Beyond the Schedule: Simon Squibb on Finding True Purpose

In a recent LinkedIn post, entrepreneur and investor Simon Squibb shares a profound personal realization about the difference between a busy schedule and genuine purpose. Squibb recounts his experience of achieving significant financial success after selling his company, only to find himself feeling empty despite acquiring all the material possessions he had once dreamed of.

Squibb’s journey led him to question the substance beneath his meticulously filled schedule. He writes:

For 20 years my schedule had been so full I never asked what any of it was for. Then the schedule disappeared… and there was nothing underneath it.

The Emptiness of a Full Schedule Without Purpose

Squibb argues that a packed schedule, often mistaken for a sign of productivity and success, can actually serve as a barrier to discovering one’s true calling. In his view, this constant busyness can prevent individuals from introspection and from identifying the activities that truly resonate with them.

He elaborates on the nature of purpose, stating:

It’s not your job title. It’s not your diary. It’s the thing you can’t stop doing. The thing you’d do for free, on your birthday, when nobody’s making you.

This distinction is crucial, according to Squibb. He suggests that purpose isn’t tied to external markers of success like a job title or a packed calendar, but rather to an intrinsic drive and passion for a particular activity.

Discovering Purpose Through Action and Intrinsic Motivation

Squibb recounts how he stumbled upon his own purpose—helping people start businesses—somewhat by accident after assisting a stranger. This experience, he notes, provided him with a sense of fulfillment that his previous financial achievements could not. The motivation to pursue this purpose, he emphasizes, is no longer driven by money, which he had in abundance, but by the inherent satisfaction derived from the activity itself.

According to Squibb, the common pitfall for many is the lack of time and mental space to explore what truly matters. He observes:

Most people never find theirs because their schedule is too full to go looking.

This highlights a critical point: actively seeking purpose requires a deliberate step back from the relentless demands of a schedule. Squibb encourages readers to shift their focus from the immediate demands of their to-do lists to a more fundamental question about their intrinsic motivations.

A Call to Introspection

Squibb concludes his post by posing a question designed to provoke self-reflection: “What can’t you stop doing?” This question, he suggests, is far more valuable than any to-do list in guiding individuals toward a life of meaning and fulfillment. His insights underscore the importance of aligning one’s daily activities with a deeper sense of purpose, even if it means re-evaluating the structure and demands of one’s schedule.