Find Your Purpose: A Guide

I can still remember the day, time and place I really defined what my purpose was. I remember the feeling it gave me as I wrote it down, stuck it on the inside of my closet door and smiled. It was five years ago and sure, before then I know I had a purpose but I didn’t know what exactly it was. I can say I am very fortunate that my mother would tell me I was going to do great things and she left it up to me to figure out what that greatness would be.

There is a calmness, certainty and excitement about knowing what it is you should be doing and most of all it keeps you aligned with who you are. So much so that when you aren’t dipping into that purpose and passion there is a sense of being “ungrounded”, an almost floating, wavering feeling. You will literally feel yourself off path. There is sense of self-awareness that comes with your knowing what your purpose is.

Disclaimer; Before we get started I’d like you to note that in no way am I telling you that finding your purpose means you have to dramatically change your life by quitting your job right now or moving to Nepal by Tuesday but you also could do that. It is important to also note that, ideally you would want your full-time job to be your passion but sometimes there is a difference between your job and your WORK. Life’s work is what I’m talking about.

Let’s get started…

1. Take a moment to think about a time when you did something that lit you up from the inside out. It could be an activity or an action that gave you joy in your heart. You might have been volunteering at a homeless shelter, working out, teaching a friend something, designing a dress or seeing your partners face light up after you cooked a delicious Italian dinner. This might take five minutes to remember or come instantly. It may be a question that you need to sit with for a couple weeks or perhaps you just haven’t done THAT thing yet. Let’s say you haven’t or maybe you’re just not sure you were really feeling that joy your supposed to be feeling, that’s okay. Let’s move on to number 2.

2.  If you fall in the category of someone who is not entirely sure something you tried in your past is your purpose but you feel like it could possibly be, then I urge you to go back and try it again to see if it triggers something more. Additionally, I suggest writing down a list of activities or actions that spark some interest. Go down the list and figure out ways that you can dabble in them. Clarification comes from engaging. How will you ever know what you find joy in doing if you have never done it. Think of it as an adventure, take your time with it and be fully present in it.

3.  Think about your natural talents for a moment. They are often a tool that can be incorporated into your life’s purpose and work. For example, you have the ability to connect with people easily or love to help people, you may want to think about what you can do with those gifts, perhaps look into social work or consultancy. Perhaps you are a poet and your also passionate about sharing your culture with people, you may want to think about writing poetry books or attending an open mic where you can express your message or story. You could have a knack for fashion and style because you believe when you look good you feel good and so you may want to start a makeover blog or contribute to Dress for Success, a global nonprofit organization that provides professional attire for low-income women, to help support their job-search and interview process. There are so many ways of incorporating your natural skills into your Life’s Work.

4. Write a Purpose Statement or just half of one (in case you haven’t fully defined your purpose). This is exactly how I figured out what I was meant to be doing with my life thanks to Jack Canfields Book – The Success Principles. Firstly, Ask yourselves these questions. I’ll give my answers as examples.

1. What are two qualities I most love expressing in life?  

     My answer : Love & Self Worth
2. What are two ways I most love expressing those qualities?

     My answer: Through Conversation, Education and Public Speaking
3. What would the world look like if it were perfect right now, according to me?

     My answer: The world would be full of people who loved themselves, loved others and had enough self-worth and knowledge to take care of their mind and body.

Next you’re going to combine all three answers into one statement. Mine looks like this…

My life purpose is to motivate and help people to love and care for themselves from the inside out through one on one conversation, education and public speaking.

Lastly, you’re going to ask yourself, on a scale from 1-10 how actively am I living my life purpose? If your answer falls below 10 think about the ways in which you can get to 10 and start working on them. Remember that things don’t happen overnight but good intention and small steps count and will eventually get us to where we want to be.

Enjoy The Journey,

Lana