To find your life purpose is something that’s perceived as so simple but in reality, can be extremely hard.
As children, we dream of being doctors, or vets or artists; in school, we work hard so that we can enter university/ college and study our desired course, in university we hope to graduate and find our ideal job. Despite this process that we go through in life, many of us still end up thinking what is my purpose in life?
So why is it so hard to find your purpose in life?
It seems that throughout your entire life, you’re getting towards that end goal, but in reality you may not know what that end goal exactly is. Yes, you have graduated in your Law Degree, yes you’ve worked in the field for a few years, but now you feel that you’re not living the life you imagined, somewhere in you it doesn’t feel right.
The reason why its so hard to find your life purpose is because in this world where everything moves in a certain structure or process, you’re spending more time trying to stick to this process rather than using that time to find out who you are and what your life purpose is.
This is why your twenties are the best time to find your life purpose. It’s the time when you’re finally out of education and have the freedom to do what you want.
For some, they are lucky to find their life purpose as they go about their life but for others it takes a radical shift in life to make them realize what they truly want.
Think about all the stories you’ve heard of people stuck in jobs basically taking up their whole lives (but making a ton of money), but suddenly quitting it all to go teach Surfing in some Hawaiian beach.
Do you know why they did that? It’s because they found their life purpose. Having a life purpose doesn’t equal having loads of money, it relates to your quality of life.
Also, check out the Mini Life Planner. This free planner will better your quality of life as it focusses on four key areas: Self love, confidence, productivity and organization. It’s got journal questions, schedules and tips to help you better your life!
Alright, enough jabbering! Let’s get to the 6 things you should do to help you answer the question ‘what is my life’s purpose?’
1. Find your life purpose by doing a personality test
Honestly, I’m laughing as I write this because what I just said sounds so pathetic, but I will still stand by it. Do a personality test to start figuring out your life purpose.
Online personality tests are literally the simplest, easiest and most accessible way to begin figuring out who you are and what your interests may be.
There may be some of you thinking ‘but I know what I’m interested in, I know what type of person I am,’ and for you I’ll say, skip this point.
This point is for those of you who literally have NO IDEA of what to do with your life. You’ve spent a lot of time, if not your entire life, to reach a goal that you have now realized does not give you true happiness, and now you have to start all over again and figure out who you are.
I would suggest for you to take this personality test, it will generate you a personality type at the end of it and give you ideas of what type of careers and life choices your personality type would suit.
This is a good way to searching for purpose and direction in life when you don’t know where to begin.
Related:
Tips for Work Life Balance To Make the Most Out of Your Twenties
Self confidence & Independence: the foundations of success PART 1
2. Do some journaling
Your journaling doesn’t need to be directly focused on finding your life purpose. Don’t write the question ‘what is my purpose’ down in it and force yourself to think about it, that isn’t going to get you anywhere.
Finding a life purpose relates to your life, and just like life, it needs to have the chance to be experienced, trialed and let go of if it doesn’t work for you.
For example, you may be really interested in painting, and you’re quite good at it too. This doesn’t mean you need to force yourself to paint everyday in the hopes of becoming a world-renowned artist one day; it may just be a hobby, and its fine if it stays that way.
Self-reflection through journaling is a fantastic way of discovering yourself. Its because its a safe space where you can say whatever you want without the fear of someone judging you.
Over time, you may find a pattern in your journal entries, this could lead you to somewhere. And even if you don’t find a pattern, this is a great way to start figuring out your life and eventually finding your life purpose.
One reason finding your life purpose may be difficult for you is because you lack confidence, basically you think you won’t have any success.
Read this post on positive affirmations that will elevate your day. Repeating a few phrases to yourself every morning may seem like it won’t do anything to better your mental health, but it truly does help. Its a popular method of internalizing positive thoughts.
3. Be open, and find purpose in everyday life
Okay, so you’ve gotten to a point where you kind of feel like you’re really interested in something. Let’s take writing for example. The only thing is you don’t know exactly what you like writing about.
Try it out. Unpick this field and think of all the things you can research into, experience or start yourself. In this case for example, you could go to a free event on publishing, you can try some copy writing, you can organize a lunch with a friend who you know is in the advertising business.
You can see that I’ve listed out a variety of things you can do. If possible try it all out, if not at least research it. Be open to experiences around you and you will most likely find something you are really passionate about.
4. Look back to your childhood
Its likely that when you were a child, you believed you could be whatever you wanted in the world. So why is it now as an adult, when you have the world at your finger tips, that you believe that you have to do something specific that will be ‘good’ for your future.
Think about the endless amount of hope and excitement you had as a child, tap into that energy. Your life purpose should make you feel a little like you did as a child, excited to the point of slightly giddy, and hopeful that you can achieve whatever you want.
If your life purpose is uninspiring, you’re also going to have hardly any motivation to work on it. So, make sure it is something you are truly passionate about. The best way to know you are passionate about something is when you’re extremely motivated to get it done!
Read Motivation Is The Key To Success (Why You’re Not Achieving Your Goals) to see how motivation is an integral part of achieving success.
5. Answer this: Are you happy in life right now?
Do some journaling on this question and answer it from these aspects of your life: mental & physical health, social life and work life.
Right now, as you are, is this where you want to be in life? If its not, are there any fears holding you back from leaving it? Maybe it could be fear of the unknown, maybe its because you think staying in this space is the ‘right’ thing to do.
Its normal to feel confused and frustrated in this period when you’re trying to figure things out. Don’t beat yourself up about it, the main thing is that you’re trying, and that’s the best thing to do. Have a read of this if you’re having a hard time and experiencing meltdowns. I send my good wishes in a tiny invisible plane to you. <3
How do you live a life of purpose? You live it by prioritizing your passions and happiness over thinking about what the ‘right’, practical thing to do is. Sometimes the right thing to do is to follow your heart, because by doing that you could unlock endless amounts of potential.
Focus on what you want in life, not what you think your life should look like. Happiness comes from within. Some of the most successful people plaster a smile on their face and actually feel horrible inside. Don’t be them.
Related:
The Ultimate ‘Mind Glow-up’ Series (Part 1) – SELF LOVE
The Ultimate ‘Mind Glow-Up’ Series Part 2 – SELF DEVELOPMENT
6. Speak to members of friends/ family
Finding your life purpose is something that is obviously going to have a great impact on you, so speak to people you trust.
Having conversations with different people may strike an idea in your head, or it may open your eyes to a new interesting field, or even do the opposite.
You have a great amount of opportunities to pick from so take your time with it.
Who knows one of the people that you’re speaking to may even have a connection with someone who works in the field you’re interested in.
7. Think about your future
LOL, I know I just told you guys not to think about your future when thinking about your life purpose, but the future I was talking about was the one you were forcing yourself into because you thought it was the right thing to do.
Think about the future that gets you excited. Make a plan to get there, then break that down into smaller steps, then even smaller steps.
Also, think about what you want the future to look like. Are there any current injustices in the world that bother you, and that you want to tackle? Research it and look into it, there’s no harm.
When thinking about your life purpose, also think about the world around you. Is there something that you want to put out to the world that will help it? Or, do you want to experience the world around you and experience the many beautiful cultures and traditions in it.
(If you want an accessible and quick look into the world around you before you physically take the step, have a read of the Best Books To Read To Increase Your Knowledge About The World!).
How do you know what your purpose in life is?
Your life purpose is something that will give you true hope, ambition and happiness, it will also be something you’re extremely dedicated to.
A life purpose can be something as big as becoming the next president or as simple as being a great parent to your future children. One thing isn’t better than the other, and both deserve time and dedication.
I hope you’ve also noticed that finding your life purpose doesn’t need to begin with that ‘ah-ha!’ moment, it can be something you slowly realize you want.
A life purpose is something that you have for life, like things in life it will naturally come to you if you take the steps towards it. So take your time.
