In a nutshell: Traditional purpose frameworks like Maslow’s Hierarchy, Ikigai, and Flow Theory weren’t designed with generalists in mind. For people with evolving interests and diverse skills, purpose isn’t a fixed destination — it’s a kaleidoscope that shifts as you grow. Here’s how to use these frameworks to your advantage.
Why Purpose Feels Different for Generalists
Many view purpose as a distant, singular goal. You might have a notion that “when I grow up” is when you will uncover your true purpose and work toward fulfilling your full potential.
However, for generalists with evolving interests, skills, and passions, purpose is not a fixed end state. There isn’t necessarily a single North Star guiding decisions and direction through life.
Generalists find common threads of purpose in varied activities. For example, one person might host a podcast, design a knowledge management system, and volunteer at a library, all unified by the goal of facilitating broader access to information.
The Kaleidoscope of Purpose
For generalists, purpose is like a kaleidoscope. The stones in the canister represent skills, values, strengths, and passions. Occasionally, we swap a colorful gem out or add a new one in.
As the kaleidoscope turns, the picture shown through the viewfinder changes. The shapes and colors recombine to create new images with each movement.
These pictures represent the shifting nature of purpose. They are formed from the same foundational elements, but seen from a different perspective or with a new combination of the key ingredients.
This vision of a shifting and evolving purpose challenges some of the traditional frameworks. Let’s take a deeper look at the prevailing theories of purpose and explore how they relate to generalists.
Purpose Frameworks: A Generalist’s Guide
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs states that humans progress through a set pattern of needs that must be met. It starts with the basic foundation — food, water, shelter — and as each layer is satisfied, a person moves up and focuses on solving the next level: safety, love, esteem, and finally self-actualization.
Self-actualization is defined as realizing one’s full potential based on their capabilities. Upon reaching this pinnacle, someone has attained their highest aspirations and levels of personal growth.
How this applies to generalists: The path up the pyramid can stall between self-esteem and self-actualization. Generalists often have a moment where they realize their approach is different from the “norm.” They notice their strengths and approach are unique and during this milestone moment, either seek to conform to the specialist path or lean into their generalist identity.
Embracing generalist superpowers acts like an unlock key — feeling confident in their way of working and seeing the value they generate meets many of the needs of the esteem level. At that point, they can move on to actualization.
Upon reaching the self-actualization apex, a generalist might experience restlessness after mastering one area and bounce around on the pyramid, looking for new growth opportunities and realigning based on their evolving interests and passions.
Ikigai: The Japanese Concept of Reason for Being
This framework suggests that joy and fulfillment are found at the intersection of four key elements: what you love, what you are good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for.
Missing any of the four elements can lead to an imbalance, such as enjoying work but not being compensated for it, or doing something well but not meeting a real need in the marketplace.
How this applies to generalists: It is important to regularly revisit the four Ikigai questions. Your talents and passions will likely evolve somewhat but retain a core consistency over time. However, the world’s needs and marketable skills can change rapidly and dramatically.
This dynamic is well-suited for generalists who excel at adapting to new technologies, frameworks, and business trends. Regularly reevaluating how your skills and interests align with the needs of the market lets the Ikigai framework grow with you.
Flow Theory by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
This framework is about finding happiness in “flow” — a state where you’re deeply focused on an activity. Those moments when time flies by, and what feels like minutes turns out to be hours? That’s flow.
Flow occurs when you have the right blend of skill and challenge to be completely absorbed. By recognizing when you’re in this state, you can choose to spend more time on tasks that bring you joy and satisfaction.
How this applies to generalists: Experiencing flow across various activities is common for generalists, but being deeply engaged isn’t always synonymous with fulfilling larger goals or contributing to the well-being of others — key aspects of purpose.
Generalists benefit from regularly assessing how their interests and passions evolve. This self-awareness helps in directing time and energy towards activities that not only offer a sense of flow but also align with an evolving sense of purpose.
The PERMA Model by Martin Seligman
The PERMA model emphasizes five aspects of overall well-being: Positive Emotion (joy, gratitude, hope), Engagement (activities that fully capture your attention), Relationships (strong, positive connections), Meaning (a sense of purpose and value), and Accomplishment (pursuing success and mastery).
How this applies to generalists: The PERMA model resonates well with the versatile nature of generalists, whose interests often lead to engaging in a blend of activities — from creative projects and volunteer work to paid roles and community involvement. Fulfillment for generalists often comes from beyond their primary occupation, feeding a broader sense of purpose.
How to Find Your Purpose as a Generalist
Embrace a fluid approach to finding purpose. Recognize that your journey doesn’t have to lead to a single, unchanging answer. Your interests, strengths, and passions can lead to various images of purpose over time. Be open to continuously discovering what brings meaning and fulfillment.
Reflect deeply on the core elements — the kaleidoscope’s stones — that shape the evolving picture of your life’s purpose. Revisit and affirm your core values, identify what truly matters to you, explore your passions, acknowledge what activities you love, and assess your strengths and what you excel at.
If you find yourself stuck, go deeper before zooming back out: Look for commonalities in your favorite roles and projects. Consider your criteria for new opportunities and what satisfaction means to you. Note the moments when you’re most deeply immersed or in a flow state. Think about times when you were so engaged in a project that payment was secondary.
Finding purpose is more of a marathon than a sprint — it’s an ongoing process, not a one-and-done event. For generalists, this journey is about mixing and matching, combining your various talents and passions in both your professional and personal life to carve out meaning for yourself.
Keep an open mind about what purpose means for you. Stay flexible, stay curious, and remember: your kaleidoscope images are uniquely yours.
