Ep 76: Human Beings vs. Human Doings: Finding Your Purpose
Have you ever experienced a time when everything seemed on track, you were advancing ahead, hitting your goals, and still felt a low hum of restlessness you couldn’t explain? You’re not alone. In Episode #76 of The 30-Day Year Podcast, Dave and Jacq Conway sit down to talk about the one idea Dave calls essential and non-negotiable, yet says almost everyone gets wrong: PURPOSE.
Here is the twist that makes this episode so good. Purpose is not a “thing” you go out and acquire like a new title or a bigger income number. Dave describes it as a feeling, an energy, and an intention that sits behind every thought you think and every move you make. And when you finally understand it, something surprising happens to the way you make decisions.
Jacq opens up about the moment purpose clicked for her at an emotional level, and how that shift lined up with one of the biggest earning months she had ever had. Dave breaks down the difference between being a “human being” and living as a “human doing”, why that difference shapes your entire life, and the simple, low-pressure question that helps you start uncovering your own purpose without any pressure to commit.
If you’ve ever felt busy but scattered, successful but unsettled, or stuck making decisions that don’t quite feel like yours, this conversation will give you a fresh way to understand why.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
Why purpose is the most misunderstood idea in personal growth, and what it actually is…
The unique reframe that lined up with one of Jacq’s biggest earning months ever…
Why you “feel” purpose instead of thinking it, and why this is so critical to understand…
The important difference between "generic purpose" and "definite purpose"
The one simple (“zero pressure”) question that you can use TODAY to help uncover and unlock your true purpose…
Why having a clear purpose makes even hard decisions almost instant…
And much more!
Tune in to the full episode now!
Key Takeaways
1.) Purpose Is the Most Misunderstood Idea in Success (0:00:38)
Dave says “purpose” is essential and absolutely non-negotiable. It’s also very misunderstood. Most people see purpose as some grand thing they have to discover, name, and lock in forever. That creates a lot of pressure, and is exactly why so many people never even get started. Dave and Jacq take a very different approach, one shaped over years of teaching this idea in workshops and seminars.
Curious how they actually define it? That’s where this gets really good!
Tune into the full episode to hear it.
2.) Jacq’s Quantum Leap: When Purpose Clicked, Her Income Followed (0:01:38)
Jacq shares the moment purpose stopped being just an abstract idea in her head and became something she could feel. It happened at one of Dave’s events, when a single comment from the audience reframed everything she thought she knew.
Right after that shift, she had one of the biggest earning months of her life.
What was the reframe that unlocked it?
Listen in to find out.
3.) Purpose Is a Feeling, Not a Thing (0:03:52)
Here is the important way Dave reframes the whole idea of purpose. He says you do not think purpose; you feel it. He describes it as the energy behind every thought, the thing that gives an action its value and keeps it moving.
He then shares a very ordinary, very relatable example from his own daily life to prove the point. And once you hear it, you’ll start noticing the purpose behind everything you do.
Tune in to hear Dave’s example in the episode now!
4.) Human Beings vs. Human Doings (0:11:58)
We are called human beings, but Dave says most of us are living as “human doings”, busy, busy, busy, and very active, but with very little thought behind the activity.
Dave says if your purpose is not the thing making your decisions, then something else is. What is really running the show for you?
Dave tells us exactly what it is, and it’s NOT what you would expect.
Tune in to hear his surprising answer.
5.) Generic Purpose vs. Definite Purpose (0:15:15)
Dave explains that every human shares one universal, generic purpose: the pull to expand and express, which is why almost everyone feels destined for more.
But your definite purpose is where it gets personal, and where your real direction lives.
Understanding the difference is what turns a restless feeling into a clear path.
Listen to hear Dave explain how to tell them apart.
6.) The Question That Gets the Juices Flowing! (0:18:32)
If defining your purpose feels a little overwhelming, Dave and Jacq share the exact entry-point question they teach, a simple question that is so low-pressure that Jacq used it to get their daughter unstuck on a school project in about thirty seconds!
It works beautifully and effectively because you’re not making a decision of any kind; you’re simply exploring. So all the pressure is removed!
They also reveal how purpose and values work together, using a unique picture you will not forget.
Tune into the full episode now to get the question and try it yourself.
What to Do Next…
If there is one core message from this episode, it’s this. Purpose is not something you chase. It’s the energy and intention behind everything you already do, and when you get clear on it, your decisions get clear too.
Most people never give this idea of purpose the space it needs and deserves to bloom, and that’s why they stay stuck as “human doings”. Here’s the simple solution. Give purpose room. A quiet day or two, a pen, a piece of paper, and one honest question. The time it takes to figure this out is always worth it, because once you have it, everything you do becomes more focused and more powerful.
Want help putting this into practice?
Be sure to check out the free resources mentioned in this episode. They will help you take everything from this episode and turn it into real momentum.
Free Resources Mentioned In This Episode
🎯 FREE 30-Day Year Goal-Setting Guide
Clarity is a muscle, and it gets stronger with practice. This 21-day challenge helps you build focus, sharpen your thinking, and create real momentum toward the results that matter most to you.
Download the FREE 30-Day Year Goal-Setting Guide now!
🚀 FREE 21-Day Money Momentum Challenge
Dave says the habit that changes everything is built through long, patient effort, a little bit every single day. This free 21-day challenge is one of the best ways to start. It is designed to rewire your daily thinking, turn you into a money magnet, and help you build real momentum toward the results you want most.
Begin the FREE 21-Day Money Momentum Challenge now!
🧠 FREE Visualization Checklist
Your imagination is one of the most powerful tools you own for building the future you want. This simple checklist walks you through Dave’s image-building process step-by-step, so you can start training your mind for the results you’re after!
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In Episode 76 of the 30-Day Year Podcast, Dave and Jacq Conway reframe purpose as the energy and intention behind everything you do — not a title or a goal you chase. You'll learn the difference between generic and definite purpose, why you feel purpose instead of thinking it, and the low-pressure question that helps you start uncovering your own.