Finding Purpose in your Work

I've been thinking a lot about purpose lately.

It's one of those words that gets thrown around a lot.

People talk about "finding your purpose" as if it's one big thing you're supposed to discover once...and then spend the rest of your life doing. And for years, I found myself chasing that idea.

Especially after I became a mom. Suddenly everything shifted. My priorities changed overnight, and I became so focused on being the best mom I could possibly be that I started believing I needed to find one singular purpose for this season of life.

But lately, I've been wondering...

What if that's not how purpose works?

What if purpose isn't one destination?

What if it evolves right alongside us?

Five years ago, my purpose looked very different than it does today.

Back then, I stepped away from full-time litigation to create a more flexible career because my kids were little (hello, three kids in four years!). I needed slower mornings. I needed fewer daycare hours. I needed more flexibility. I needed more time to simply be with them. So I intentionally built my work around the season our family was in.

And honestly?

That season filled me up. There is something incredibly meaningful about those early years of motherhood. I wouldn't trade them for anything. They were the hardest years of my life, but they also stretched me in ways nothing else ever has. They taught me patience, resilience, perspective, and what really matters.

But seasons change.

My kids are getting older. They're more independent. They're building friendships, gaining confidence, and don't need me in every single moment like they once did.

And somewhere along the way, I realized something else had changed too. It felt like I woke up one day and thought...

What lights me up?

What challenges me?

How do I want to show up in this next chapter?

In a few weeks, I'll be returning to the same law firm where I spent nearly seven years before raising my three kids.

And I've been surprised by how excited I am. Not because I love being busy. And not because I think success is measured by a job title.

But because I enjoy challenging myself. I like solving problems. I like writing. I like thinking through difficult issues. I like helping people. I like being able to provide financially for my family.

Work gives me a sense of purpose.

Now, it's not my only purpose. But it is one of them.

And I think that's okay to say.

Sometimes I think we've unintentionally made women feel like they have to choose.

Either you're career-driven... Or you're family-driven.

Either work matters... Or your family matters.

But maybe it doesn't have to be one or the other!

Maybe purpose simply grows alongside your life.

Sometimes your purpose is building a career.

Sometimes it's raising babies.

Sometimes it's starting a business.

Sometimes it's volunteering in your community.

Sometimes it's simply getting through a hard season one day at a time.

None of those purposes are more important than the others. And they don't have to exist separately. Often, they exist side by side.

Because if life is changing, why wouldn't your purpose change too?

So if you've been feeling restless lately...

Maybe you don't need to go searching for your purpose. Maybe you’re not lost. Maybe you're simply growing into your next one. And I think there's something really beautiful about that.

xx,
Anna