Personal journey on:

How a single sentence guided me through burnout, trauma, and starting over at 58.

What if I told you that feeling of being lost, the sense that your daily life doesn’t match your deepest hopes, isn't a sign of failure?

It's a clue.

I call it 'The Purpose Mismatch,' and for twenty years, it has been the central theme of my life.

It started the day I wrote down my life's purpose. I felt a surge of pride, immediately followed by a wave of confusion. My reality as a Corporate Project Manager with my days filled with Gantt charts, project statuses, and budgets was a universe away from the words on that page.

A constant, quiet whisper echoed in my mind: ‘This isn't it. You’re meant to be helping *people* flourish and live life to its potential, not just delivering project success.’

I felt conflicted. I thought, ‘Maybe I don't belong here in the corporate world. Maybe I belong in human services. I needed a career change.’

And that was just the beginning of my journey.

Through burnout, personal trauma, and starting over at 58, that single sentence didn't just guide me—it revived me.

In this post, you'll see how to find your own North Star. There is no guarantee you'll reach it, because we cannot control our mortality, but you can make sure every day you have on this earth is pointed in a direction that truly matters.

The Universal Problem: That “Stuck” Feeling

*Purpose Mismatch"

Maybe for you, the feeling of being stuck or feeling lost, it’s that Sunday night dread, asking:

'What’s the point of all this 9-to-5 business?’

‘Is this all there is, even though I have a good job?’

Or maybe it’s the sharp disorientation of a layoff, wondering how your purpose fits into a suddenly empty calendar. That’s frustrating.

However it shows up, it’s the same gap between the life you're living now and the life you feel called to. And when our time is limited and precious, that gap isn't just uncomfortable, it's urgent.

Part 1: The First Mismatch & The Pivot

My life purpose was to “inspire, equip, and mobilize people to live life to the fullest”. And here I was, a Corporate Project Manager. I was leading projects, training people to manage projects well, not to manage their lives for fulfillment.

This mismatch was painful. I felt like living a lie.

But that discomfort was my first crucial clue. I needed to trust my compass, not the road I was on.

So I pivoted.

A New Path

I went on a journey of self-discovery, taking all kinds of personality tests like Myers-Briggs, Enneagram, Strength Finder, you name it. The results confirmed it: Counsellor. Teacher. Administrator.

It was the sign I needed. I enrolled in a Master's program in Counselling part-time. For years, I built a parallel life: corporate professional by day, aspiring counsellor and author by night.

I also wrote a book, Reimagine Your Retirement. At one point, I finally left my corporate job to become a full-time Psychotherapist. The puzzle pieces had snapped into place. After years of feeling like a hypocrite, I was finally living my purpose. It was amazing.

Part 2: The Floor Falls Out — When Purpose Seems Lost

And then, in 2017, I experienced a break down. The floor fell out from under me. Everything collapsed.

A personal trauma shattered my world, my mental health crumbled. The counselling work that had defined my purpose felt impossible. I was facing a profound burnout.

I’ll never forget sitting in my office, feeling completely broken, staring at a full schedule packed with 7 clients, people grappling with addiction, suicidal thoughts, and marital conflict. The urge to run, to just call in sick, was overwhelming. My head and heart were so full of my own tears, I had no room left for other people’s stories.

It was in that moment I knew, I had to step away. For good.

This was my lowest point. Here I was, 58 years old, the person who wrote a book about not retiring, the one who preached a lifetime of service to help other people thrive... had quit.

The cognitive dissonance was deafening.

I was the biggest hypocrite.

Though my purpose still felt true deep down, the vehicle for living it was completely broken down.

The vehicle for living my life purpose was completely broken down

The vehicle for living out my life purpose was broken down

Part 3: Birth of a New “How”

So, what do you do when your vehicle for purpose breaks down?

I was determined to continue working or doing something to contribute. I retreated to the familiar, returning to corporate project management. But my purpose sat in a drawer with a constant quiet ache.

Yet, purpose is resilient, even when we are not.

I went back for my PhD study, asking a new question:

'How can I live out my purpose *now*, with my new scars and knowledge?'

Suddenly, the pieces clicked. I had my enduring ‘why’ from 20 years ago and my new ‘what’. But I was missing a new ‘how.’ I needed a vehicle.

The Clarity: From “Why” to “How”

Here’s the distinction that is most helpful for me:

Your Purpose is your ‘why’—your timeless anchor.
Your Mission is your ‘how’—your strategic plan for making your ‘why’ happen in this season of your life.

My purpose never changed. But my mission had to.

From the ashes of my journey, my mission finally crystallized:

**‘To inspire and equip people over 40 to discover their unique gifts and live a flourishing life by embracing minimalism.’**

My mission is my filter. It’s focused, resilient, and tells me exactly what to do when I feel lost.

And because it’s so clear, it unlocks multiple ways to execute. Now that my healing journey is behind me, this mission guides me whether I am coaching one-on-one, creating videos, or facilitating workshops. When I feel lost, I don’t just look at my purpose; I look at my mission.

Conclusion: The Journey is the Treasure

So, here’s the truth. Your North Star is not a destination you are promised to reach. We don't know how many days we have; it could be 30 days, or 30 years. The treasure isn't the finish line; the journey is the treasure.

You don't just find your mission once. You build it, you lose it, and you rebuild it stronger with every challenge you face.

Your Turn: Let’s Build Resilience Together

If the floor fell out from under you tomorrow, would your ‘how’ be resilient?

Let’s starting building that resilience right now. Your first step is a small but powerful one.

In the comments below, I want you to answer this:

What’s one word that captures the essence of the ‘mission’ you feel called to in this season?

Is it to ‘Simplify’? ‘Create’? ‘Connect’? ‘Heal’? ‘Teach’ or ‘Build’?

Share your word. Let’s create a constellation of purpose and inspire each other right here, right now.

Note: If you prefer to watch a video on this topic, you can find this on my YouTube channel, @joyce.fullnessoflife, or via this link: https://youtu.be/fQZ14zrb5yY

I Failed at My Life Purpose, Then I Discovered My Mission