
Dr. Jordan Grumet — hospice physician, author of The Purpose Code, and host of the Earn and Invest podcast — joins Dr. Dan for an energizing conversation about the difference between meaning and purpose, and why most of us suffer from "purpose anxiety." Through stories from patients at the end of life and his own journey from childhood loss to financial independence, Jordan reveals why chasing Big P purpose (audacious goals driven by proving worth) leaves us empty, while embracing little p purpose (small, process-oriented actions that light us up) creates joy and authentic connection. This conversation is a call to subtract what drains you, add what energizes you, and use every tool at your disposal to spend more of your days in flow and meaning.
WHAT YOU'LL LEARN
The difference between little p purpose and Big P purpose
Why meaning must be healed before purpose can fulfill us
How to "win the game of life"
Why courage, not time or money, is the real barrier
How cognitive grounding creates flow states
What the dying teach us about living fully
Why narrative therapy and neuroplasticity matter
LEARN MORE

September 18, 2025
Dr. Jordan Grumet
Little P Purpose: How Small Actions Create Big Impact and Lasting Happiness
"Winning the game is filling as much time as possible with things you love, and subtracting the things you loathe."
TIMESTAMPS
00:02:46 – Little p vs Big P purpose
00:07:21 – The power of meaning
00:15:15 – Purpose as action
00:22:14 – Cognitive grounding
00:29:23 – Winning the game
00:32:05 – The courage barrier
00:46:58 – Narrative therapy and neuroplasticity
00:56:54 – Living without regret
SHOW NOTES
In this energizing new episode, Dr. Dan sits down with physician, author, and podcaster Dr. Jordan Grumet (Doc G) to explore the difference between meaning and purpose—and how understanding this distinction can transform how we live, work, and love. During their insightful conversation, Dr. Dan and Doc G explore defining questions including: What does it truly mean to live a life of purpose? And why chasing big, audacious goals often leaves us feeling empty instead of fulfilled?
Dr. Grumet shares his powerful and personal story from childhood loss and finding community in a small baseball card shop, to his career in medicine and his profound experiences as a hospice doctor. His insights reveal why most of us suffer from “purpose anxiety” and how embracing “little p purpose”—the small, process-oriented actions that light us up—can create joy, resilience, and authentic connection.
LINKS & RESOURCES
Dr. Jordan Grumet
Website — jordangrumet.com
LinkedIn — linkedin.com/in/jordan-grumet-38a506179
Podcast: Earn and Invest — earnandinvest.com
Book: Taking Stock: A Hospice Doctor's Advice on Financial Independence, Building Wealth, and Living a Regret-Free Life
Book: The Purpose Code: How to Unlock Meaning, Maximize Happiness, and Leave a Lasting Legacy
Writing
Psychology Today blog — Jordan Grumet
Substack — The Purpose Code
GUEST BIO
Dr. Jordan Grumet (Doc G) is a hospice physician, author, and host of the award-winning Earn and Invest podcast. He has spent decades at the intersection of medicine, money, and meaning, walking with people at the end of their lives and helping others build lives of purpose and financial independence. Jordan is the author of Taking Stock: A Hospice Doctor's Advice on Financial Independence, Building Wealth, and Living a Regret-Free Life and The Purpose Code: How to Unlock Meaning, Maximize Happiness, and Leave a Lasting Legacy. He writes regularly for Psychology Today and his own Substack, and speaks nationally about purpose, fulfillment, and living well. Based in Evanston, Illinois, Jordan's work bridges healthcare and personal finance to help people spend more of their days in joy, flow, and connection.
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