's about having a direction you can always return to."

For George, that direction is educating, guiding, and being a catalyst for others. It explains why he loves creating podcasts, HubSpot tutorials, and interviews. These aren't just content. They're outlets for living his purpose.

The REAL Framework for Finding Purpose

George introduced a simple framework to help anyone start uncovering their purpose without drowning in workbooks and worksheets.

R - Reflect Look inward. Ask the big questions: What truly excites you? What brings you joy? What kind of impact do you want to make? Think back to moments that felt the most meaningful in your life. Purpose starts with clarity and self-awareness.

E - Experiment Purpose doesn't come with a clear roadmap. You have to try different things, jump into new projects, explore roles, and step outside your comfort zone. Give yourself permission to explore. Purpose often reveals itself through action, not just contemplation.

A - Align Once you've reflected and experimented, you'll start seeing patterns. Take those insights and connect them with your daily actions. Make sure your work, projects, and lifestyle sync up with your passion and core values. When your actions align with your purpose, everything starts to click.

L - Live Once you've aligned your life with your purpose, show up every single day and commit to it. Purpose isn't a one-time discovery. It's not a finish line you cross. It's a practice you engage with consistently, day in and day out.

When the Storm Hits

George opened this episode with unusual vulnerability. He'd been struggling for two weeks with what he called an identity crisis.

"I've just been struggling with this massive weight of what I'm trying to bring to the world. Am I good enough? Is it sustainable? All of these things."

What pulled him through? His own words came back to him: When you're getting close to where you're supposed to be, life is gonna get more difficult.

"I suddenly started to feel a little bit better. Oh, well, no wonder I'm struggling the last couple weeks because I feel like I'm getting really close to where I'm supposed to be, what I'm supposed to be doing, what I'm supposed to be giving birth to."

The resistance isn't a sign to give up. It's a sign you're on the brink of something important.

"When life gets rough, I get excited because I wonder who am I gonna be on the other side of this."

Stop Trying to Define It

Liz offered a counterintuitive insight that reframes the entire conversation about purpose.

"How do you define your purpose? By not defining it."

She pointed out that the endless workbooks, worksheets, and frameworks can actually set people up to fail. They create pressure to reach the last page with a tidy purpose statement, and when that doesn't happen, you feel like you're doing something wrong.

Her alternative? Go out into the world with curiosity and a mentality of discovery instead of definition.

"What is easy to you is magic to other people. We are terrible at defining that for ourselves. If you go out into the world with this backbone of I am going to discover by experiencing, I am going to listen to my body, I am going to listen to my intuition, it will tell you when you are in the right place at the right time. And it will also tell you when you're not."

She shared that she couldn't have articulated her purpose at 24. Her purpose at that time was simply to be a sponge, to learn, to live the life she was living that would position her for the work she does now.

"Your purpose may evolve. Sometimes your why is going to shift. And if you're just open-minded about what those whys will be, you will not just have 2 important days of your life. You will have hundreds."

The Numbers Behind Purpose

The research backs up why this matters:

• Individuals with a strong sense of purpose report lower levels of depression and higher life satisfaction
• 25% of people report feeling a lack of purpose, contributing to higher stress and dissatisfaction
• People with a clear sense of purpose have a 15% lower risk of death
• 69% of people say they struggle to define their life purpose
• 50% of millennials want jobs where their work aligns with a sense of purpose

Purpose isn't just feel-good philosophy. It's tied to psychological and physical health.

Quotable Moments

"Purpose doesn't come with a clear roadmap. You have to try different things and step outside your comfort zone. Purpose often reveals itself through action, not just contemplation."

"A compass doesn't stop the storm. It points you in the right direction while you're in it. Purpose works the same way."

"When you're getting close to where you're supposed to be, life is gonna get more difficult. The resistance isn't a sign to give up. It's a sign you're on the brink of something important."

"Purpose is not a race. It is more like a crock pot than a microwave. Good things take time to develop."

Your One Thing

Liz's takeaway: How do you define your purpose? By not defining it. Wait for those moments where you feel, without needing to define it, that you are exactly where you're supposed to be and you're right on time. The metric for success isn't that you can define it. You can just know it and be present in that moment.

George's takeaway: The conversations you need to have will happen when they're supposed to happen. This podcast, these conversations, are a great example of how purpose plays out. It unfolds along the way because we haven't tried to control it or define it. What would happen if that's how you lived life on this journey beyond your default?

Reflection Questions

1. What activities, environments, or people light you up consistently?
2. What have I learned about myself today, and what have I learned about the path I'm on?
3. Am I giving myself grace during my season of exploration and experimentation?
4. Where might the resistance I'm feeling actually be a sign I'm getting close?

Ready to go deeper? Press play above and let George and Liz walk you through the full conversation. This one's worth your time.