I wrote this because building products has forced me to ask what I am working toward, not only what I can ship next. A routine can keep moving while the reason for it disappears.
I believe there is another way.
If you see your work as a career, not just a job, everything shifts. You start building a life around it. The work becomes an infinite staircase—each step leading to the next. You push yourself upward without tiring.
Now take it further. What if your work is your vocation? What if who you are and what you do are one? You stop thinking of it as work altogether. You simply live through your craft.
Consider a programmer who writes code. When code becomes your art, you take pride in it. You cannot imagine another way to live. You get paid to create. Bills get paid. Purpose gets fulfilled. That is a rare and beautiful thing.
But what if you have forgotten your purpose? What then?
Two paths can help you rediscover it.
The first is isolation. Strip away distractions. Quiet your environment and your mind. Sit with your thoughts. Let the questions rise. Your intuition will speak—if you listen.
The second is challenge. Push yourself at work. Perfect your craft. Test your limits physically, mentally, spiritually. In the struggle, answers emerge. You discover what you are made of. You discover why you are here.