Living on Purpose: Aligning What Matters Most

We often hear the word purpose used to describe passion or direction, but few of us are ever taught how to truly live on purpose. For many, clarity around purpose only comes after a life-altering event; a loss, an illness, or a major setback that forces reflection. But what if we didn’t wait for a crisis to begin living intentionally?

“When you live aligned with your purpose, life becomes more meaningful—not just for you, but for those you love, lead, and serve.”
— Mike Kelly, CFP®, RLP®, Founder and Principal, Kelly Financial Planning, LLC and Author of Leaderfluence

A Journey Toward Purpose

In chapter 4 ‘Live on Purpose’ of Leaderfluence: Secrets of Leadership Essential to Effectively Leading Yourself and Positively Influencing Others, Mike Kelly shares how discovering purpose transformed his personal and professional life.

Early in his career, Mike defined success through promotions, recognition, and material rewards. But success without clarity of purpose led to burnout. It wasn’t until he redefined success, not as what he could achieve, but who he was becoming that life took on new meaning.

That shift didn’t happen overnight. It took humility, faith, and a willingness to pause long enough to ask:

Why am I here?
What do I want my life to stand for?

Those questions became the foundation for a life built on purpose, one that integrates personal growth, leadership, and financial well-being.

Connecting Purpose and Financial Planning

Financial planning is most powerful when it’s rooted in purpose. A well-designed plan isn’t just about accumulating wealth, it’s about aligning your financial decisions with your life’s mission.

“Financial planning means nothing if you don’t have goals that are meaningful.”

When you understand why you’re saving, investing, or giving, every dollar becomes a reflection of your values.

To help clients clarify that alignment, Mike often references George Kinder’s Three Questions, a powerful life-planning framework that invites you to consider how you’d live if money and time were no longer constraints. These questions connect mortality with meaning, reminding us that our resources should serve the life we want to live, not the other way around.

5 Practical Steps to Live on Purpose

1. Reflect on your roles: List the roles you play (parent, professional, friend, volunteer) and the people connected to each. What would you want them to say about you at the end of your journey?
2. Visualize the long view: Imagine yourself at age 100, looking back. What would you hope to have experienced, contributed, and learned? Use that as your telescope, not your microscope.
3. Prioritize what matters: Rate key areas of life; faith, family, fitness, finances, fun, friends from 1 to 10. Identify gaps and set goals to bring those areas into greater balance.
4. Be intentional with time: Track how you spend your days. Are your hours invested in what you value most? Tools like the  My-Tyme Success Planner® can help make your calendar a reflection of your priorities.
5. Surround yourself with purpose-driven people:  Community and accountability sustain focus when distractions pull you away from what matters.

Living on Purpose Leads to Leading on Purpose

Living with clarity about your purpose enhances not only your personal fulfillment but also your ability to lead others. Purpose-driven leaders exhibit humility, authenticity, and care, qualities that attract and inspire teams.

Mike’s experience leading a national team at Macy’s affirmed this truth:

“When people know you care about who they are becoming, not just what they produce, everything changes.”

Insight and Payoff

Living on purpose isn’t a luxury, it’s a discipline. It shapes how you spend your time, direct your resources, and influence others.

When your financial plan reflects your values and vision, you gain more than wealth, you gain peace, joy, and a life well-lived.