We all desire to have lives that are meaningful and fulfilling. What this looks like for you will be different from what it looks like for me, as we all have unique gifts. These gifts help us to identify our life purpose. But what if you aren’t sure what your purpose is? Not to worry, you aren’t alone and you can start to find your purpose with the steps below.
Purpose May Have Been Lost Along The Way
When we are children, we are open to the possibilities of life. Everything is fun and new. Even if we are a bit nervous, we are eager to try new things. We trust our instincts and intuition and when we fail at something, we keep going because much of life is still a learning experience. Even at a young age, we are often guided to our primary purpose in life. If not in its entirety, we develop some of the foundational skills we need to live a fulfilling life.
Unfortunately, instead of nurturing our natural gifts, we are encouraged to pursue other objectives. We go from being free-spirited to investing our time checking off the boxes our family and society expect us to check off. Too often, our natural abilities are deemed a poor investment of our time, meaning we lose our purpose somewhere along the way. But your purpose is never lost.
Consider What Comes Naturally To You
Your purpose is connected to your natural gift. Something you achieve with ease that rarely, if ever, feels like work. If you have lost touch with what that is, start carrying a journal with you. Write down everything you complete each day with ease, the times when time flew by in a good way. Write down moments that sparked joy in your day. Spend a bit of time in self reflection looking back on your childhood and past professions, and consider the activities that were the most fun and fulfilling. Also, reach out to a trusted and open-minded friend or family member to inquire about what they see comes most naturally to you.
Don’t count anything out. Whether you are a good listener, have a natural ability for pairing colors in your wardrobe, can rapidly organize projects, pick up new software and technology with ease, and more. Also include anything you are drawn to, but have never tried or haven’t tried in a while.
Commit Time To Your Natural Abilities
Whether it’s your good listening skills or if you have a hidden desire to pursue a different career path—begin investing your time in your natural abilities. If you are a good listener, mentor someone at work. If you love interior design, offer to help a friend decorate their new place when they move. If it’s a sport, art, or extracurricular activity you enjoyed in your youth, sign up for a class.
Go With The Flow
Don’t focus yet on where this is going, give yourself this well-deserved “me time” and a break from adulting. Start small, with an hour a day or even just an hour a week. Continue to journal about what aspects of your new investment of time are most fulfilling. Don’t let anyone discourage you or talk you out of this time for yourself. This time is a necessary part of the process. Remain open as new opportunities in your natural skillset arise. Whether it’s a part-time job opportunity, a weekend seminar, a volunteer opportunity, or the new friends you make along the way.
Explore The Possibilities
With the well-intentioned goal of identifying a stable career or providing for our families, many of us pursue a career choice that does not empower us to make the most of our natural gifts. Now, it’s time for a mindset shift.
You spend most of your waking hours at work and you deserve to live a happy, meaningful, and purpose-filled life. While it might be easy to identify all the reasons why a path less traveled won’t work, we must not forget the unlimited ways in which things can work out—often better than our wildest dreams. Find your purpose and that will change your life for the better.
Ready To Find Your Purpose?
Consider who inspires you the most. It’s likely someone who dreams, who takes the path less traveled, and who lives in authenticity. You can achieve all these things too, and more!
If you are ready to identify and pursue your purpose, I invite you to reach out. As a life coach I work with you to shift your mindset to a healthier and more optimistic way of thinking. I will cheer you on in your personal growth and hold you accountable to the commitments you make to yourself. No matter what your goal is, I’ll be at your side every step of the way.
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