This is the programme as it was on 10 October 2026, kept unchanged for groups who pinned it. See the current version
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What the work is for
Long campaigns and slow wins can blur what our effort is for. Looking at our reasons shows which ones we chose and which we picked up along the way.
The card
5 minFor the sake of what, about 4 minutes, in its adult wording.
Think quietly about one piece of work in front of you this week that you care about getting right.
Ask yourself what makes it matter and who or what the effort is for, then follow the answer one step further if another thought comes.
Your reason may reach towards particular people or a future you want. It may simply be the satisfaction of doing the work with care.
Keep the answer nearby as we go on, and come back to it if it helps you remember why the effort matters.
Anyone can pass, and quiet is taking part.
A short talk
10 minLong campaigns and slow wins can blur what our effort is for. Looking at our reasons shows which ones we chose and which we picked up along the way.
Talk notes
- Purpose here means what our effort is for, in our own words. It is a direction we keep choosing, and it can change.
- Research on adult wellbeing counts a sense of purpose as one part of being well, alongside good relationships and some say over our own lives.Ryff, C. D. (1989). Happiness is everything, or is it? Explorations on the meaning of psychological well-being. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 57(6), 1069 to 1081. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.57.6.1069
- Self-determination theory separates goals we hold because we value them from goals we hold because of pressure or approval. People tend to keep going longer, and feel better, with the first kind.Ryan, R. M., and Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68 to 78. doi:10.1037/0003-066X.55.1.68
- Noticing that a reason was picked up along the way is useful information. Nobody has to give it up today.
Discussion
10 minQuestions in pairs or small groups. Anyone can pass.
- Where does your own work come from, in a sentence?
- Which reasons in this work do you think people pick up without choosing them?
The activity
30 minOnline
In breakouts of three, each person opens the shared ladder template, writes one task on the bottom rung and asks "For the sake of what?" three times. Mark which rungs feel chosen and which were picked up from training, family or work culture. Back in the main room, each person types one top rung only into the chat, and the group notices where ladders meet.
In a room
Draw the ladder on paper and work in threes. Each person shares one top rung aloud, and you notice where different ladders meet.
Private reflection
10 minTry it this week. Before one task this week, such as a meeting or an email to a decision-maker, ask "For the sake of what?" once. Notice whether the answer feels chosen or carried.
Before you try it, the field log asks:
- What matters most to me in this conversation?
- What am I assuming about them?
- What will I do when I notice the first sign of stress?
Quiet time. Nobody shares what they write.
Closing
5 minOne word or one line from everyone.
For your peer circle. When did the work feel chosen this week, and when did it feel carried?
Five to spare
5 minBecause sessions run over, and that is fine.
Practices to try at home.
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Take the practices into your group
Every lesson and card these sessions draw on is free to download, with plans you can edit and adapt for adults.
Or only the cards: printable PDF or slides to project.
