• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Engineering Management Institute

  • About
    • Meet Anthony Fasano, P.E.
    • EMI’s Mission, Vision & Values
    • Meet Team EMI
  • Content
    • Blog
    • Podcasts
      • The Engineering Career Coach Podcast
      • The Civil Engineering Podcast
        • Women in Civil Engineering
        • Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs
        • The Civil Engineering CEO Podcast
      • The Structural Engineering Channel
      • The Geotechnical Engineering Podcast
      • The Engineering Quality Control Podcast
      • The Engineering Project Management Podcast
      • AEC Engineering and Technology Podcast
      • This Week in Civil Engineering
    • TV
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Recommended Reading
    • Sponsors
  • Services
    • Training
    • Hiring Solutions
    • Webinars
  • FE-PE Exams
  • Clients
  • Contact
  • Training

  • About
    • Meet Anthony Fasano, P.E.
    • EMI’s Mission, Vision & Values
    • Meet Team EMI
  • Content
    • Blog
    • Podcasts
      • The Engineering Career Coach Podcast
      • The Civil Engineering Podcast
        • Women in Civil Engineering
        • Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs
        • The Civil Engineering CEO Podcast
      • The Structural Engineering Channel
      • The Geotechnical Engineering Podcast
      • The Engineering Quality Control Podcast
      • The Engineering Project Management Podcast
      • AEC Engineering and Technology Podcast
      • This Week in Civil Engineering
    • TV
    • Videos
    • Books
    • Recommended Reading
    • Sponsors
  • Services
    • Training
    • Hiring Solutions
    • Webinars
  • FE-PE Exams
  • Clients
  • Contact
  • Training

What Is Your Purpose? Three Timeless Pillars to Guide Your Future

July 25, 2022 By EMI

This is a guest blog by Gina Covarrubias

Your PurposeWhether you are a student, professional, forcibly unemployed, or just taking a break, I have great news: each can be approached the same way! Apply these three pillars anytime to maximize your life purpose and guide your future.

Pillar 1: Service

Service is about directing your efforts toward a cause bigger than yourself. It includes carving out time and energy for the sake of serving an external purpose.

It can mean serving your team or organization in the workplace. Maybe it involves supporting your neighbors, your environment, or your country. Applying a service approach to your surroundings is one way to share your unique gifts with the world.

For example, try to answer:

  • What are some new contributions I can make to this cause?
  • How might I better serve individuals around me, even the difficult ones?
  • What is one selfless thing I can accomplish today?

And remember, employment is not required to serve the world. Take a look around. You can find creative ways to serve, whether it’s serving humanity, the planet, or your employer.

Your Purpose

“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.” ~ Muhammad Ali

Try it today! Bring a service attitude to your circumstances — the results may be priceless!

Pillar 2: Development

Development is about elevating yourself to reach the next best version of you. It includes taking steps to improve your physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing.

Did you ever realize that it’s possible to become too comfortable? That’s right. As a species, we generally like comfort. It can feel warm and fuzzy, or secure and stable.

However, too much comfort can lead to stagnation. Self-awareness can help you recognize when it’s time to get out of your comfort zone. Learning new things, failing and trying again can feel very uncomfortable. But that’s the process which leads to growth. Since it is a human duty to evolve our species, learning to get comfortable with discomfort is an essential self-development skill!

There are so many ways to do this! For example, try

  • A new language, a foreign dance, or an exotic dish
  • A tough course, art class, or music lesson
  • An intimidating activity such as a sport, standup comedy, or public speaking

Trying a new or scary activity can prompt an incredible journey of self-discovery.

For you daredevils: even scarier is failing on purpose! I dare you to try it — purposely attempt something that will end in failure. You will find that it isn’t as bad as you think and failing gets easier over time!

Your Purpose

“You can choose courage or you can choose comfort, but you can’t have both.” ~ Brene Brown

The feeling of discomfort is a small price to pay for the intrinsic benefits of self-development.

Pillar 3: Legacy

Legacy is about improving the world around you. Legacy involves the skill of leaving things in a better position than you found them.

It involves elevating the people around you. It might mean that you improved your job, your team, or your organization. And leaving your legacy does not have to be complex. It can be as simple as planting a tree. Picking up trash. Sponsoring a child.

Other ways you can leave a legacy:

  • Volunteer at a church, shelter, or community program
  • Lead by example — be the first to display an electric, contagious attitude
  • Transfer wisdom to others via mentoring, advising, or coaching

Legacy also involves offering genuine gratitude to others. Simple statements such as “thank you” or “you were very helpful” can be transformational to someone who is having a bad day.

Your Purpose

“People may not always remember what you did, but they will always remember how you made them feel.” ~ Anonymous

How will others describe the way you made them feel?

Despite your current or future purpose, these timeless pillars will help guide you through a world full of uncertainty.

For specific examples of how to apply these pillars to your career, I invite you to view my replay of “Career Purpose: When Work Isn’t Working for You.”

About the Author Gina Covarrubias

Deliberate DoingCertified Life Coach, B.S. Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering (Purdue University), M.S. Mechanical Engineering (University of Utah).

Gina is the founder of Deliberate Doing, an exclusive STEM coaching service dedicated to helping engineers fix their careers. She solves the common STEM problem: “What should I be doing with my life?” As a former engineer, she identifies with the technical expert who doubts their personal or professional existence.

Gina’s distinctive background blends life coaching expertise with 12+ years engineering/technology experience in the government, academic and corporate environments, all within the aerospace sector.

We would love to hear any questions you might have or stories you might share on what your purpose is and how you found your purpose. 

Please leave your comments, feedback or questions in the section below.

  • If you enjoyed this post, please consider downloading our free list of 33 Productivity Routines of Top Engineering Executives. Click the button below to download.

    Download the Productivity Routines

To your success,

Anthony Fasano, PE, LEED AP
Engineering Management Institute
Author of Engineer Your Own Success

Related Posts

  • 5 Steps for Creating Constancy of Purpose in your Engineering Career
  • TECC 199: How Engineering Professionals Can Lead with Noble Purpose
  • What Engineers of the Future Need to Know to Succeed
  • An Engineer’s Guide to Mindfulness Meditation
  • TECC 238: Shaping Our Future Generations Through STEM Outreach

Filed Under: Blog, Career Goals and Challenges Tagged With: Gina Covarrubias, Pillars to Guide Your Future, What Is Your Purpose?

Primary Sidebar

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

And Get Custom Content Delivered To You Weekly

PM Training

engineering management lessons

career readiness

Categories

  • AECT – AEC Engineering and Technology Podcast
  • Blog
    • Business Development
    • Business/Entrepreneurship
    • Career Goals and Challenges
    • Communication/Public Speaking
    • COVID19
    • Credentials
    • Enlightenment
    • Ethics & Integrity
    • Job Search/Salary/Relocation
    • Leadership/Management
    • Mentoring
    • Networking/Client Relations
    • News and Events
    • Organization/Productivity/Time Management
    • Personal Development and Professionalism
    • Program Management
    • Project Management
    • Travel
    • Work Life Balance
  • Civil Engineering
  • Engineering Career TV
  • Engineering Technology
  • TCEP-The Civil Engineering Podcast
    • Business Development
    • Business/Entrepreneurship
    • Career Goals and Challenges
    • Civil Engineering Entrepreneurs
    • Communication & Public Speaking
    • Credentials
    • Ethics/Integrity
    • Infrastructure
    • Job Search/Salary/Relocation
    • Leadership/Management
    • Mentoring
    • Project Management
    • Women in Engineering
  • TECC Podcast-The Engineering Career Coach Podcast
    • Business/Entrepreneurship
    • Career Game Changers
    • Career Goals and Challenges
    • Communication/Public Speaking
    • Credentials
    • Enlightenment
    • Job Search/Salary/Relocation
    • Leadership/Management
    • Mentoring
    • Networking/Client Relations
    • News and Events
    • Organization/Productivity/Time Management
    • Personal Development and Professionalism
    • Project Management
    • Work Life Balance
  • TEPM – The Engineering Project Management Podcast
  • TEQC – The Engineering Quality Control Podcast
  • TGEP – The Geotechnical Engineering Podcast
    • Tunneling Series
  • TSEC-The Structural Engineering Channel
  • TWiCE
  • Uncategorized
  • Women in Engineering

TECC Sidebar Featured Final

ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE

We Can Help You:

  • Build solutions to attract talented professionals.
  • Develop your staff’s people skills.
  • Create career roadmaps for your staff.
  • Provide PM training for your professionals.
  • Build custom development programs.
  • Scale sustainably.

Location:

50 E. Ridgewood Avenue #129

Ridgewood NJ, 07450

800-920-4007

Copyright © 2023 • All Rights Reserved • Property of Engineering Management Institute • Terms of Service • Privacy Policy

SPECIAL DOWNLOAD

33 Productivity Routines of
Top Engineering Executives

x