Over the past two weeks, we’ve been walking through one of the most important frameworks in my work:
Purpose = Faith + Love + Meaningful Work
In Part 1, we talked about Faith — the anchor that gives you perspective and steadiness when life feels uncertain. If you missed it, you can read it here.
In Part 2, we talked about Love — the relationships that strengthen you, shape your resilience, and remind you what matters most. You can revisit that one here.
Today, we’re stepping into the third pillar:
Meaningful Work — how you express your gifts in the world.
Most people assume purpose is their job title.
But meaningful work is bigger than a role, a promotion, or a paycheck.
It’s the intersection of:
What you’re good at
What you care about
and who you’re called to serve.
When meaningful work is missing, success starts to feel hollow — even when everything looks right on paper.
But when your work aligns with your strengths, values, and calling, something shifts.
You stop performing for approval.
You stop chasing outcomes that don’t satisfy you.
You start building impact that actually feels like yours.
Faith anchors you.
Love sustains you.
Meaningful work activates you.
And when all three are aligned, purpose stops feeling distant — and starts becoming your daily reality.
The Purpose Formula Part 3: Meaningful Work
The Quiet Signal That Your Work Is Ready to Evolve
I’ve worked with many women who look incredibly successful from the outside.
They’re leading teams.
Running departments.
Driving strategy.
Making decisions that shape organizations.
And yet, at some point in our conversations, almost all of them say a version of the same sentence:
“I should feel more fulfilled than this.”
Not because they chose the wrong career, lack ambition, or aren’t grateful.
But because achievement and alignment are not the same thing.
You can be excellent at something and still not be called to do it forever.
You can succeed inside a structure that no longer fits who you’ve become.
And when that happens, your life starts asking a new question:
“What am I meant to do now?”
That question isn’t a crisis.
It’s an invitation.
My Own Turning Point With Meaningful Work
For a long time, success in my career looked exactly the way most of us were taught to define it:
Title
Income
Influence
And at one point, I had what many people would call the dream role.
- A big title leadership position.
- A big salary.
- A beautiful office overlooking the skyline.
- A fast-moving environment where the stakes were high and the expectations were even higher.
From the outside, it looked like I had made it.
But behind the scenes, I was traveling three weeks out of every month, working nights and weekends, and carrying the invisible load that so many women carry at home as well as at work.
Eventually, I reached full burnout.
And what surprised me most?
When my role was eliminated during a restructuring, I didn’t feel angry, anxious or scared.
I felt relieved.
Relieved to see my family again.
Relieved to step off the treadmill I had been running on for years.
Relieved to finally ask a question I hadn’t made space for before:
“What does TRUE success actually look like for me?”
That moment forced me to redefine success—not around status, but around alignment.
How? CLARITY!
- I got clear on my values.
- I got clear on how I wanted to spend my time.
- I got clear on the kind of impact I wanted my work to have and the kind of life I wanted it to support.
- I got clear on what I wanted my days to look like.
- And I got clear on how I wanted to FEEL.
Today, I still lead transformation work inside organizations—and I love it.
But I do it in a structure that reflects what matters most to me:
Flexibility — the ability to lead at a high level AND be present for the people and moments that matter most in my life
Purpose — knowing the work I’m doing contributes to something meaningful, not just something measurable
Family — staying connected to the season of life I’m in and the role I want to play at home, not just at work.
Impact that feels meaningful, not just impressive on paper — focusing on work that creates real change for people, not just titles, optics, or external validation.
Meaningful work isn’t always about changing careers.
Sometimes it’s about changing the definition of success you’re working toward.
And that realization shaped more than just how I work—it shaped how I support other women, too.
Because I see so many high-achieving women navigating the same questions I once faced:
How do I stay both ambitious and aligned?
How do I grow my impact without sacrificing what matters most?
How do I define success in a way that actually fits my life?
That’s why I coach women through this process and share this framework in my keynotes—helping them build sustainable success that reflects their values, their strengths, and the season of life they’re in now.
The Data Behind Meaningful Work and Fulfillment
This shift toward alignment isn’t just personal—it’s supported by research.
- Gallup reports that only one in three professionals strongly agree their work feels meaningful — yet those who do are significantly more engaged and energized.
- Harvard Business Review found that employees who experience purpose in their work report higher motivation, stronger well-being, and lower burnout risk.
- And McKinsey research shows nearly 70% of employees define purpose as their work feeling useful to others, not simply successful on paper.
Most women I work with don’t want less ambition.
They want:
- Ambition that fits their life
- Success that reflects their values
- Work that supports their families instead of competing with them.
- Impact that feels real—not performative.
Meaningful work isn’t about walking away from leadership.
It’s about leading in a way that reflects who you actually are now.
3 Ways to Reconnect With Meaningful Work
1. Identify where your strengths create the most impact.
Meaningful work lives at the intersection of ability and contribution.
Ask yourself:
“Where do people consistently come to me for clarity, leadership, or solutions?”
Your gifts are often already visible to others before they’re visible to you.
2. Pay attention to what energizes you — not just what you’re good at.
Competence alone doesn’t create fulfillment.
Energy does.
Notice:
- Which conversations stay with you afterward
- Which problems you enjoy solving
- Which outcomes feel deeply satisfying to create
Energy is one of the clearest signals of alignment.
3. Redefine success for the season you’re in.
Meaningful work evolves as your life evolves.
Sometimes alignment means stepping forward.
Sometimes it means setting boundaries.
Sometimes it means choosing flexibility over prestige—or purpose over pressure.
The key question isn’t:
“What should I be doing?”
It’s:
“What matters most right now?”
Considering a Career Transition?
If meaningful work is the pillar that feels ready to evolve for you right now, this is exactly the work I support women through in my career transition coaching.
Over six sessions across three months, we:
- clarify the leadership role that fits your values and season of life.
- build a focused strategy for your search.
- strengthen your resume, LinkedIn, and leadership narrative.
- prepare you to interview with confidence.
- evaluate opportunities holistically and negotiate effectively.
- create a 90-day transition plan for success in your next role.
The outcome is a role that aligns with your values and season of life.
If you’re ready to explore what that could look like for you, you can book a conversation with me here –> Join the Fulfilled Life Accelerator
Bringing the Purpose Formula Together
Faith gives you direction.
Love gives you support.
Meaningful work gives you expression.
When all three are aligned, purpose stops feeling abstract.
It becomes something you live every day.
And if meaningful work is the pillar that currently feels unclear or unsettled for you, you’re not alone.
Many of the women I work with are navigating exactly this question:
What does alignment look like for me now?
Because meaningful work isn’t something reserved for someday.
It’s something you begin building now.
How I Can Help
- Purchase my International Bestselling Book that goes through the framework that has helped 1,000+ coaching and executive clients. You can find more information HERE.
- Join the Powerhouse Women Network! Find more information HERE.
Your turn to reflect a step further:
Where in your life does your work feel most aligned right now — and where is it asking to evolve?
– Christi Cossette
