Are you feeling lost or like you’ve never really figured out what to do with your life? You’re not alone. I’ve been there too! Here are 7 things that I did to help me discover my life purpose. Want to know what they are? Keep reading!
What is your life purpose?
It’s a pretty big question, isn’t it?! And a question that most of us are still trying to find the answer to. If you’ve ever asked yourself, “Why am I here?” “What is the meaning of life?” or “What is the purpose of my life?” you’re not alone.
We’ve all asked ourselves those questions at one time or another.
And whilst you might not yet know the answer, you’re starting to wonder. And you want to find out. Which is great! It means you know you’re meant for more. It means you know you were put here on this earth for a reason and you want to find out what that reason is.
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Discovering your life purpose…
So, how do you discover your life purpose? How do you figure out what you’re meant to do with your life?
Unfortunately, there’s no quiz you can take that will spit the answer out for you. Your life purpose is unique to you. It’s something you have to discover for yourself. A mission that you – and only you – can complete.
But don’t be daunted by that concept! I have a few strategies to share with you that will guide you along the way. The exact same strategies I used in 2017 after my diagnosis and fight with breast cancer. They helped me pick myself back up, figure out what I wanted to do with my life, find a new direction and start again. And they can help you too.
Give them a try and you’ll have a much better idea of where to get started in discovering your life purpose.
Watch the related video…
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7 ways to discover your life purpose…
#1. Write about how you feel
Whenever I’m feeling stuck or trying to figure out what I want to do, I pick up my notebook and pen. Writing down what I’m thinking and feeling helps me to consider the why and the how. It helps me delve deeper into the topic and examine all sides of it. And it can do the same for you too.
Grab a pen and paper (or your laptop) and start writing. Write about how you truly feel and what you want out of life. Let the words flow freely, writing whatever comes to mind without question or judgement. No one needs to see what you’ve written, so don’t be afraid to express your thoughts openly and honestly.
Every so often, go back and reread your entries. You’ll start to see patterns in what you write which can bring about new realisations and epiphanies that didn’t come to you the first time around. Then, you can journal about your realisations and see what else you discover about yourself.
Need a little help knowing what to write to discover your life purpose? These journal prompts posts will help:
- 30 journal prompts for self-discovery
- Self-reflection questions for personal growth
- Journaling prompts for when you want a fresh start
#2. Pursue your passions
Are you passionate about a certain subject? Could you make a career or hobby out of it? Turning your passions into a career or hobby will allow you to engage in activities that are personally meaningful to you. Each day of your life will feel like it matters giving your life purpose and meaning.
So, what are you passionate about?
Spend some time thinking about all the things that make you feel all fired up. It doesn’t matter whether it’s your current work or career, a cause or a hobby. It could be decluttering and organising your home, upcycling furniture or volunteering for a charity. Make a list and keep adding to it as you come across more ideas. Take a look at your list every once in a while, you might just be surprised by what it reveals. Your life purpose might just be sitting there on that list!
#3. Identify your talents
What are you good at? What comes easy to you? Where do you naturally excel and what do people always come to you for help with? Could you turn these skills into something meaningful for you that would help you fulfil your life purpose?
Many people are drawn to a life purpose that makes them feel like they’re making a difference in the lives of others. If that’s you, you might find it fulfilling to use something you’re good at to help others in need. For instance, if you’re good at comforting, you could consider a career as a counsellor. Or if you like taking care of others or helping children, you might make a good paramedic or nursery nurse.
#4. What brings you joy?
A great place to start on your quest for discovering your life purpose is tapping into what already makes you happy. After all, your life purpose has to be enjoyable otherwise there’s no point pursuing it, right?! It’s important that you like what you’re doing – and that you’re having fun doing it. If you don’t, it’s going to be much harder to put in the work and effort to accomplish your goals.
What brings a smile to your face? Reflect on the moments in your life when you’re at your happiest. What are you doing? What is it about what you’re doing that makes you feel happy? And what purpose or project would have you excited to jump out of bed every morning?
#5. What are your values?
We all have a set of values that we adhere to in life. And those values can be used as a starting point to help us discover our purpose in life. Make a list of your values and highlight those that are most important to you. Think about what you do every day to honour those values. How you could use those actions to help you identify your life purpose?
What’s important to you? What do you feel would make a difference? Maybe you value time at home with your kids so you choose a career that allows you to work from home. Or you believe that every child should grow up in a happy, loving environment so you decide to foster. Maybe you don’t like to see animals being mistreated so you decide to volunteer for your local RSPCA.
#6. Talk to people who inspire you
Who inspires you? Why not strike up a conversation with them! Whilst you might not be interested in the same things, you could talk about how they discovered their life purpose and why they are doing what they do. Their triumphs and struggles might just help you get a little closer to figuring out your own life purpose.
#7. Embrace change
One of the biggest things that holds my clients back from diving into self-discovery is the fear of change. Why? Because it’s easier to stick with what you know. To stay where it’s safe, even if it’s not quite what you want instead of stepping into the unknown.
But if you stay where you are, doing what you’re doing now, five years from now, nothing will have changed. And you’ll never discover your life’s true purpose. If you want to reach your true potential and feel fulfilled, you need to step out of your comfort zone.
Give yourself the chance to discover who you are and what you’ve been put on this earth to do. Life is always changing, so you might as well embrace it!
7 ways to discover your life purpose…
There you have it – seven ways to discover your life purpose! Which will you try first? Here they are again:
- #1. Write about how you feel.
- #2. Pursue your passions.
- #3. Identify your talents.
- #4. Identify what brings you joy.
- #5. Identify your values.
- #6. Talk to people who inspire you.
- #7. Embrace change.
Discovering your life purpose…
Discovering your life purpose is a lot like true love. It might take a while, but you’ll know when you’ve found it! It took me nearly 40 years to find my calling. And now, ironically, I’m a coach who helps other women discover their life purpose so that they can become the person they know they’re meant to be. And I love it!
If you’re looking to discover your life purpose, these strategies are a great place to start. But if you find yourself struggling to discover what it is, I can help. Work with me one-on-one and I’ll show you how to discover your passions, unlock your talents and push past your limiting beliefs so that you can reach your full potential.
Find out more about what it’s like to work with me one-on-one and how I can help you to discover your life purpose HERE.
That’s it for this post! Which of these strategies for discovering your life purpose are you going to try first? Let me know in the comments!
Until next time…
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About the Author
Hey there! In case we haven’t met, I’m Sarah, the founder of A Simple and Contented Life. The online coaching practice that helps moms and mompreneurs with an online biz create more balance so that they can thrive both at home and at work WITHOUT feeling like they have to choose between the two.
A certified master life coach, transformation coach, goal success coach and self-published author, I’m also an Executive Contributor for Brainz Magazine, a proud mum of two, a besotted wife, breast cancer survivor and your mentor for making a change for the better.
When I’m not helping my clients and club members create a great home life and business of their dreams, you’ll find me in my favourite Starbucks curled up in a chair, book in one hand, hazelnut latte in the other or attempting to walk my somewhat lazy Frenchie pup Arthur!
Here’s how I can help you thrive – both at home AND in your online biz:
- Join the Moms in Biz Members’ Club: Learn how to take back control and create more balance so that you have the time and energy for your home, your online biz AND yourself.
- Work with me one-on-one: You deserve to have a great home life AND a great business and together, we can make it happen!
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