Masters in Business · Wednesday, July 29, 2026
Dr. Grummitt contrasts 'big P purpose' (goal-oriented, often unattainable, leading to anxiety) with 'little p purpose' (enjoying the process of daily activities). He argues that focusing on the process of a career, relationships, or solving complex problems, rather than solely on achieving status or massive goals, leads to greater satisfaction and less fear of failure or loss.
“So big P purposes goal oriented. And because we live in America, you know, if you can dream it, you can build it. It's often big audacious goals that are very difficult to achieve and they're usually all or nothing, like I want to travel to Mars or I want to be a trillionaire is all or nothing and it's really hard to achieve. And every million people who go for those goals, very few are ever going to achieve it. So you're setting yourself up for purpose anxiety.”
“Let's change that around and say that you're more of a little pea purpose and you enjoy the process, not the goal, but the process of your career or the process of having status. You like going in every day of the office. You love seeing the people you love. You're working on complex, intricate problems. You get so excited by them you forget the time of day and miss lunch. That's flow, that's little p purpose, that's enjoying the process.”