Aligning Your Life and Work with Your Purpose

Image from the Encinitas Unified School District’s Farm Lab – the nation’s first certified organic farm to school program.

Doing purposeful work is becoming more of a goal for many people today. Just take a read through Aaron Hurst’s The Purpose Economy and you’ll see the proof in the pudding. We’ve wandered off from our roots and many of us are looking to be more connected to each other, what we eat, how we live our lives, and to truly make a difference in the work we do.  Mim Michelove, of Healthy Day Partners, is an example of someone who (seemingly) blends purpose through all areas of her life and has a thriving Non-Profit organization, Healthy Day Partners to boot! We sat down with Mim to hear her secret sauce to living a life in alignment with her values and making a difference in the world around her at the same time.

To listen to our full conversation, click here or the image below and subscribe to the #EverydayLeader Podcast.

Now for some quick tips from Mim on how to make a difference in the world around you:

Start Local

Following passion and purpose you just need to start small.  Follow the leads to where you can make a difference as close to home as possible.  Healthy Day Partners began by starting a school garden in a single school. Over time, the initiative has been adopted in other schools.  Now the grand vision is to make a difference throughout the state….and even the nation!

Share

From a spirit of generosity grows community and abundance.  What started as an inclination to ensure all kids in school have access to healthy food has grown to a City-wide initiative to plant fruit trees on public lands so residents, especially the more vulnerable segments of the community, have free access to healthy alternatives.  

Live in integrity

Practice what you preach as much as is humanly possible, and do it in the way that works for you.  You don’t have to go overboard, what’s important is feeling good about what you’re doing.

Be the river, not the rock

It often feels like an uphill battle and obstacles are plenty.  It’s important to go with the flow rather than get stuck on the rocks.  There is always a way if you really believe in something and want to see change – even if it takes a while to get through!  

Learn from others

Pay attention to admirable organizations and study how their philosophies and values are put into action. Look to the people and organizations for inspiration and learn from how they affect change.

Surround yourself with positive influence

Keep people around you who are honest and will challenge you with constructive feedback while they also encourage you and support your growth and goals.  There are plenty of challenging people – you need to be able to roll past them and keep going, so positive connections are critical for your sustainability!

Don’t start with the end in mind

Start where you are and make a difference there. Your initiative will evolve into all kinds of possibilities you couldn’t imagine at first. You’ll be pleasantly surprised at where you end up!

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Healthy food and a healthy environment are critical for our future. If we want a healthy future, for humans and the planet, we must be willing to invest in clean, whole food nutrition and consciously care for our environment.  At Energize Leadership, we take health seriously and believe it’s a critical element of effective leadership and workplace productivity. We love the mission of Healthy Day Partners – starting in school environments and building infrastructure to support healthy habits. We hope you’ll check out what they’re doing!

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Check out our Leadership First Self-Evaluation for opportunities to lean in and reach your full leadership potential!