4 Ways to Find Meaning and Purpose
How to boost purpose with achievement, creativity, expertise, and prosociality.
Finding meaning and purpose in life is something that we all seek as human beings. We all want to know what our purpose in this life is. What exactly is “purpose”? And what are the ways we can seek it? There are entire philosophies devoted to the exploration of our purpose as humans. The beauty is that it’s yours to define. Ideas that you inherited from your family, friends, or communities as you were growing up.
A personal sense of purpose is less of a specific end goal. It’s more of an ongoing impact on the world, large or small. “Who am I? What does it all mean? Why am I here? Blah.” (Easy A, Emma Stone.) Your personal sense of purpose guides and sustains you as you grow in your life. Even when you have setbacks and the world turns upside down, purpose gives you stability and a sense of direction. That’s why finding purpose is essential for living a happy, healthy life.
Here are just some of the tricks you can use to more easily find your purpose.
1. Get clear on your goals.
Developing a growth mindset is directly linked to having a strong sense of purpose. Constantly growing and becoming a better version of yourself helps you identify your purpose and commit to pursuing it.
One way people seek purpose is through achievement. To seek purpose through achievement, you could start a project or take on a leadership role at church or work. This strategy can provide a quick boost in feelings of purpose. However, you might feel amazing when you achieve something you’ve been striving for, but don’t expect those feelings to last. So be sure to try the other strategies below to get longer-term boosts in well-being.
Creating a purpose vision statement can help you manage stress and find balance in your life. Your vision statement will act as a roadmap guiding you toward your purpose. This road map will identify your core values and establish what’s important to you. The statement will make decision making value oriented helping you stay on track toward your set goals.
How to Build a Positive Mindset
2. Get creative.
Another way to cultivate life purpose is by being creative. When we are creative perhaps through art, music, writing, making videos, or starting our own business. We feel good about having made something, perhaps something that future generations may even get to experience. Being creative can also help us open our minds. Or become potentially feel more connected to others who are different than us.
3. Do your best.
The third way to find life purpose is by building expertise and doing your best. We can often feel a sense of purpose when we excel at something (at work or in a hobby). Allowing us to be able to offer insights that didn’t previously exist. For example, you could strive to be an expert in your field. Helping others in some unique way, or strive to win an award for your work. This approach can help us feel like we are knowledgeable. But it only provides a temporary boost in purpose, so be sure to also try out being creative or prosocial.
4. Be prosocial.
Being prosocial can help you cultivate life purpose. To be more prosocial, try community service. Helping others who are struggling. Or joining a program to clean up the environment. When you are prosocial, you might just start to get the feeling that you are providing value to others. This helps you live a life of integrity and authenticity. Indeed, purpose is most easily found by having positive interactions with others.
4 ways to boost positive thinking.
For a long time, I’ve struggled with the idea of purpose and meaning. For me, living a meaningful life means finding the answers to some fundamental questions, like: What do I value most? How do I balance my relationships (family, friends, career)? And, ultimately, how can I feel completely fulfilled? I believe the answer lies in being open-minded and respectful of everyone you interact with. Happiness is a choice. When we decide to love and accept ourselves for who we are, every facet of our lives improves.
I started my Self-Awareness Coaching career to help women create lives they love. I hope to assist you on your path toward greater self-awareness by teaching you how to understand yourself better and make decisions based on an understanding of what you want. With an expert strategy and tailored development plan, we will set realistic goals that you can achieve and use to continue working toward reaching your full potential.
