What Is Your Purpose? — Issue #6: The Effective Project Manager
When your story stops matching who you are, it’s time to realign.
Hello, dear Self-Disciplined community!
Welcome to the latest edition of our biweekly series, What Is Your Purpose?
First off — wow. I’m honestly blown away by the incredible reception this series has had so far. The insights shared, the conversations sparked, the new connections made… it’s been everything I hoped for and more.
A huge thank you to all the authors who’ve already contributed and to those patiently waiting for their turn — your generosity and openness are what make this series so meaningful (and fun!) to run.
Quick reminder: If you’d like to be featured in a future edition, we still have a few open slots. Just send me a DM here on Substack 💬 or drop me a line at 📧 camilo@self-disciplined.com.
Now, onto today’s guest.
Jonathan has spent the past 15 years in the project management world. He’s the founder of , a platform built around one simple but powerful belief:
You are more than just a project manager.
Jonathan’s mission is to help professionals do their work better and faster so they can free up time for the other things that matter. At the end of the day, he claims, productivity isn’t just about checking boxes. It’s about reclaiming space for the life you want to live.
So, what’s the deeper purpose driving Jonathan’s work?
Let’s hear it from him directly.
“A personal story about figuring out who I am. And the questions that helped me get there. If you’re trying to understand yourself, this might help you start.”
A note to the reader: This is a summary of my story. But it’s not for me.
You’re reading this for you.
This is a breakdown of what actually helped me start understanding myself, and what might help you do the same.
Because after all, we are all but versions of each other. More alike than different.
But first, some context.
For a long time, I followed the paths of people who seemed to know what they were doing.
Parents, teachers, mentors. People I admired.
It was like I was borrowing their maps, following their safe, smart routes.
Now I’m not saying this is a bad thing. And honestly? A lot of it was useful.
There’s real wisdom in walking a well-trodden path.
It’s the 80:20 principle. Doing what is accepted to work is a great idea. I genuinely recommend it.
Work hard. Learn the basics. Get experience. Get recognition. Learn from others.
But eventually, as I got comfortable, I realized that secondhand wisdom isn’t enough. At some point, you have to stop quoting others and start checking in with yourself. You need lived experience, your own mistakes, questions, wins, and experiments.
I was missing that.
I had a framework, but not a foundation.
That’s when things started to shift.
And it might have taken too long. I was well into my early thirties before I realised that things might need to change.
Let's get into it.
I Was “Doing Fine” But Drifting
High school. University. Early work. I was performing life. I followed the path, hit the marks, smiled on schedule.
But underneath? I was directionless and disconnected.
I didn’t hate anything, I just didn’t feel anything.
(I think many of you can relate)
It took a while to realise I wasn’t really making choices. I was following momentum.
Ask yourself:
Am I choosing my life, or just reacting to it?
The Shift
Change didn’t happen all at once. It came from a few slow, steady forces.
First, pain. Or more accurately, frustration. A sense that I could do more.
I felt that I was good enough to achieve more and that I wasn’t doing so.
Naval Ravikant says that the only true test of intelligence is if you are getting what you want out of life.
And I wasn’t.
I couldn’t point to one big problem, just a low-level ache that kept building.
I want to encourage you to never ever ever ignore that low-level ache.
Then came tiredness. Not burnout, but a fatigue from always performing. I was following a script that no longer felt like mine.
And finally, identity cracks. The person I thought I was and the person I had become weren’t lining up. That disconnect started to wear on me.
I’d say these things all happened over a few years. 3 or more perhaps. They build up slowly and I ignored them. Eventually they became too much and the dam wall cracked. I started to actively make changes.
Here’s what helped:
Practical Protocols: Think. Write. Experiment.
Let’s discuss a way to make change. Things that worked for me.
It’s divided into three parts: Think, Write, Experiment
I’ll describe these simply because they are a protocol, not a prescription.
Do what works for you. That’s most important.
→ Think Protocol: Create Space for Thought
No phone. No music. No multitasking.
Block out 30 minutes. Go for a walk or sit still. (I personally love walking)
Ask yourself one question. Donʼt rush the answer. (See some questions below)
Write your thoughts down. Immediately. Some people think by writing, others write after thinking. Whatever works for you.
Starter questions:
[My favourite question] I will feel safe when…
Who am I when I’m not performing?
What do I do even when no one asks me to?
What do I secretly want, but feel guilty for wanting?
Am I brave enough to be disliked?
What kind of effort feels good, even when it’s hard?
You don’t need perfect answers. You just need honest ones.
→ Write Protocol: Get the Truth on Paper
In addition to the protocol above, make time for more structured, longer writing.
Use a private journal. No filters. No worrying about anyone seeing your thoughts.
Start with prompts:
“Right now, I feel stuck because…”
“If I’m honest with myself, I want…”
“I’m tired of pretending that…”
Don’t worry about grammar and spelling. Just get it out.
Re-read it the next day. You’ll be surprised what shows up. (Re-read it in a year for an even bigger shock)
→ Experiment Protocol: Low-Risk, High-Insight
Pick one curiosity. Anything.
Find the smallest version of it you can try this week.
Don’t aim to win. Aim to learn.
You won’t be perfect and that’s fine. Play an instrument. Learn to code. Try to create a newsletter. Take up a sport.
Example:
Curious about writing? Publish one LinkedIn post.
Interested in coaching? Offer a free session to a friend.
Think you might want to switch careers? Shadow someone for an hour.
Clarity comes from doing, not daydreaming.
What I Know Now (That I Didn’t Then)
Some insights from these years:
Change is allowed. You don’t owe consistency to past versions of yourself.
Purpose evolves. You won’t find it once. It keeps shifting as you grow.
Chasing approval is a dead end. It’ll never feel like enough. Don’t even bother.
Self-interest is not selfish. It’s essential. You can’t figure out your life by constantly prioritizing everyone else’s comfort. Caring about your own clarity, energy, and direction isn’t egotistical. It’s how you become someone who can show up for others without losing yourself. Read: The Courage to be Disliked. It explains it more clearly than I can here.
Other people’s wisdom is useful, but incomplete. You have to live it to believe it. You have to test it, challenge it, break it, rebuild it. That’s how it becomes yours. That doesn’t mean discard the advice of others. Definitely not. But update it and refine it and make it fit your circumstances.
Start Small, But Start Now
You don’t need a five-year plan.
You don’t need to fix your whole life this weekend.
You just need to be honest. Pay attention. And move one layer closer to what feels real.
Most people don’t do this. They wait until they break.
I did.
You don’t have to.
Final Word
This isn’t a guide to becoming someone new.
It’s a guide to coming back to who you actually are.
That’s why I’m here: Not because I figured everything out, but because I finally stopped running from myself and started listening.
If you do nothing else after reading this, just ask yourself one honest question. Then write what comes up.
That’s where it starts.
Thank you, Jonathan, for sharing such a rich and honest reflection. There’s plenty to sit with here. I imagine many readers will recognize pieces of their own story in yours.
One line stayed with me:
The person I thought I was and the person I had become weren’t lining up.
That quiet realization sits at the core of everything he shared.
Reread it closely. This isn’t just a story about change. It’s a reckoning. Jonathan had accepted a version of himself that no longer matched who he was. And once that disconnect became clear, something had to shift.
From that moment on, things moved differently.
The truth is, this kind of discovery doesn’t belong to anyone else.
It’s yours to make.
Read Jonathan’s closing thoughts again.
This is your path.
This is your friction.
This is your purpose.
And this…this is discipline.
Have a wonderful week!
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Thank you for your kind words Colette 🙏
Jonathan's words felt so relatable. As I read I felt I went through the same at some point.
I'm glad that this post came up as transformative to you. Thank you for reading, as always!
Very nice 👍🏻