What Is Your Purpose? — Issue #8: Adi Sharma
That moment when we come back to what matters
Hi everyone,
Welcome to the latest issue of our biweekly series, What Is Your Purpose?
Things have been hectic lately…no surprise there. Last week, I joined my friend Ociel for a podcast conversation1, and I’ve also been pouring a lot of energy into bringing core ideas like Adaptable Discipline2 to life. Behind the scenes, I’ve been writing more, coordinating more, and creating more for the Self Disciplined community.
All of that sits alongside my main responsibilities: being a husband, a dad, and holding down a full-time job. Life’s been full, and also deeply fulfilling. These projects feed my soul.
And none of it moves without you. Every share, comment, and message of encouragement fuels this work. You’ve helped me spread an unorthodox approach to discipline. One that speaks to those who’ve tried everything and still feel stuck. This is about showing there’s a gentler, more sustainable way to return to what matters. So thank you, truly.
Now, for today’s issue: I’m excited to introduce someone whose journey started not long after mine. We overlapped in the topics we were exploring, and that naturally led to the connection we share now.
Adi Sharma is the founder of The Doers Club. In his words, it’s “me thinking out loud—so that you don’t have to figure it out alone.”
Adi actually started writing back in 2022, but it wasn’t until December 2024 that he returned with full force. After his public comeback, as his voice and following grew, our paths crossed, and it became clear we were circling similar themes in the personal development space. Collaboration just made sense.
For this series, I asked Adi to share what drives him and the journey that led him to start writing on Substack, to which he kindly accepted.
Having already read his piece, I can tell you: it hit close to home. I think it might for you too.
So without further ado, here’s Adi. In his own words.
For most of my adult life — especially in the last 2 to 5 years — my purpose has been all about personal growth. Not in a buzzword-y, influencer kind of way, but in a very real, grounded way. I moved to a new country, started living alone, and entered this phase where I was just learning a lot about myself. I didnʼt even realize it at the time, but looking back, thatʼs when things started to shift. I started building a different kind of relationship with myself.
Iʼve always been a pretty competitive person. Like, even as a kid, I was always comparing myself with friends or classmates. I wanted to be better — do better — not in a toxic way, but just wired that way, you know? And I think that carried into adulthood. But now itʼs less about competing with other people, and more about competing with who I was yesterday. When I challenge myself and break my own barriers — whether itʼs something physical, mental, or even emotional — thatʼs when I feel most alive. Thatʼs when I feel the most grateful, the most energized. Thatʼs honestly what I think my purpose is. Itʼs not tied to one specific job or title or outcome — itʼs just the process of getting better at life.
What motivates me today, in this phase of life, is a bit different than before. I donʼt want to be someone who feels bad about myself — and Iʼve realized one of the biggest ways to feel bad is to not follow through on the promises you make to yourself. That feeling sucks. So now, even if something doesnʼt go perfectly, I try to at least honor the intention. If I said Iʼd try something, I try it. If it doesnʼt work, I move on — but I donʼt want to be the version of me whoʼs constantly backing out of things I said I wanted.
At the same time, Iʼm also aware of how good I already have it. I really am grateful for my life right now. Iʼm in a stable place, Iʼve got supportive people, I have freedom and space to explore. And I know a lot of people donʼt. So itʼs not like Iʼm chasing more out of a place of lack. But I do have this inner fire to create a better life for myself. I want to be able to do things with more freedom of time in the future. Thatʼs a big driver.
But Iʼm also starting to realize — and this is kind of new for me — that this idea of a “better life” is kind of never-ending. Like, it might be a flawed idea. Thereʼs always going to be some future version of success or freedom to chase. So Iʼve been trying to make peace with the idea that the pursuit itself — the trying, the learning, the growth — is actually the thing. Thatʼs what fuels me. And itʼs okay if thereʼs never a perfect moment of arrival.
Right now, Iʼm in this phase where Iʼm trying a lot of different things. Trading. Writing about personal growth on Substack. Posting stuff on TikTok. Building side apps. Iʼm a software engineer and Iʼve studied data science and AI, so I have a bunch of skills I want to use. Iʼm just trying to figure out which path to stick with. Thatʼs the hard part. I often find myself jumping around — because every time something gets hard, the other option starts to look more appealing. Itʼs that shiny object syndrome, and I know I fall into it.
And I think thatʼs been one of the biggest things thatʼs pulled me off track — not burnout, but over-comparison. Thatʼs the one that gets to me the most. Like, Iʼll be doing okay, and then I see a friend launching a successful project or making more money or just doing something cool, and suddenly Iʼm spiraling. “Why am I not there yet?” “Why canʼt I stick to something long enough to win?” And then I start doubting myself, second-guessing all the things I was excited about five minutes ago.
What brings me back now — and this took a while to figure out — is realizing that thereʼs always going to be something else. Thereʼs always going to be someone doing better. Thereʼs always going to be something new I could be trying. That never stops. What Iʼve started to focus on instead is just simplifying my life. Staying off social media more. Coming back to the basics — the things that make me feel good on a daily basis: having a calm routine, spending time outside, playing sports, working on something creative, being with people I care about.
Discipline for me is just… rhythm. When my routine is steady, I feel like myself. When it gets disrupted — whether itʼs from travel or visitors or just life being life — I start to feel off-balance. But as soon as I come back to the things I love doing regularly, things click again. Itʼs not about being super rigid, itʼs about having some kind of internal compass — and for me, my daily rhythm is that compass.
And over time, Iʼve realized that a lot of the things Iʼve learned through this process — through trial, error, reflection, and honest struggle — might actually be useful to someone else too.
Thatʼs part of why I started writing on Substack.
I had all these ideas and lessons in my head — things Iʼd learned from challenging myself, pushing through uncertainty, getting lost and finding my way back — and I started to feel like maybe someone else could benefit from them. Iʼd had conversations with friends where something I said really landed with them, or Iʼd shared advice that helped someone shift their perspective, and in those moments I thought, “Wait… maybe thereʼs something here.”
Iʼm not trying to be an expert or a guru or anything like that. But if even one person can read something I wrote and feel seen — or feel less alone — or feel a little more motivated to try again, thatʼs a win. Of course, weʼre all human and part of us always wants to make a bigger impact — to reach more people, help on a larger scale — and sure, that would be amazing. But at the core of it, my reason for writing is simple: I believe the things Iʼve gone through might actually help someone else going through something similar. And thatʼs enough reason for me to share.
And maybe the biggest shift in all of this has been accepting that I canʼt do everything. Like, truly accepting that. I used to beat myself up for not practicing guitar, for example. Iʼd feel guilty that I wasnʼt making time for it. But now I realize — thatʼs just life. You have to let go of some things to make space for others. There will always be something else I could be doing, but that doesnʼt mean I have to do it all. What matters is choosing whatʼs meaningful right now — and then being fully present for that.
Some things will be more important at certain points in life, and thatʼs okay. The way I stay aligned now is by being okay with that truth. Being human means being limited. And instead of fighting it, Iʼm learning to work with it. As long as Iʼm doing the things that make me feel alive and grateful and challenged — Iʼm on the right path.
That, to me, is what purpose feels like these days. Itʼs not a destination. Itʼs the decision to keep showing up, keep learning, and keep doing the things that matter — even if no one else sees it but you.
Adi Sharma is a software engineer and personal-growth enthusiast based in Vancouver, with a background in computer science and a passion for AI. He builds tools, writes stories, and experiments at the intersection of technology, creativity, and self-awareness. Through his newsletter, The Doers Club, he shares honest reflections on discipline, emotional clarity, and personal growth — all rooted in lessons from his own journey. His goal is simple: to help others grow by sharing what’s helped him.
Thank you, Adi, for sharing your story with us.
As we wrap up this issue, I want to share something I’ve noticed happening in this series.
Each time a new author contributes, they bring with them a remarkable amount of raw, emotional vulnerability.
And I’m deeply grateful for that.
What you read here isn’t polished branding. It’s real experience, offered publicly, with honesty and courage. That kind of openness is a gift, and I don’t take it lightly.
Adi’s story hit home for me. Probably because I’ve been what some would call “scattered” most of my life, always jumping to the next shiny thing.
And as Adi puts it:
“…every time something gets hard, the other option starts to look more appealing. Itʼs that shiny object syndrome, and I know I fall into it.”
That line nailed it. I’ve lived that pattern. A new project would pop into my mind, and suddenly it felt urgent; more important than what I was already doing. So I’d shift focus, chasing momentum, only to repeat the cycle again.
But Adi also offers a clear and powerful reminder:
“There will always be something else I could be doing, but that doesnʼt mean I have to do it all. What matters is choosing whatʼs meaningful right now — and then being fully present for that.”
That’s become a kind of mantra for me. These days, with more clarity and self-awareness, I can say, “Not right now. Maybe later.” And I can say it without guilt.
It’s a muscle, learning to return to what matters without shame, without scrambling. Just steady, present, and clear.
Or in Adi’s words:
“Itʼs the decision to keep showing up, keep learning, and keep doing the things that matter — even if no one else sees it but you.”
Before we close, I’d love to hear from you.
Have you ever jumped to the next shiny thing? What did you learn from it?
Feel free to share your story in the comments…it might resonate more than you think.
Have a wonderful week!
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Interesting to read 👍🏻
And could agree with Adi’ s points 👌🏻
Discipline for me is just… rhythm. When my routine is steady, I feel like myself. When it gets disrupted — whether itʼs from travel or visitors or just life being life — I start to feel off-balance. But as soon as I come back to the things I love doing regularly, things click again. Itʼs not about being super rigid, itʼs about having some kind of internal compass — and for me, my daily rhythm is that compass.
Exactly this how i too feel 💯💯💯