How do you live your life on purpose? How do you make sure that you reach the end of the weekend, week, or year and look back – proud of what you’ve done? Nailah has a few ideas for us.
Purpose. It’s one of those words that gets bandied about; everyone is so concerned with finding their life’s purpose or working a job with purpose or making sure that everything in their life is purposeful.
For a lot of us finding our purpose in life sounds like a big, scary, elusive thing, right? A thing we’d rather not think about given all of the other commitments and pressures in our lives. But purpose doesn’t have to be this boogey-man lurking in the darkness. We all can – and should – get super clear about what our true purpose is in life.
Here are 5 simple ways to live your life on purpose
Get in touch with your essence
Your essence is like your brand name. It’s what makes you uniquely you and it’s the absolute foundation of figuring out your true passion. Think about what people “get” about you when you walk into a room – without having to say or do anything.
What natural gifts and talents do you bring to the table? What are you amazing at? What are you insanely interested in? Complete the phrase ‘the unique essence that I bring to the world is…’
Identify your Core Values
We all have a set of core values that are unshakable. It’s important to be in touch with what yours are. What are your absolute deal breakers? What do you believe in most in this world? What is absolutely essential for you? Create a list of the values that are most important to you.
Pinpoint Your Shiny Moments
Finding your purpose really boils down to pinpointing the things that make you over the moon happy. Start thinking about the activities that really make you feel like a rock star.
Maybe it’s when you successfully explain a complex topic to a classroom of little kids. Or maybe it’s when you capture the perfect moment with your camera. Make a list of all of the situations that make you feel truly useful and purposeful and strong.
Do a Little Dreaming
Envision what a full day in your perfect life looks like. Don’t think about why it’s not possible or why your dream is silly. Just let go and think about what you would be doing in a perfect world.
Think about the things you would do if you knew you absolutely could not fail – money, time and energy are limitless. What are you doing in your ideal day?
Let Your Hidden Talents Shine
Now that you’ve gotten a glimpse into your ideal life, start thinking about the parts, aspects or qualities you would like to express more clearly. For example, are you neglecting your creative spirit? Or maybe the problem solver in you needs to be in control. Get clear on the aspects of yourself that you’d like to begin working on. Then devise a plan to bring those aspects to the forefront and – now this is the hard part – follow through on it.
Don’t get overwhelmed thinking you have to overhaul your entire life in one swoop. Start taking small steps to incorporating your purpose into your everyday life. Soon you’ll find that you’re living a more fulfilling, purposeful life. And isn’t that what life is really about?
Do you believe you have a purpose? If you’ve figured it out, share it in the comments!
P.S. Do you need 1-on-1 support and accountability to live your life on purpose? I do that!
Aww perfect! Because I am going through a bit of a crappy time right now, I'd set aside a few hours later today for thinking/journaling/lifestyle design scheming. Very useful food for thought 🙂
This is perfect- I can't wait to go through it properly in a notebook, later. I especially like the comments about essence.
Steve Pavlina has a technique he recommends for finding your purpose: http://www.stevepavlina.com/blog/2005/01/how-to-discover-your-life-purpose-in-about-20-minutes/
Don't let the kitschy title give you doubts haha – it was a very moving exercise for me. I think you have to open your mind to it, though; don't bother if you're not in a place where you can accept some kooky self-help prompting haha. That said, if you *are* in such a place, it may very well change your life and attitude.
Kate – I'm so glad that this spoke to you! Let me know if you need help with anything!
Luinae – Yes, I also love thinking about my essence. It's what makes you uniquely you!
Alex – Thanks for the link. I'll have to check that out as well. Finding your purpose is such an important aspect in life, it's great to have several tools to go about doing it.
Definitely food for thought. Thank you.
Gosh, is that what this is? A bona fide quarter-life crisis? Here I thought my whole life was just in the crapper. Of course, giving this a crisis a title doesn't make it any easier, but I do appreciate these little tips. I need all the help I can get!