In the fall of 1995, I walked into the auditorium of my Intro to Management of Information Systems (MIS) class at the University of Houston’s C.T. Bauer College of Business. I took my seat in the middle of the room and took in the smell of well-worn carpet mixed with fresh paint touching up the walls. At the front of the room stood Professor Dr. Michael Parks. He had the unmistakable look of a true computer nerd—someone who had fallen in love with computers long before they were personal.

During those first few class periods, Dr. Parks guided us through the history of computer science. We learned how to count in binary, explored the basics of data structures, and, most importantly, he tried to spark in us a genuine curiosity about how computers work. The fundamentals of which now seem so far removed from the perceived magic of our smartphones.

Dr. Parks had one phrase he repeated over and over throughout the semester—his first rule of solving any problem: “Step 1, get a good, firm grasp of the obvious.” To a 19-year-old college student, this advice seemed to hover somewhere between painfully simple and cryptic, like an ancient proverb hiding a deeper meaning.

Yet, this advice is etched into my memory from those undergraduate years. Nearly thirty years later, I understand the wisdom in what Dr. Parks was trying to convey. The first step in any journey is understanding the objective truth of where you are and what you know.

Getting a Good, Firm Grasp of the Obvious

Many people begin their journey to uncover their purpose from a place of dissatisfaction. They might feel unfulfilled in their job, frustrated with their boss, unhappy with their salary, or even disconnected in their personal relationships, health, marriage, or spiritual life. This dissatisfaction often leads to a sense of losing control, and the instinctive response is to think that regaining control requires making massive, sweeping changes.

A common mindset I find with my coaching clients is an “Either-Or” mindset. Their life is either great or terrible. They are either living their purpose or wandering lost. The first practical step to appreciating this in-between space and uncovering your purpose is to reset your mind to appreciate how your life truly is. This will provide a level playing field on which you can make bigger decisions about your future.

Grasping Gratitude

The most effective tool I have found for resetting our perception is the practice of gratitude. Gratitude requires us to seek the good in our life and break the negativity we may find ourselves in.

For clients, I recommend that before they embark on making big changes, they take a few weeks to ‘reset their perspective’ with a gratitude practice.

Every day, focus on these three questions, trying not to repeat answers from a prior day:

  1. What one thing are you grateful for in your job or profession?
  2. What one thing are you grateful for in your personal life?
  3. What is one negative thing that did not happen today?

Repeating this process daily will help reframe your mindset positively and establish a strong foundation for developing your future plan.

Conclusion

Finding purpose and creating meaningful change in your life doesn’t always require dramatic overhauls. Often, it starts with small, consistent actions—like cultivating gratitude—that help you get a good, firm grasp of the obvious.