Life is less satisfying if you can barely drag yourself out of bed to drive to a job you don’t enjoy. Unfortunately, it’s easy to take the well-paying job that doesn’t seem so bad at first. The years pass, and you receive a promotion or two. You buy a house, have kids, and it seems that you’ll be stuck in that job forever.
On the other hand, living your life’s purpose allows your life to be filled with excitement and happiness.
It’s possible to find your life’s purpose and earn a living from it, even if you’re past the age of 30. There’s still time!
Try these techniques to find your life’s purpose:
1. Write it down. This method has been shown to be very effective. Take out a notebook and a pen. Write “my life’s purpose” at the top of the page and start writing whatever pops into your mind.
If you think, “This is a dumb idea,” write it down. Did you think about how mad you are that the Knicks blew it last night? Write that down, too.
There will be a lot of mental garbage until you get to the good stuff. Just keep writing until you’re done.
How will you know you’ve found it? You’ll cry. When a simple idea can make you cry, you’ve stumbled on something meaningful.
2. How would you spend the last year of your life? You probably wouldn’t watch reruns of Gilligan’s Island or sit around and pout. You’d live!
- What would you do? It would be a mix of fun and meaningful activities. What are the meaningful activities that you’d do during your last year alive?
3. What did you dream about doing as a child? Did you want to be a doctor? An animal trainer? Have you ever heard a child state she wanted to sit in a cubicle all day and underwrite insurance? Get in touch with your inner child and think about the things that excited you as a youngster. You might be able to put that information to good use.
4. But don’t just go out and randomly volunteer down the street. Look at all the volunteer opportunities in your area and choose the one that appeals to you the most. Contributing to others gives you a mental break from your own problems. Your life’s purpose might reveal itself to you.
5. If you were given the mission of saving the world, how would you do it? What world problem is most meaningful to you? How could you contribute to solving it? Start small, but get started. You might find a lot of meaning in doing something that benefits everyone.
6. Ask yourself. Find a nice, quiet spot, preferably outdoors. Ask yourself, “What is my life’s purpose?” Listen to the answer you receive. Continue asking until you get an answer that resonates with you.
7. What are you good at doing? What are your natural talents? Ask others for their opinion. At the end of the day, you must make your own choices. But ask your friends what they think.
8. What are you willing to do without getting paid? How do you spend your free time? Do you love to restore cars or play the piano? Imagine if you could earn a living from something you’d do for free.
9. If you were locked out of your house on a Saturday from 8AM to 8PM, how would you spend your day? You might be stuck in a routine of hanging around the house all day. What would you do if that weren’t an option? What activities would appeal to you? Maybe you could start doing some of them now.
Get out of the rut your life has become.
It’s possible to live your live with passion and excited expectation. Do the work required to find your purpose. You’ll be glad you did.
If you like this post, you might want to read my blog post on "13 Practical Ways to Live Out Your Dreams Without Quitting Your Day Job."
Cheers to your passion, purpose and freedom,
Cielo Villa
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