Wellness Series, Part 8: Live with Purpose - Finding Meaning and Fulfilment in Everyday Life
Photo by Jamie Street on Unsplash
Why is Purpose important?
You might wonder - does purpose need to be part of a wellbeing framework? Aren't we focusing on physical and mental health? The answer to both questions is 'yes'.
I firmly believe that purpose is the 'missing' piece in the wellbeing puzzle, because purpose provides us with meaning, and our brains are meaning-seeking machines.
We can all find purpose in our lives, and we can also have more than one purpose at one time, or our purpose can change over time. When I talk about purpose, I don't mean something grandiose like tackling poverty or world hunger (although these are very important issues we certainly need to collectively address, and if you want to support either/both of these causes, there are charities doing work on this out there!).
Purpose means different things to different people, but the one characteristic it has is that it goes beyond one's self. True purpose is found only in something bigger than ourselves - it's about service to others, or doing something 'for the greater good'. That can be by dedicating yourself to a cause, creating art for the world to enjoy, helping others, sharing your knowledge, or doing small acts of kindness consistently and trying to make a positive impact on those around you.
So what is purpose? Simply put, purpose is using our passion in the service of others - it’s when we make use of what we value, what we love and what we’re good at to improve the lives of other people and the world around us. We can have more than one purpose at a time, and our purpose can also change at different stages in our lives; the key characteristic, however, is that it’s bigger than us.
How do you figure out how to bring a sense of purpose in your life, if you're not sure where to start? There are 3 key steps:
Define your values
What do you stand for? What is important to you? Who do you admire, and why? These are all questions that will help you identify what your values are. Once you start answering them, you might notice some key themes - you can then use these to define your core values.
Discover and learn how to use your strengths
We each have a unique set of strengths - even if we don’t yet know what these are. Knowing our strengths and how to use them can help us feel happier in our day to day lives, it can make it easier to connect with others, and also help us get involved in work and activities that make us feel more fulfilled.
Reflect on your passions
What are you passionate about? We all have things we are passionate about, even if at times (especially when/after going through a difficult time) it feels like nothing brings us excitement. Spending some time thinking about what you are passionate about will help you identify opportunities to bring more of that into your life and create a sense of purpose.
Common challenges
Some of the main challenges in finding or living our sense of purpose are hustle culture, living up to other people's expectations and feeling stuck.
Hustle culture is pervasive in today’s world, equating busyness with productivity, exhaustion with accomplishment and self-worth with professional success. It promotes the relentless pursuit of more - more money, a bigger promotion, shinier stuff, often at the cost of our wellbeing. During the pandemic, many people appreciated the opportunity to slow down and make more time for self-care, hobbies and connecting with others (even if it had to be virtual or socially-distanced). Over the past year or so, things have accelerated again, with additional pressure caused by the recent financial landscape and global challenges. While hustle culture can drive ambition and achievement, it often leads to burnout, health issues, and a loss of balance between work and personal life. A more holistic approach that values wellbeing, personal relationships, and sustainable success is essential for achieving true fulfilment. By redefining success and prioritising a balanced life, we get to enjoy both professional achievements and personal happiness.
Living up to other people’s expectations can significantly impede the pursuit of a purposeful life, by undermining our personal autonomy, authenticity, and wellbeing. These expectations can sometimes stem from our childhood, when we make sense of ourselves and the world around us through our interactions with our caregivers, and they can sometimes stem from societal norms and ‘trying to fit in’. To lead a life that is truly fulfilling and meaningful, we have to learn to prioritise our own values, passions, and goals over external pressures. This shift requires self-awareness, courage, and a commitment to personal growth, enabling us to build and live a life that feels authentic to us.
Finally, feeling stuck is a common experience, and it can be caused by personal, professional, or psychological factors, or a combination of these. This can be addressed through a mix of goal-setting, stepping out of our comfort zone, challenging negative thoughts, seeking support, reflecting, addressing unresolved issues, and taking consistent action. By adopting these strategies, we can break free from feeling stuck and move towards a more fulfilling life.
How do we live a purposeful life?
Purpose can sometimes feel like the hardest pillar to work on, especially if we don't know where to start. Remember that purpose is when we use what we value, what we love and what we're good at to improve the lives of other people - so you should focus on your values, your passions and your strengths.
Sometimes we just need to talk to somebody; we need that personalised 1:1 support tailored to our unique life, values and goals - that’s where transformation really happens. And it all starts with a conversation. If you are feeling stuck or don't know where to start in terms of bringing more purpose into your life, coaching can help, so go ahead and schedule a Discovery Call, and let’s chat.