Life is more meaningful if you have a purpose. Life is also a lot simpler if you know what you’re working toward. Decisions are easier to make than when you’re just floating through life. Having your life focused on something creates some peace.
Even if you’ve never considered your purpose, it’s not too late. It’s worth your time to figure it out. Each day of living your purpose is an enjoyable and worthwhile day.
Follow these steps to determine your purpose:
1. Believe that you have a meaningful purpose. If you believe that life has no meaning and that you have no purpose, you’ll never find your purpose. The first step is always belief. Be positive that you have a purpose, and that you’re going to discover it.
2. Know your values. Your values can provide significant clues to your purpose. If your most important values are contribution, kindness, and honesty, your purpose will be very different than if your most important values are success, popularity, and money.
- Make a list of your values and prioritize them according to what’s most important to you.
3. What gives you energy? Ask yourself these questions:
- What activities give you the most energy?
- What are those things that you love to talk and learn about?
- What do you love to do that allows the hours to just fly by?
- What makes you feel alive?
- What excites you?
4. What and whom do you admire? Consider:
- What achievements do you admire? Is it building a successful business?
- What qualities do you admire? Mental toughness? Contribution?
- Who do you admire the most? Is it a historical figure? Your neighbor? Why do you admire these people?
5. Consider the end of your life. Imagine you’re at the end of your life:
- What are you likely to regret?
- What would make you happy about the life you’ve lived?
- What would make you feel the most regret?
- Now is the time to create and live a life that will maximize your happiness and minimize your regret.
6. Describe your ideal life. What is your ideal life? What would be your ideal day? Your purpose in life will mesh well with your ideal life. When you know one, the other becomes more obvious.
7. When were you the happiest? Think back on your life to this point. When did you experience the greatest amount of happiness? How can you use that information to find your purpose?
8. What makes you cry? Is it watching someone overcome great adversity? Is it one of those commercials with the abused cats and dogs? Anything that brings about strong emotions can provide a clue to your purpose.
9. Which of the following feels most relevant to you? Read this list and see which resonates the most with you.
- Maximizing the happiness of others
- Minimizing the pain and discomfort of others
- Maximizing your expertise at a particular skill or in a particular field
- Maximizing your experiences
- Maximizing your resources
- Being famous
- Which of these feels the best to you? We’re not talking about which one sounds the most proper or ethical to you, but which one feels really good when you think about it? This can provide a huge clue about the nature of your purpose.
If you don’t know your purpose in life, now is the time to figure it out. The recent pandemic has only driven home the fact that life is short. Why live another day without a well-defined direction? This is a great opportunity to reorient your life and your priorities.
Discover your purpose today. Your life can be different.