Fine Line Between Purpose and Obsession

A television series I’ll occasionally watch had a main character say, “There’s a fine line between purpose and obsession.” Made me think about a gamer friend. He was determined to reach fifty victories in a challenging game as fast as possible. He played for sixty continuous hours to hit that number. His goal of fifty victories gave him a purpose. The same goal had him obsessed to a level where he went without sleep. Purpose and obsession are motivating factors, but when does one turn into the other?

Purpose and obsession have several positive similarities:

• Focus on a specific goal or objective.
• Motivation and commitment to achieve the goal.
• Determination to achieve the goal.
• Investing time and resources.
• Adjusting to unexpected challenges or setbacks.
• Passion or some emotional attachment to the results.
• Gives you a sense of “place” in society and the world.

Think about your life. What life goals did you want to achieve? Did your actions match with any item on the above list? The list shows the positive side of purpose and obsession. Each can also have a negative effect.

Purpose gives you the “why” in life. It’s one way you decide and determine your existence. Too much purpose can lead to negative feelings and unnecessary stress. Psychologists call this “purpose anxiety,” and too many of us have this without realizing. For instance, do you focus more on failures than your successes? Do you think less of yourself when you compare your life to others? Do you job jump looking for “greener grass?” These are some examples of purpose anxiety.

Obsessive behavior can have detrimental effects, as well. The scariest one is potentially causing harm to yourself or others. My sleepless gamer friend and a suicide bomber are examples. Single-minded focus, another effect, can be useful until it clouds the other areas of your life. How about this: have you even driven to a destination and forgot how you got there? That’s called “highway hypnosis.” It happens when you’re concentrating on a thought making you oblivious to the rest of the world. Obsession could lead to anxiety because you can’t do, get, or be what you want. This type of stress typically leads to frustration and possibly anger.

Becoming purposefully obsessed is the best of both worlds. Take actions to enhance the positive aspects:

• Use the S.M.A.R.T. guide to set your goals.
• Set the necessary amount of time and resources to achieve the steps to your goal.
• Monitor and manage your progress. Adjust as needed.
• Be prepared for unexpected delays or challenges. Adapt and overcome to stay on track.
• Ask for help from family, friends, or your mentors.
• Keep negative people away or completely out of your life.

Purpose and obsession are paths to achieving goals and dreams. While each has the potential to influence bad or destructive behavior, you can find the line to shift the balance into positive action. Controlling the emotional characteristics through a clearly defined strategy creates a purposeful obsession. The combined strengths become a power you can leverage into success.