Have you ever wondered what your purpose is? We’re all programmed to think it’s to go to school, get a job, get married, raise 2.5 children, retire, and die. But is there more to it? If there is, how do you find it? How do you find your purpose? You can get on the right track with a little detective work and a genuine desire. Do you remember that feeling that anything was possible when you were a kid? No career was off-limits; you could become a veterinarian, chef, or a waterslide tester. But when you shared your dreams with the people around you, they said, ‘it’s too hard; there’s no money in waterslide testing.’ You thought they must be right, so you let your dream slip away. But dreams are persistent, and your dream is still with you. You may not be as connected to it as you were when you were a kid, but it’s there bubbling, waiting to be expressed.
Here are five steps to find your purpose
- Know what it means to have a purpose
- Recognise the signs that show you how to find your purpose
- Identify your natural gifts and talents
- Decide to follow your purpose
- How to get back on track
What does it mean to have a purpose?
Some people feel that life has no purpose, that we’re all just a random accident, and I respect their views; however, the idea that we’re spinning on this planet in an environment that creates and sustains life is just a happenstance doesn’t sit with me. Even if it was an accident, how will we ever know? Why sit around waiting for the evidence to move toward your north star? Finding purpose gives life a big squeeze that provides us with the juice to quench our relentless thirst.
Your purpose is all about you reaching your full potential. It’s your central motivating aim, the reason you get up in the morning; it can guide your life decisions and behaviour and shape your goals. It can come in the form of a career path, creative expression, spirituality, caring for family, friends, animals, or the environment.
Your purpose may change throughout life in response to the situations and fluctuations of your own experiences, but the feeling you get from being on purpose stays the same.
Recognise the signs
The first requirement for sniffing out the trail of your purpose is your desire to find it. You’ll need the grit of a treasure hunter to stay open to clues even if you find something that may not be considered “realistic” or “practical.” Our culture has taught us to seek things like status and wealth; however, focusing on these alone often leaves people feeling empty and unfulfilled.
You’ll know when you’re on the trail of your purpose by the feeling of lightness, joy and boosted energy in the body. Your sense of time goes out the window; hours feel like seconds. It may show up as a fascination or an interest. You’ll think that what you are doing is valuable. Pulling an all-nighter on a paper or business project may not be fun, but it feels worthwhile.
You probably remember these moments in your life where you felt this lightness and joy; you may have been wandering through an antique market, learning about a particular topic, or doing your thing. Track these moments in your journal to look for more clues to your purpose.
Identify your natural gifts and talents
We’re all born with natural gifts and talents which are potent clues to your purpose. Talent is not just what you do well. It’s what you love doing well. That’s why so many of us aren’t even aware of how valuable it is because it’s what we do that’s fun, fulfilling and easy. We don’t value these talents because we’re taught that it should be hard work if something is valuable. What is it you find easy to do? What do you enjoy doing? Do you have that “thing” that people ask you to help them with? That’s talent, and it’s part of your blueprint and is waiting to fulfil your purpose.
Decide to pursue your purpose
Once you realise your purpose, you will be faced with choices. Do you pursue your joy, passion, or interest, or do you do what everyone around you is doing? Sometimes it works out where you just so happen to fall in love with someone everyone approves of, or you get a job you love that is socially acceptable but what if your passion goes against your family or social norms?
There is a fork in the road, and most people take the accepted path and abandon their dreams. They live with a low-grade malaise and wonder why they can’t get happy. They should be happy, right? Didn’t they tick all the boxes? The other option is to venture into an unknown filled with highs, lows, rejection and great ecstasy and thrills and, at a deep level, a sense of peace of authenticity.
We make choices between our purpose and our conditioning thousands of times every day. Do you really enjoy your food or not even realise you’re eating while you scroll through your phone? Do you notice times when you feel pulled toward a book or a topic but dismiss it because of what people might think? Are there certain people you feel a deep unexplained connection with, or do you maintain friendships that have lost their enjoyment out of obligation?
Keeping on track with your purpose means making small choices toward your own joy. Why not start now? Do any of these steps lift your heart? Any that don’t? Choosing to connect with and accept what resonates while rejecting what doesn’t keeps you on a fulfilling path to your purposeful adventure.
When you get lost
Life’s relentless; it throws us challenges that can knock us down and send us into a spin. We lose sight of our purpose and lose ourselves. In times like these, we crave certainty. Would somebody tell us what to do? But this is part of the game. For example, if we’re reading a murder mystery, we don’t want to know who did it in the first chapter, Or if we’re into sports, we don’t want to know who wins the basketball game as soon as it starts. We enjoy the thrill of the uncertainty, spontaneity, and excitement of each moment. Getting back on track with your purpose when the game of life has thrown you a challenge is not easy, be kind to yourself. Start by going back to the last thing you remember bringing you joy and following the path. You didn’t come here for things to be easy; you came here to discover your purpose and share it with the world.
So, are you ready to accept the challenge? Choose to find your purpose, no matter how elusive it may be and watch what the universe delivers. Start today and tune into your interests, passions, and joy.
