Find and Fulfil Your Life Purpose: Insights and Practical Exercises from Experts.
It’s no secret discovering one's life purpose is a journey that can lead to profound personal fulfillment and satisfaction. In fact, studies performed by the Blue Zone Group found that people who have a clear sense of purpose live on average seven years longer! But, where does one start? Many of us might feel insufficient if we haven't figured out what we want to be when we grow by the time we reach 30 (or even 60) and it's not as though the subject was exactly covered in school, so where does one start?
In this article, we'll explore insights from renowned self-development experts to help you get to reflect on YOUR definition of success and get the most out of your life.
Start with Your "Why" - Simon Sinek's Golden Circle:
Simon Sinek, a motivational speaker and author, emphasizes the importance of understanding your "Why." According to Sinek, your "Why" is your purpose, cause, or belief that inspires you to do what you do. To find your life purpose, reflect on what truly motivates and excites you. What values do you hold dear, and what impact do you want to make in the world? Aligning your actions with your core beliefs can lead you towards a more meaningful path. Sign up to my newsletter to download your free copy of my Find Your Purpose Questionnaire.
Utelise Insights and Exercises from the book "Designing Your Life" by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans,
Stanford Design Teachers, Burnett and Evans found design fundamentals could apply to life, when they counselled their design students around their career direction with such success they developed a course and published the book.
.Reflect on Your Passions and Values: Begin by reflecting on your passions and values. According to Bill Burnett, co-author of "Designing Your Life," identifying what truly brings you joy and aligns with your core values is crucial. Consider activities or experiences that make you lose track of time, as these can offer valuable clues to your passions.
Create a "Good Time Journal:" Document moments when you feel energized, engaged, and fulfilled. Analyzing these entries can help unveil patterns and identify areas of your life that resonate most with your true self.
.Prototype Your Life: Prototyping involves testing potential paths before fully committing. Experiment with different activities, careers, or lifestyle changes to gain insights into what truly resonates with you. This iterative process allows for continuous refinement of your life purpose.
Seek Guidance from Mentors: Connect with individuals who inspire you or have achieved success in areas that align with your interests. Their insights and experiences can provide valuable perspectives on uncovering your life purpose.
Apply Ikigai Principles:
Ikigai, a Japanese concept meaning "a reason for being," involves finding the intersection of what you love, what you're good at, what the world needs, and what you can be paid for. This framework can serve as a powerful tool for discovering your life purpose.
make a list of things that:
1. the World Needs
2 .that you love
3. that you can get paid for
4. that you're good at.
Look at the space in which they intersect like a venn diagram, that is your Ikigai.
Work Through Your FEARS!
If you're struggling with procrastination or lack of inspiration there’s a strong chance that you have deep unconscious fears to which you are responding automatically through a lack of ideas and action. I recommend working with a professional but you might also identify what are your afraid of. Ask yourself: How is this future reality of somebody who fully embodies a sense of purpose incongruent with the way that I run my life and see myself now? And: What am I afraid of? This might help to give you some insight.
Curb People Pleasing.
I observe a lot in my clinic that people who have a higher tendency toward people pleasing sometimes have a harder time being in touch with their needs, desires, passions and ultimately purpose (with the obvious exception of being deeply connected to purpose through service which is nothing to be sneezed at.) If you had nobody to critique you or relying on you, what would you do? Kinesiology can help, too.
Look for Meaning.
Relates to the motivation behind the things that you do. Sure, you might work a nine to five that you just tolerate, but through exploration you can recognize that this aligns to your highest value of relationships because it is providing for your family. You can assign meaning through the narrative that you replay about the tasks you embody every day.
Align to Values
Perhaps a job can become more tolerable by outsourcing the tasks that detract from your highest value. Eg if it is relationships: minimise firing people or tasks which eat into family dinner time, or engage activities to enhance the value it gives to relationships by teambuilding activities and mentoring subordinates, for example. This can add purpose and fulfillment with minimal upheaval.
Apply The Five Second Rule
Mel Robbins, a renowned life coach, introduced the "Five Second Rule" to overcome hesitation and take immediate action. Apply this rule to your journey of finding your life purpose. When faced with a decision related to your career, relationships, or personal growth, count down from five and take a step towards what feels right. This simple technique can break the cycle of overthinking and bring you closer to understanding what truly matters to you.
Try to View Discovery of Purpose with Curiosity and Play.
There often seems like pressure to figure it all out right now and a fear of wasting time. Think of it less about finding your one perfect purpose for your whole life right now and more about channeling your energy more into activities that define and serve what you value.
Finding your life purpose is a dynamic, evolving process that involves introspection, action, and continuous refinement. We are likely to have several purposes over our lifetime, as a part of a balanced life. Drawing inspiration from experts, doing these exercises and applying these methods can set you on a path of self-discovery. Remember, the journey itself is valuable, and with commitment and self-reflection, you can devote your life to a purpose that brings profound meaning to your life.
All the best of health and happiness!
E xx
You'll also receive a FREE copy of my Life Purpose Questionnaire.