7 Ways to Live With Purpose and Create a Life You Love
Have you ever felt like your life lacks purpose?
Maybe you’ve been feeling lost, stuck, or unfulfilled, and you want to give your life more meaning.
If that sounds like you, don’t worry, you’re not alone.
Many of us have felt like that at some point in our lives, and for different reasons.
It may be because you’re unhappy with your career, relationships, or personal goals. Or because you feel like you aren’t making a difference in the world, maybe.
Other times, it’s because you feel you have to follow what other people say you should do, which can make you feel like you don’t have control over your life.
Now, living a purposeful life means different things to different people, of course.
But, at its core, it’s about finding something that gives your life meaning and direction. Whatever that means to you.
To me, it’s waking up each day feeling like I’m making a difference in the world, no matter how big or small.
The moment I started being more honest with myself and understanding what I really wanted, that’s when my life started to feel right to me.
But before putting intention into uncovering my life purpose, I felt like I was drifting. I knew there was something that wasn’t clicking, but I didn’t know what it was.
Living a purposeful life also means you feel more focused, motivated, and energized, which helps you make better decisions, set better priorities, and feel more confident in your own skin.
When you live with purpose, you feel more connected to the world around you.
Who doesn’t want that, right?
Living a life of purpose isn’t always easy, though, and it’s not something that happens overnight or by accident.
It takes time, effort, and a lot of self-reflection.
But trust me; it’s totally worth it.
In this article, I’ll share some tips you can use to start living a more meaningful life.
Enjoy! 🙂
How Do I Find My Life’s Purpose? 7 Tips to Try
1. Know your values
Your values are the principles and beliefs that guide the decisions you make.
And when you have a clear understanding of your values, it’s easier to make choices that align with who you really are and bring a sense of fulfillment to your life.
Knowing your values can also help you set goals and make plans that are in line with what you truly want.
In short, knowing your values and letting them guide you can lead to a more authentic, satisfying, and purposeful life.
So, take some time to ask yourself:
- what’s important to you,
- what makes you happy,
- and what you stand for.
In my opinion, journaling is one of the best tools to boost your self-growth, know yourself better, express yourself, get unstuck, and so much more.
And it turns out that journaling can help you uncover your values too.
But before you dive into it, it’s a good idea to learn more about what values are and which are the most common ones so it’s easier for you to identify yours.
Here are some journaling prompts to uncover your values:
- What are three things that are most important to me in life and why?
- When have I felt the most fulfilled? What values were present in those moments?
- What are three qualities that I admire in other people?
- What are three things I always fight against?
- What are three things that make me feel proud of myself?
- What are three things I am most grateful for? How do they relate to my values?
- What are three things that I wish to accomplish in life? How are those things related to my values?
- What three things are so essential to me that I’m not willing to give them up?
Take some time to reflect on your values and see if there are any misalignments between what’s important to you and the life you’re actually living.
2. Trust your gut
Your gut instincts are connected to your intuition, which is the internal compass that guides you in life.
It’s that feeling that tells you to be cautious when there’s something wrong going on in a certain situation or with a person in your life.
Trusting your gut means becoming more in tune with your values and goals, which helps you make better decisions.
We all have gut instincts, but some of us are better are listening and understanding that instinct than others.
So, how can you become better at it?
Since your gut instincts are often connected to physical sensations in your body, one of the best things you can do is start paying more attention to how your body feels in different situations.
For example, you might notice your chest gets tight when you’re anxious or butterflies in your stomach when you’re passionate about something.
Journaling is another excellent way to stay in touch with yourself and how you feel physically.
Check in with yourself regularly, and every time you journal about an event (whether it’s a positive or negative one), take note of how that makes you feel.
Does a memory make you feel tense or sweaty? Does your stomach or head hurt when you talk to a certain person or go to a certain place?
Do you feel energetic and excited when people around you talk about a specific topic?
Pay attention to your feelings. Your intuition is a powerful tool with the answers you’re looking for.
3. Don’t let fear of judgment dictate your life
Fear of judgment can hold us back from pursuing our dreams and finding our purpose.
It’s natural to care about what others think or would think every time we’re making an important choice in life.
However, you need to keep in mind that you are the one who knows what’s best for you.
When you focus more on pleasing others than on what matters TO YOU, you end up making decisions based on what you think they want or expect from you rather than what you truly want or what aligns with your values and goals.
This can lead to a lack of direction, confusion, and even resentment toward others.
But when you learn to trust your own intuition and make choices based on what you feel is right for you, you’ll start building a life that feels meaningful TO YOU.
Everyone has their own unique journey and path in life, and what works for one person may not work for another.
Of course, this doesn’t mean you should completely disregard the opinions of others, especially if they are close to you and have your best interests at heart.
However, make sure you prioritize your own intuition and make decisions that feel right for you.
Ultimately, building a life with purpose means finding your own path and staying true to yourself.
4. Practice gratitude daily
Practicing gratitude is a powerful way to cultivate a positive mindset and a life with purpose.
When you practice gratitude, you focus on the things in your life that you’re thankful for, which can help shift your perspective and focus on what brings you real joy in life.
Gratitude can help you appreciate what you have rather than focus on what you don’t. And by focusing on the good in your life, you attract more positivity and fulfillment.
So, take time each day to reflect on what you’re thankful for and what’s going well in your life.
Grab your journal and make a list of three things you’re thankful for, no matter how big or small.
You can be thankful for your home, family, and job. For life and health.
You can also be thankful for a great movie you watched last night or how shiny your hair looks on a certain day.
Whatever it is, gratitude can help you appreciate your journey and find joy in the present moment.
5. Set meaningful goals for yourself
Without clear goals, it’s easy to feel directionless and unsure of what you want to accomplish in life.
The moment I learned how to set goals properly and stay consistent with them, my life became much more exciting, and I felt less stuck.
Setting goals gives you something to work towards and helps you focus your time, energy, and resources on what you care about.
They’re foundational to what it means to live your purpose because they help you keep your eyes on what’s important to you.
When you set clear and meaningful goals, you can identify your priorities, whether that’s your career, relationships, or personal growth.
Goals can also help you measure your progress and stay motivated. When you have a specific target to aim for, you can break it down into smaller, more manageable steps and track your progress constantly.
Plus, celebrating your successes, no matter how small, can be incredibly motivating and help you to build momentum.
All of this can give you a greater sense of satisfaction and fulfillment in your life and help you to feel like you’re making progress toward the things that you care about the most.
The bottom line? Goals can give you direction and purpose.
Think about what you want to achieve and set specific, measurable goals to help you get there.
6. Rethink your priorities
Your priorities are the things that you consider to be the most essential in your life. They guide your decision-making and actions.
If you feel like your life lacks purpose, it may be because your priorities don’t match your values and goals. Maybe you’re not prioritizing what has real meaning to you.
Evaluating your priorities can help you make changes so you can focus on the things that matter most and let go of the things that don’t.
And the benefit of that is that it can help you create more space and energy for the things that bring you joy, fulfillment, and yes, you guessed it, purpose.
Take a step back and think about how you’re spending your time. Are you prioritizing things that matter to you? Or are you completing tasks mindlessly just because you feel you have to?
Uncovering all this isn’t easy at first, so it’s always a great idea to journal about it for a couple of weeks and see what you find.
If you find out you’re not prioritizing the right things, make changes to focus on what’s important.
Don’t be afraid to let go of things that you really don’t care about.
Start by making small changes and gradually working towards aligning your priorities with your goals.
7. Find ways to help others
When you help others, you’re not only making a positive impact on their lives, but you’re also cultivating a sense of empathy and compassion, which can help you feel more connected to the world around you.
Think about ways you can make a positive impact in the world, whether through volunteering, donating to charity, or simply being kind to others.
If this sounds very important to you, then you can use helping others as a north star for your goals. For example, you may want to:
- start a business that solves a real problem for many people
- find a way to teach something you know, so others don’t have to go through the same things you did
- make sure your job feels important to you because it’s about helping others somehow.
Knowing that you have made a difference in someone else’s life can boost your self-esteem and confidence.
Helping others can be a powerful way to bring more fulfillment into your life and can help you to build a sense of purpose, meaning, and connection.
In short, by helping others, you’ll not only make a difference in their lives, but you’ll also create a more meaningful life for yourself.
Why Is It Important to Live A Life Of Purpose?
When you have a clear purpose or goal, you have a reason to get up in the morning and a reason to keep going when things get tough.
Purpose can help you stay motivated and focused on what matters to you, even when things get challenging or a little confusing.
Without purpose, you may feel unmotivated, uninspired, sad, or even depressed.
On top of that, living with purpose means making a positive impact on the people and communities around you.
In short, creating a meaningful life may be exactly what you need if you feel lost or stuck.
The Bottom Line
Living with purpose is only possible if you focus on what matters to you.
So, if you want to create a life that feels right, take time to reflect on what you want and value, so you can prioritize with intention.
Remember that finding something to live for and living with intention is a journey and that it doesn’t happen by accident.
It takes time, effort, and practice to connect with yourself and learn about what’s really meaningful to you, but the rewards are worth it.
Be patient, and stay committed to your values. It pays off.
