The Pursuit of Happiness – Find a Purpose for Your Life

Image by Jill Wellington from Pixabay

Everlasting happiness – sounds great. While we are searching for happiness in our own ways, the most successful among us have one thing in common: a clear sense of purpose. Knowing your purpose for living is the key to lasting happiness.

However, finding your purpose in life is easier said than done. Many people live their entire lives searching for it! To help you on your journey, we will help you build a roadmap to a purposeful life. Once you do, you can focus on living for yourself and building a brighter future.

There is significant value in creating a life plan to aid in your pursuit of happiness. So, grab a writing utensil and a blank piece of paper. Let’s get started on the path to a purpose driven life.

Start With a Vision of Your Ideal Self

Take a minute, close your eyes, and picture your favorite version of yourself. What comes to mind? Don’t hold back here – think big and imagine who you are if you could be exactly who you wanted.

Grab a pen and jot down your favorite ideas on the page. Creating vision boards can help you achieve the results you want.

Stuck? Try answering these questions about the fantasy version of yourself:

• Where are you?
• Who are you with? Who do you care about?
• What are you doing? Where do you work? What do you do for fun?
• What does the future hold for you?
• How do you feel? What makes you happy?

Once you have a concept of this all-wonderful person you want to be, ask yourself WHY you want to be this way and add a few more notes to your roadmap. Focusing on this ideal version of yourself and why it exists helps you narrow down your priorities in life, getting you one step closer to your purpose for living.

Recognize What is Most Important to You

Now that you have this fantastic version of yourself to aspire to, it’s time to come back down to Earth and think about your life as it exists right now. In your current situation, what and who is most important to you? Identifying these things or people who can help you figure out what drives you, and in turn, a purpose-driven life for you.

It’s time to pick up that pen again to create a list of what you value most in your life. Consider everything from the people and communities that you hold close to your heart, to your career aspirations, to issues in the larger world that matter to you. If you are struggling here, ask yourself: What does success look like in your life, community, and world?

Understand What Motivates You

Now that you have figured out what success looks like, ask yourself why you picture success in that way. Once you do so, you can learn what motivates you and use that motivation to propel you forward.

Understanding your motivation is a challenging step in your roadmap, so we will give you a few examples to help you out. If I decide that success in my life looks like a big house with a fancy car, maybe I am motivated by money or status. If I decide that success in my life looks like a loving spouse with six happy children, perhaps I am motivated by a desire for family and comfort. What motivates your visions of success?

Determine Where You Fit In

Self-reflection is excellent for determining where you want to go, but you also want to remember where you are now in this journey towards living for yourself.

Begin by asking yourself a few simple questions. Jot down your answers on your roadmap.

• What are you good at?
• What do you struggle with?
• What successes do you already enjoy?
• What failures have you experienced?
• What have you learned?
• What do you still want to know?

Find Your Purpose

Here we are, at the big step: finding your purpose!

It is impossible to tell you exactly how to figure out your purpose in life because the process is personal and different for everyone. However, we can share a few tips.

Take a (figurative) step back and look at the roadmap that you created today. What stands out to you as the essential items on the page? Are there ideas that keep popping up or that naturally fit well together? Pay attention to the trends that you see in your roadmap and use them to help you find your overarching purpose for living.

When you have a clear picture of your purpose, add it to your roadmap in big, bold letters. Maybe circle or highlight it. The purpose is, after all, the most crucial part of the roadmap.

Set Goals and Make a Plan

Finding your purpose in life is only step one to living for yourself. It’s what you do with that purpose that ultimately matters most. Once you think you know your purpose in life, write down three goals that you can begin working towards today. Remember, they should all be based on your purpose in life.

These goals can be related to your personal life, health, career, or any other aspect of life that you want. Many people start by considering their careers and reflecting on if their livelihood aligns with their purpose in life. Whether you are a Chief Product Officer or an entry-level employee, considering your career path can be a great place to start.

The Rundown

Understanding purpose driven life is often considered one of the keys to happiness and success. While finding your purpose is a daunting task, self-reflection and developing a roadmap can help you lead a more purposeful, fulfilling life.