Thread by @stevemagness

Let’s talk about the power of having a purpose.

No, not in some feel-good self-help way. But the real science behind how a purpose helps us avoid burnout, deal with discomfort and boost our performance.

THREAD on the science of having a self-transcending purpose: 👇👇👇

To understand purpose, let’s look at how we protect ourselves:

Consider running: We ‘fatigue’ well before we’ve hit some physiological limit. We don’t run out of injury or push until our legs are filled with acid. Our brain shuts us down before we’ve hit an actual limit.

Why do we shut down if we still have fuel left in the tank? For protection.

To prevent us from harming ourselves. In the case of exercise, it's to literally protect our body from damaging ourselves.

This need to protect isn’t just about the physical, it’s about the mental activities too.

Struggling with your math homework or completing a project? How often have you said/heard, “I didn’t try.” We stop trying to protect ourselves.

It isn’t our body that is at risk, it’s our ego.

We try to protect our ego, our “self,” and don’t take risks as a result. That inner doubt “maybe I shouldn’t do this” or “I might fail” is your brain putting the breaks on, essentially protecting you from hurting your ego.

Fear fuels our ego.

When we fear something our ego goes into self-preservation mode, shutting down whatever we are doing that might result in embarrassment, failure, injury, fatigue, etc.

Having a purpose allows us to overcome fear and threat. Even better, if that purpose isn't self-centered.

A greater than-self-cause = a supercharged form of motivation. A purpose frees us up to wade slightly deeper into the risk of failure waters.

Research shows that having a purpose:
-Reduces burnout
-Has a protective effect on cognition for those with Alzheimer’s
-Volunteering linked to less depression later in life
-Purpose based goals lead to better satisfaction and subjective well-being study

Studies show that individuals who have a strong sense of purpose—in other words, a reason to get up every day—tend to outlive those who don’t.

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/P…

In academic settings, having a self-transcendent purpose improved grades, leads to deeper learning, and sustains our attention when studying boring material.
psycnet.apa.org/record/2014-38…

And again, if that purpose transcends your self, and shifts the focus to the greater good, or helping others, then that's even better. Even in the simplest of activities:

Hospital workers more persistent in washing hands when they focused on others
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22075239/

Simple reminders that the work you're doing helps others are very powerful!

In one study, students working the phones to get donations from alumni for scholarships had a 171% increase in money raised when they heard from a recent graduate who had benefited from the program.

In another study, when people reflected on their core values in the midst of receiving a threat, fMRI showed heightened neural activity in the the part of brain associated with positive valuation.

pnas.org/content/112/7/…

When it comes to increasing motivation, a wide body of research suggests doing something for others is far more effective than traditional incentives like money or reputation.

So what?
It’s not just about having a purpose, it’s about thinking less about yourself. A self-transcending purpose. One that dampens down your ego.

In a paradoxical twist, the research suggests that the less we think about ourselves, the better we become.

Purpose fosters motivation; motivation lets us endure a greater perception of effort; and enduring a greater perception of effort often results in better performance.

This equation holds true in every field — from the track to the workplace.

A greater-than-self purpose not only makes the world a better place, it makes you a better you.

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