3 Steps to Discovering the Purpose of Your Life
Determining our purpose in life can be one of the most daunting and complicated questions humans try to answer. There is no right or wrong way to determine this; it usually comes with a lot of trial and error. Sometimes, you need a guide to get you going, so let’s look at a step-by-step process exploring your feelings and options. By the end, you should have a reasonably solid tool to employ in helping to give you meaningful direction immediately!
There are three steps to the process of discovering the purpose of your life:
Understanding the principle of choice
Creating your “underlying principle”
Aligning your life with this underlying principle
Understanding The Principle of Choice
Norman Vincent Peale has this to say about the power of choice. “The greatest power we have is the power of choice. It is an actual fact that if you have been groping under unhappiness, you can choose to be joyous, instead. And, by effort, lift yourself into joy. If you tend to be fearful, you can overcome that misery by choosing to have courage. The whole trend and the quality of anyone’s life is determined by the choices that are made”.
That is some insight there, Norman! As I did, you may have to read that a time or two. “Choosing” is the most important activity of your mind because you are proclaiming your desires to your subconscious mind by making a choice. Once the subconscious knows your desires, it will work on making that happen. The choices you make in your life become your goals. And, if you are sincere in pursuing them, there is no reason why you should not accomplish them.
Indecision, on the other hand, creates frustration and anxiety and can confuse the subconscious mind about what you want. You must purposefully make choices by what you truly want and desire. Many of us let others make choices for us, or we make our choices according to what we think is ‘correct’, even if that means we go against our wishes. That’s how we end up stuck in the cage of the status quo and societal norms. What is right for someone else may not be right for you, and the way to know this is by listening to what your instinct and intuition tell you.
So, to begin with, list things that interest you, things that you have always enjoyed, make you feel better, and inspire you to surge ahead, no matter what obstacles you face. A list of everything you said you would like to do “someday”. Do you like doing something creative or something artistic? Do you enjoy nature? Do you enjoy helping others? Do you get pleasure out of making a difference in other people’s lives?
Whatever it is that interests you, write it down and answer these questions:
● What thing do you love to do?
● What is it that you love in this thing and why?
Creating Your Underlying Principle
The next step is to examine the list you just made and find out if there is any recurring theme. Is there an idea that keeps coming up, a thought of giving or helping, maybe creating or doing? Whatever it is, try to identify the central theme of the things you love to do and put it in a short and precise statement. This will be your ‘Mission Statement’. It may even be a quote by a famous person or a philosophy that has influenced you. Of course, as you grow, this statement could evolve, but its soul will remain the same. Now, write down your Mission Statement.
Aligning Your LIFE With Your Underlying Principle
The final step in this journey is to map your path to your ultimate purpose and to begin implementing changes that help to align your daily life with your underlying goal. By making these little changes in your lifestyle, you will start to be able to begin living this principle out each and every day. It might take a few days, but by becoming aware and intentional of this underlying principle of your life, you will undoubtedly start to feel the difference in your excitement for life as a whole. If you realize that you love being amidst nature, plan out a hiking day or weekend. A day in nature could be enough to jumpstart your energy. If you discover that you enjoy helping those in need, look for opportunities to volunteer in your community or neighborhood. On the other hand, you may want to change your job or start a new business more aligned with your mission. Think big and be brave! There is support out there if you look for it.
So, there you have it! I know it sounds so easy, but I also know it’s not as easy as – 1, 2, 3, done. But, by just starting somewhere and following the steps outlined above, you will begin finding and living out your purpose.
And, as you go through this process, remember, “You were put on this earth to achieve your greatest self, to live out your purpose, and to do it courageously.” - Steve Maraboli.
