LifeSMART: Find Your Purpose

A few years ago on a lazy afternoon, I was lounging in the sun, reading one of my favorite magazines and came upon one of those quizzes. You know the ones, those questionnaires that supposedly teach you something about yourself that you didn’t already know, like “Are You a Clean Freak or Comfortably Cluttered?” As if the stacks of junk in every nook and cranny of your house didn’t already have you guessing that you had an aversion to cleanliness.

I know these quizzes are meant to be just for fun, because really, how could you not already know that you were a control freak, light sleeper, preferred pastries to muffins, etc.? And just how insightful can a 10-question quiz in a popular women’s magazine be, anyway?

The particular quiz I was taking that afternoon was cleverly crafted to rate your happiness level, and since I was pretty darn content in my life, if not downright joyful, I began taking this one with a smug smile on my face.

I knew I would rate at the top of the chart since I had recently gotten engaged to undoubtedly the most handsome man alive; had two gorgeous, happy children; and had just bought a new home. Seriously, how could I not ace this quiz?

And then I read question Number 13. (I’m not joking! It really was question number 13! That should have been a clue, huh?) The question that changed everything. The question that wiped that smirky smugness right off my face and had me questioning just how truly happy I was.

What was the question, you ask? Nothing more than, “What did you think you would be doing at your age?”

I was momentarily nonplussed.

What DID I think I would be doing at my age?

I really had no clue what I thought I would be doing, but I was beyond certain that I didn’t dream of being a secretary, my current job. No disrespect for the administrative profession. I was a member for nearly eight years.

But I wondered how I had gotten here? I looked back over the last few years and realized that I had landed in my present job as a result of life not going according to plan.

But if life HAD gone according to plan, I wondered what I would be doing now. If I had not gotten divorced, if the marriage had been stronger, if I had been happy in that relationship, if our family budget had been high enough to allow me to stay home with the kids…I think I would have been very content as a stay-at-home mom.

But as the kids got older, would I have needed something more to fill my time? Would I have taken up old hobbies or learned something new? Or even sought employment? I know I would have needed something to make me feel useful, like I was contributing. And then I realized…

I probably would have opened my own small business, most likely a solo operation, but an operation none the less.

As I came to this realization, I felt like something opened up in me, something that had been tight, squeezed, constricted for a long time. Like something finally fell into place. And I started to get excited. At that point, I knew I had to get out of my current job. And this is how my entrepreneurial journey began.

So if your life seems to be perfect in every respect, but you’re still feeling discontent, ask yourself, “If I was financially set for the rest of my life, I owned everything I’ve ever wanted, and I had the perfect relationship, what would I like to do with my time and resources that is meaningful?”

Living your life with intense purpose renews your passion for life and enables you to be the best you can be. It strengthens your self-confidence and, best of all, brings self-fulfillment. Find your purpose today, and give it all you've got!

To learn how you can discover your true path, visit LifeSMART Coaching.

The most successful people are those who work toward the things they are passionate about. They are driven to share what makes them feel happy in hopes of making others feel happy, too. And the more they love what they do, the harder they’ll work at it. After all, don’t you love doing things that make you happy?

Unfortunately, many people aren’t quite sure what their true passion or purpose is. They want to be successful but they just aren’t sure what it is that they can do.

Finding your passion is possible, but it may take some deep searching within yourself. But once you find your passion and purpose, you’ll begin to see just how successful you can be.

Find Your Purpose

An obvious first step in finding your passion and purpose is to look at the things you enjoy doing, like your hobbies. The trick is to figure out where you draw your internal energy from and where your gifts and talents serve you best.

Here are some questions to ask yourself that will help you pinpoint your purpose:

What are you doing when you are most happy?
What recharges your batteries? What do you do to energize yourself after a stressful day?
If money wasn’t an issue and you had all the time in the world to pursue hobbies and socialize with friends, what would you want to do to add meaning to your life?
What is your biggest dream?
Once you’ve discovered what it is that really makes you tick, you get to decide how you’re going to incorporate your purpose into your life.

Work With Purpose

You already know that doing what you love makes you happy, and there’s no better way to spend the day than doing something enjoyable, and getting paid to do it. That’s why so many people choose to pursue their purpose through their careers.

Success is never easy. Reaching your career goals involves a lot of hard work and is often frustrating, but remember that working with purpose toward something you’re passionate about is much easier than going to a job you hate every single day.

Unfortunately, changing careers isn’t possible for some. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t pursue your purpose in your current position. Ask yourself:

Is there another position within your current company that better fulfills your passion?
Is there a special project or committee that you could work on that is more in line with your purpose?
Can you moonlight at another job that fulfills your purpose?
Is it possible to start your own business in your free time?

Live With Purpose

If pursuing your passion through your career isn’t an option right now, you can still add purpose to your life. Here are a few ways to add more passion and purpose to each day:

Volunteer for an organization that shares your purpose
Participate in hobbies that you're passionate about
Take classes that develop your purpose or passion
Teach others about your passion

Also, take a close look at other aspects of your daily life, the people you hang around with, the hobbies you participate in. Are these people and activities in line with your purpose? Negative or unfulfilling activities can be exchanged for the ones that supercharge you.

If you don't already know what drives you in life, take some time to reflect on it. Then make sure everything you do lines up with this purpose. Do everything you can to focus on your calling with the things you say, think and do. If it isn't necessary or doesn't align with your goals, let it go.

Living with intense purpose renews your passion for life and enables you to be the best you can be. It strengthens your self-confidence and, best of all, brings self-fulfillment. Find your purpose today, and give it all you've got!