Recently, I had the chance to watch Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey , the blockbuster adaptation of Homer’s classic tale of Odysseus and his twenty-year quest to return home to Ithaca. It’s one of history’s great stories of perseverance: no matter how many obstacles threaten to knock him off course, Odysseus keeps his sights on where he ultimately wants to go.

It got me thinking about my own two-decade journey since launching my company. Granted, I’ve never faced off with Cyclops or witches, but navigating a constantly shifting business and technology landscape has sometimes made it challenging to keep sight of the larger mission.

For leaders and individuals alike, it’s so important to have a clear sense of what you’re working toward and why. Employees with a strong sense of purpose at work were 5.6 times as likely to be engaged as those with a low sense of purpose, according to a 2025 study from Gallup and Stand Together. A strong sense of purpose also fends off burnout and boosts wellbeing. And yet, only 18% of those surveyed said their current job has a purpose they personally believe in.

Losing sight of what you’re working for, whether you’re leading a company, managing a team, or navigating your own career, can be stressful. It can dilute your focus and weaken motivation.

The good news is that purpose isn’t necessarily something you either have or don’t have. Sometimes, you need to pause, step back, and clarify what matters.

Here are four ChatGPT prompts to help you re-clarify what you’re working toward and find your way back to your larger sense of purpose.

What Is The Greater Mission?

It’s safe to say that we’re in a busyness epidemic. With so many ways to stay connected and keep ticking things off our to-do lists, it becomes all too easy to lose sight of the forest for the trees.

Take my gig: CEO of a company that offers online forms and other everyday automations. Put that way, it’s not exactly the most inspiring mission. Sometimes, I have to step back and remind myself of the larger purpose of all those meetings and strategy sessions—helping to reduce tedious busywork, leaving more room for engaging work, and, more generally, making our users’ lives easier. That’s the kind of mission that keeps me motivated even during occasional lulls in the workday.

ChatGPT can help you reconnect your day-to-day work with your broader mission—or your company’s. Here’s a prompt to get started.

“I’d like to better understand the greater mission behind my day-to-day work. Here’s a description of my company: [brief description]. Here’s an outline of my daily tasks and responsibilities: [brief description].

I’d like you to help me explore how these activities connect to a larger purpose—what I’m ultimately trying to accomplish and why the work matters. Please ask me any clarifying questions you think would help before you begin. Then help me articulate a concise, meaningful statement of the larger purpose behind my work.”

We derive meaning from our work in various ways—the financial stability it provides, of course, but also factors like the impact on others. Recent research highlights the importance of this sense of impact. Put differently: How are you helping other people or communities?

That may sound like a realm reserved for professions like medicine and therapy, but there are so many ways to make a positive impact. You might create career-related inspirational content, provide an app that streamlines busywork, develop video games that give people a much-needed mental break, or do something else entirely.

Building on the previous prompt, it can be helpful to spell out exactly how your work gives you meaning through the ways it helps others. Here’s a prompt to try.

“I’d like to better understand how my work helps others and why that gives my work meaning. Here’s a description of my company or role: [brief description]. Here’s an outline of my typical work and responsibilities: [brief description].

Please help me explore the ways my work has a positive impact on other people or communities. Ask me whatever clarifying questions you think are necessary before drawing any conclusions. Once you have enough context, help me identify the people I’m helping, how I’m helping them, and why that impact matters to me.”

How Are You Deepening Relationships?

Relationships are another factor that gives work meaning and purpose—and it goes well beyond having someone to go to happy hour with. It’s the new hire you’re mentoring and helping navigate early-career questions. It’s the colleague who taught you how to master software that helps you do your job better. It’s the user you helped save from a massive headache.

That’s part of the reason why, post-pandemic, my company returned to the office : because in two decades, I’ve seen how sharing a physical workspace can help deepen those relationships.

Thinking through all of the relationships that develop through your work can help reinforce your sense of purpose. Here’s a prompt to help you explore them.

“I’d like to think through how the relationships connected to my work contribute to my sense of meaning and purpose. Here’s a description of my role and typical work: [brief description].

Please ask me whatever questions you think are necessary before you begin. Help me think about the relationships involved in my work—including colleagues, mentors, people I mentor, customers or users, and anyone else who may benefit from what I do. Once you have enough context, help me identify which relationships are most meaningful to me, how they enrich my work, and how they contribute to my broader sense of purpose.”

How Is Your Work Contributing To A Life You Want?

Finally, whether you live to work or follow the “work to live” ideology, your career can give meaning to your life more broadly. It’s worth considering whether the path you’ve chosen is helping you build the life you want.

For example, a startup founder might get overwhelmed by the unpredictable nature of her work. She might feel burdened by the stress of not having the comfort and predictability of a 9-to-5. But it might be helpful to consider the ways in which that path, unsteady as it might appear at times, is empowering her to lead the life she aspires to—with autonomy, a self-determined schedule, and a clear sense of impact from her day-to-day efforts.

But before you can figure out whether your career is fulfilling your purpose in this sense, you have to spell out your vision for your life. Here’s a prompt to get started.

“I’d like to clarify the kind of life I ultimately want to build, and how my work and career fit into that vision. Please interview me before offering any conclusions: ask whatever questions you think are necessary to understand what I value, how I want to spend my time, what I want more or less of in my life, and what gives me a sense of fulfillment.

Once you have enough context, help me articulate a clear vision for the life I want to build. Then help me consider how my current career supports—or potentially conflicts with—that vision, and what changes I might consider.”