I had the best job in the world and I still wasn't happy

In 1998 I worked as a waterski instructor in Turkey.

I lived in a four star hotel on the beach, spent all day outdoors under the Mediterranean sun, had my own boat, and ate incredible Turkish food every day. After work I would go windsurfing or sit on a friend’s yacht and drink a cold beer. I didn’t earn the biggest salary in the world, but it was more than enough to live the life that most people only dream of.

Me in 1998

Nine months later, I left - and never returned.

Life was pretty good

I had everything: the toys, the lifestyle, the sunshine. But something was missing. I never felt I had a future, and in the end, not having a purpose was enough for me to quit the job of my dreams.

What does purpose even mean?

Having a sense of purpose at work doesn’t have to mean believing you’re going to change the world. It simply means feeling that what you do matters — that your work contributes to something bigger than ticking off tasks or collecting a paycheque.

When people have a sense of purpose, they believe their work is meaningful, aligned with their values, and makes a positive impact — whether that’s on customers, the team, the company, the world, or even their own personal growth.

If you feel your life has purpose, you are happier at work and at home, healthier and - according to recent research - you even live longer.

The Science

There are countless studies examining the effect of purpose on motivation and wellbeing.

One of my favourites is by Dan Ariely, author of the great book “Predictably Irrational.”

1. Participants were given LEGO Bionicle kits and were told they would be paid a decreasing amount for each additional model they built. The study had two groups:The Meaningful Condition – Participants built a Bionicle, and it was set aside fully assembled as they built the next one.

2. The Sisyphus Condition (No Purpose) – Participants built a Bionicle, but as soon as they finished, the experimenter disassembled it in front of them and handed the same kit back for them to rebuild.

The researchers found that people in the Meaningful Condition built significantly more Bionicles before stopping — because they saw value in their work. In contrast, participants in the Sisyphus Condition, where the work felt pointless and repetitive, lost motivation much faster and built fewer models.

The researchers argue that this study shows that when people feel their work has meaning, they are more motivated, engaged, and productive. When work is perceived as pointless, motivation drops significantly.

Adam Grant also ran a study at a university fundraising call center, where employees called ex-alumni to ask for donations. In the Purpose-Driven Group, employees were read stories about how the donations had transformed the lives of students. This group raised significantly more money than their colleagues.

How to Give Your Team Purpose at Work

There are lots of ways to give your team purpose at work, but one of the most simple forms is to show how their work affects real people.

At my company, Secret Source, one of our clients used to record monthly video testimonials from their users and share them with our team. At Steven Bartlett’s companies, they have a Slack channel called “impact”, where they share real-world stories of how their products are being used.

Tip of the Week

Give your team a little purpose

Show them how their work affects users in the real world.

Set up a Slack group or Teams channel where stories from real users can be shared.

It’ll help your team feel that their work has some purpose and will fulfil their human need for dignity and meaning.