A Better Kind of Commencement
Notes on Purpose, Work, and What Comes Next
It’s commencement season. Caps fly, speeches echo, and one chapter ends while another begins.
But not every graduate is wearing a cap and gown.
Some are leaving school.
Some are retiring.
Some are stepping into a new career, a second act, or finally saying “Yes” to a long-deferred dream.
Whatever the case, commencement means a transition. An invitation. A chance to ask, ”What now?”
And yet, most of us walk into this next chapter with little guidance about how to choose work that’s worth doing.
We’re told to “follow our passion,” “play it safe,” or “figure it out,” but few of us are guided in how to do that with clarity, integrity, and intention.
So we settle for what’s expected. We fall into a job. We chase approval. We get busy being busy.
We stay “occupied” in work that doesn’t excite or fulfill us, not because we’re lazy or lost, but because no one ever showed us how to choose something better.
How to Help a Graduate (or Yourself) Step Into Possibility
If you care about someone who’s graduating (or you’re feeling like it might be time to recommit to the work you are meant to do) here are a few ideas I’m sharing with the graduates in my life.
These aren’t answers. They’re better questions.
1. Define what it means to be human and happy.
Then dedicate yourself to work that helps you become more of both.1
Purposeful work starts with presence. Ask: What kind of person am I becoming through this work?
2. Start with who, not why.
Who are you?2
Who are you becoming?
And who are the fellow travelers that will help you bridge the gap between here and there?
3. Look for the intersection of who you are, what you’re good at, and where you belong.
That’s where meaningful work lives.3
Not in a job title. Not in a five-year plan.
But in the overlap between what you stand for, what you love to do, and where you feel seen, heard, understood, and valued.
4. Remember: passion, purpose, and prosperity aren’t found—they’re forged.
Any endeavor you commit to with excellence and intention can become a vehicle for meaning.4
Purpose grows when you show up and pay attention.
5. Begin with the end in mind.
When it’s your time to go, what do you want to see when you look back at your life?
What will matter then, and how can you live more in line with that now?
You Can Begin or Begin Again Anytime
Not all graduates are young.
Not all new beginnings come with applause.
But every season invites a choice:
To drift.
Or to decide.
You can choose the work you’re meant to do now.5
You can do it with presence.
And you can do it on purpose.
You don’t need a roadmap. You need a compass.
Want to Go a Bit Further?
If this sparked something for you (or if someone in your life is navigating a transition) it’d be a privilege to share more resources to help you or the graduates in your life build identity, forge meaning, and step into possibility. Or even sit down for a casual “coaching over coffee” conversation.
Reply “I’M READY” below or by DM to request additional resources.
Reply “LET’S TALK” below or by DM to schedule a Coaching Over Coffee chat.
Let’s make this commencement season mean something.
If you or someone you know is graduating, please share this with them.
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Scott Perry you’re a beautiful man thank you so much🙌🎉🔥
Don’t know that I’ve thought about the word commencement quite before, believe it or not