By Chris Carpenter, Contributor Sunday, January 04, 2026Author Brent Rittersdorf has released a new leadership book, “The Point is in the Purpose” | Courtesy BrentRittersdorf.com
As we launch into 2026 and begin thinking about what lies ahead, it’s natural to take stock of where we’ve been over the last year and determine our goals for the next 12 months.
It’s in these moments that we inevitably ask ourselves a simple yet often terrifying question: What is my purpose?
Many people struggle to answer the question, yet the word is often used in ways that assume we have one.
Author and motivational speaker Brent Rittersdorf wanted to write a book that not only unpacks that assumption but also provides a framework for answering the question and achieving your purpose.
“I started thinking about purpose, and I began to realize everybody should know what their purpose is,” says Rittersdorf. “But sadly, I don’t think a lot of people know what it is. I decided to really study it and think about, well, if I could teach people how to define their purpose, and I could teach people how to identify their purpose, how could I teach them how to achieve it?”
In his debut leadership book, The Point is in the Purpose: How Going 10 for 10 Can Change Your Life, Rittersdorf shares what he has discovered in his 30-plus years of researching the foundations for finding structure and meaning in your life. Interestingly enough, the origins of his purpose began by shooting free throws in a high school basketball tournament many years ago in front of 5,000 people.
“A lot of people struggle with the term purpose. And here’s the parallel to shooting free throws,” Rittersdorf explains. “The free throw is the easiest shot in all of sports because it’s just you, the ball and the goal. But it’s also the hardest shot in all sports to make because it’s you, the ball and the goal. And you get all this pressure and this noise that gets in your way. It’s the same thing with purpose. And that’s where the parallel comes in. I want to help people take the time to really think about what it is they’re supposed to do.”
Rittersdorf joins the “Crossmap” podcast to discuss the misconceptions many people have when it comes to the foundational topic of purpose. Listen as he shares a simple leadership principle that most people get wrong and the unexpected way to identify what you’re truly meant to do.
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