Life doesn’t always go according to plan. It’s something that can be a very fluid and unpredictable journey in life. With that being said, it can often lead to some people feeling like they’ve got little direction currently.
Whether you’ve always been driven towards a certain goal in life and that has recently come to a halt, or you’ve never found that main purpose for your life that’s driven you to achieve certain things, it’s all part of being human.
We’ve all been blessed with being able to live and while there might feel like expectations and pressure to be a certain way, that’s simply not the case. You make a purpose for your life in any way you choose to do so. With that in mind, here are some top tips for finding your purpose in life, especially if you’re struggling to find it currently.
Find what’s lacking in your life
Is there something in your life that’s currently lacking? It might not be something that’s completely obvious right now but chances are there is something that you are missing. Whether that’s a work-related issue or a personal one. One. Perhaps you’re no longer satisfied with your job? Or could it be a breakdown in a relationship or a family relationship?
When it comes to values and purpose, it’s important that you identify what you value most in life and if that is currently missing, then of course, you’re likely to feel like you have no purpose.
Sometimes, it takes a personal deep-dive into your life to understand what it is that you’re lacking and how that might be resolved going forward.
Develop a growth mindset
A growth mindset is something that’s worthwhile to incorporate into your life, especially when there’s little to no direction in your life currently.
What could help you grow from where you are now? Are there certain influences or changes in your life that will start you on that journey of growth?
For example, it might be that you’re currently in a job you no longer enjoy or are not providing the joy or quality of life you should be enjoying. With that being said, a growth mindset would address the job itself first. Perhaps as part of the growth mindset, you set goals in place that help take you from your old job to a new one that you’ll love and thrive in.
Growth mindsets and the development of these can be highly effective when it comes to finding that get-up-and-go you need in life when things are looking bleak.
Explore your passions
Everyone has different passions, whether they be related to your personal life or professional work life. Some are often driven by the need to climb the corporate ladder, whereas others are driven by growing their own family.
The passion you have is going to be different from those around you. Therefore, it’s important not to base your life’s expectations and purpose on other people’s lives. You should be making your own decisions on what you feel is the most valuable to you. After all, it’s your life to live and it’s important that you continue to feel joy, which is mainly influenced by your passions.
Take a good look at what your current passions are and if you’re significantly lacking in passions, then start exploring. Experimenting is often needed because not everything you try is going to be something you love.
Connect with others
Connection is highly important, especially when it comes to being human. We all need connection and often enough the reason we feel like we have no purpose, is that we’re not surrounded by the right people.
Alternatively, it might be a case of not having enough time with others you love, perhaps because you’re too busy with other aspects of your life.
Think about how you could connect more with the people in your life who bring you that value and purpose you’re after. If there are people in your life that are doing the opposite and would be considered toxic, you might want to consider cutting them out.
Spend time with people who inspire you
Who inspires you in life? It’s a question that’s often asked and many will typically answer quickly without much thought on it.
The truth is, the inspiration could be an inspiration for a certain reason. For example, being inspired by your parent might be because of what they do for you as a parent. It could be a spouse who inspires you due to their hard-working attitude.
However, it’s also good to consider people outside your immediate family and start connecting with those who are friends or perhaps strangers initially on the internet. There are people you could surround yourself, with that will help give you the inspiration you need in order to find your missing purpose.
Give back
Giving back is a great way to show appreciation but it’s also useful for helping understand just how lucky you end up being in comparison to others. It often helps the person understand that although you may be struggling to find purpose, others have a purpose even though things may look much bleaker than your reality.
Of course, it’s not a competition, but having appreciation and giving back to others, is a great way to have further purpose in life. Find local, national, and international opportunities that you can get involved with, in order to give something back beyond just for your own benefit.
Practice gratitude where possible
Finally, practicing gratitude is something you definitely want to be mindful of doing. It can be easy enough to forget how lucky or blessed you might be in life when comparing your life to others. Gratitude is a great quality to have and it can often help realize that you might have more purpose in life than you think you have.
Finding your purpose in life when you’re struggling to find it, is certainly something to do more of. If you’re finding it hard to locate, use these tips.
Melissa Stewart is the founder of SheOwnsIt.com. She is a Purveyor of Possibility, Entrepreneur Advocate and Coffee Addict. She believes that behind every successful woman is her story. What’s your story?
