The traditional view: purpose as role or achievement
From a young age, we’re taught to think of purpose as something tied to what we do. It appears in questions like, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” or in the quiet pressure to discover your one true calling. In creative work, this often sounds like: “I’m a designer,” “I want to lead a team,” or “I’m working toward launching my own product.”
These are all valid goals, but they’re also external markers.
And they tend to shift. Roles change. Projects end. New tools emerge. If we anchor our sense of purpose to a title or achievement, the ground can feel shaky when things change (and they always do).
A more resilient approach: purpose as a way of being
What if purpose isn’t a fixed destination but a way of moving through the world? Instead of basing it on a job title or a major milestone, we can define purpose by how we do things; our presence, our values, and the energy we bring to our work and relationships.
This approach is more durable. Even if your role evolves or teams come and go, how you choose to show up remains entirely in your hands. Whether things are falling into place or you’re feeling stuck, the energy and presence you bring still matter.
When purpose is grounded in how you show up, it gives you something to ground yourself in, even when everything around you shifts.
It’s not about abandoning ambition but expanding your sense of purpose to include not just the outcomes you’re after but the person you’re becoming along the way.
Why this matters for UX (and creative work in general)
In UX, things are always changing, and teams are constantly reorganizing. Projects move around, and priorities shift. The work rarely stays the same for long. However, the way you approach your craft; how you listen, explore, make decisions, and collaborate, can remain the same.
That consistency is powerful, and it becomes an integral part of your personal blueprint.
Great UX doesn’t come from outcomes alone, it’s shaped by the process you follow and the mindset you bring. The experience you create for others often reflects how you worked: with care or speed, thoughtfulness or haste, openness or rigidity.
You can be intentional not just with the work itself, but with how you show up for the people you’re doing it with. Craft matters, but so does presence, care, and how you carry yourself in the process.
Living the mindset: purpose in practice
We don’t need to reserve this way of working for big moments. It shows up in the small, everyday choices: how you give feedback, how you handle ambiguity, how you treat your teammates on a tough day.
Purpose isn’t waiting on the next opportunity, it starts with how you approach the one in front of you. You just need clarity on what matters to you and a willingness to bring that into your work. Some prompts to ground you:
- What qualities do I want to embody?
- How can I bring more care or curiosity into this task?
- What would this look like if I approached it with more presence?
Purpose becomes something you practice, not something you chase.
Jess Eddy
A simple reminder
The work will change. The roles will change. But how you move through it all is yours to define.
We don’t have to pin purpose to a title or achievement. It can stem from how you show up, your approach, your presence, and the way you make others feel along the way.
Sometimes, that’s what leaves the biggest impact.
