Living with purpose not only gives you direction and guidance through hard times, it also provides a powerful sense of aliveness. In fact, nothing motivates people more than knowing that their actions make a difference in the lives of others.
But what exactly does it mean to live with purpose? And how can you achieve it?
1. Know Your Purpose
Many people struggle to find their purpose. Once you have it, it can transform your life. People who live with purpose prioritize the things that matter most to them and focus on achieving those goals. For example, if you love musical theater, you might use your skills to bring performances to children who may otherwise not have access to them. Likewise, if you’re passionate about animal welfare or the civil rights movement, you could donate your time to those organizations.
Living with purpose gives you an inner compass that guides your decisions and leads to the experiences that light up your soul. It also helps you feel more fulfilled, even when life throws obstacles in your way.
Finding your purpose can take time, but there are ways to jump-start the process. Exercises that uncover your values, interests, and skills, as well as practicing positive emotions like gratitude, can help. You can also work with a coach who specializes in purpose development to guide you on your journey. Ultimately, you’ll likely find that your purpose evolves as you grow.
2. Take Action
After you’ve reflected on what matters most to you, make some goals that are aligned with your values and purpose. These may include getting better at something you love, creating a career or lifestyle that provides meaning in your daily life, or finding a way to bring more passion into your everyday activities.
It’s important to take some risks and try new things when pursuing a life with meaning. You never know what energizing pursuits will show up when you’re open to them.
Taking action can also mean volunteering your time or skills, helping someone else, or even just being kind to those around you. Research has shown that feeling a sense of purpose correlates with psychological wellness and physical health. For instance, a study of 28 janitors at a hospital found that when they felt their work was meaningful and appreciated, they viewed it as more than just another job. This was true regardless of whether the janitors worked in a high-profile position or not. They just needed to feel part of a larger purpose.
3. Make Time for Yourself
It’s a challenge for many people to make time for themselves. But it’s important to prioritize yourself and your health. Try to dedicate just a little time each day for yourself even 5 minutes if possible listening to your favourite song, reading a book or taking a walk. These activities will help you recharge and feel good about yourself.
Start with a list of your values and create a lifestyle plan that encompasses all the things you truly value in life. This could include having a great work/life balance, family time, exercising regularly, spending time with like minded individuals, or trying something new and exciting.
The next step is to find a cause you believe in and donate your time or money. It can be anything from animal welfare, a particular civil rights issue, childhood obesity or helping senior citizens. Whatever your passion is, there will be a group of people that need your help. You’ll feel better for making a difference and you’ll be giving back to your community. Research has shown that living with purpose relates to mental wellness, happiness and physical health.
4. Make Connections
If your life feels meaningless, it can be difficult to feel satisfied with any aspect of it. It is important to understand that having a sense of purpose is not just about positive emotion; it also involves feeling connected to others and a sense of importance and significance.
Consider your own values and interests to find what is important to you, then create a list of goals that uplift you and encourage you to live your core values. For example, if your value is living a healthy lifestyle, you can set goals like eating more nutritious foods and exercising regularly to live out that goal.
Make an effort to connect with people, even if you do not share the same interests. Developing meaningful relationships takes time and patience, but it can be very rewarding in the long run. Try to avoid superficial conversation topics and instead focus on asking thoughtful questions about the person you are speaking with. Getting to know someone on a deeper level gives them an opportunity to reciprocate and build a genuine connection with you.
5. Give Back
Giving back to the community is a big part of living with purpose. Whether you choose to donate money to help ensure that somebody gets a warm meal, clean water, a roof over their head or any number of worthy causes, your contribution makes the world a better place.
You can also help out by volunteering your time. Local nonprofits, schools, and homeless shelters always need help. You can even join a volunteer group that helps build homes for disadvantaged families, as is the case with Habitat for Humanity.
You can help by donating items to calamity-stricken areas, as is the case with the organization Leave No Trace Brighton. This is where you can get creative by organizing a donation drive that collects clothing, books, hygiene products and other basic essentials. You can also help out by assisting your neighbor with some chores, helping a friend move, or just lending a hand to someone who needs it. Doing good things for other people gives you a sense of purpose that carries over into other areas of your life.