7 Powerful Exercises to Find Your Life’s Purpose and Meaning
Simple Transformative Self-Discovery Activities
This article is based on a recent episode of my podcast, Cast of All Trades.
If you enjoy this article and want a deeper dive into the content, then check out the episode below!
Introduction
Are you feeling lost, stuck, or uncertain about your life’s direction?
We often find ourselves questioning what we truly want and what will bring us a sense of meaning and fulfillment. The constant pressure to make the “right” choices and live up to societal expectations can leave us feeling disconnected from our authentic desires. However, by taking the time for intentional self-discovery, we can uncover our deepest aspirations and forge a path that aligns with our values and passions.
These 7 powerful exercises are designed to guide you through a transformative journey of self-reflection and self-awareness. From writing exercises that reveal your true priorities to visualization techniques that allow you to “try on” different life trajectories, these activities will provide you with invaluable insights and clarity. By exploring your wants, needs, and aspirations from a place of honesty and vulnerability, you’ll gain the tools to create a life that resonates with your soul’s calling.
Whether you’re at a crossroads, seeking a career change, or simply yearning for a greater sense of purpose, this article will empower you to take the first steps towards uncovering your life’s purpose and meaning. Embrace the opportunity to embark on a journey of self-discovery and unlock the potential for a truly fulfilling existence.
1. What Do You Want?
This exercise reveals the difference between what we think we should want versus what we truly desire.
When asked “What do you want?”, we often respond with things influenced by others’ expectations — high-paying jobs, fancy possessions, or status symbols promoted by society. However, these surface-level wants may not align with our authentic selves. The second question, “What do you want to want?”, prompts us to look inward and uncover our deeper aspirations, free from external pressures.
By separating these two questions, we can identify the desires that have been imposed upon us versus the ones that resonate with our core values and passions. Perhaps you’ve been encouraged to pursue a certain career path, but your heart truly yearns for a different vocation. Or maybe you’ve internalized the idea of wanting material wealth, when your genuine wish is for a life of simplicity and purpose. This exercise allows you to peel back the layers and reconnect with your innermost longings.
Answering “What do you want to want?” requires radical honesty with yourself, stripping away the façade of what you “should” want according to others. It’s an opportunity to give yourself permission to dream freely, without judgment or limitation. The answers may surprise you, but they hold the key to aligning your life with your authentic desires.
Rediscover your true self and the path that will bring you lasting fulfillment.
2. The Gravestone Technique
This exercise prompts you to envision how you want to be remembered after you’re gone.
What three short sentences would you want inscribed on your gravestone? These phrases should encapsulate the legacy you wish to leave behind — the values, accomplishments, and impact you hope to have made on the world. By considering your desired epitaph, you gain clarity on what truly matters most to you.
Perhaps you aspire to be remembered as a loving parent, a groundbreaking innovator, or someone who brought joy to others through art or service. Maybe your gravestone would honor your commitment to social justice, your unwavering curiosity about the universe, or your ability to find beauty in the smallest details of life. Whatever your aspirations, this exercise challenges you to distill them into three concise yet profound statements that capture the essence of your life’s purpose.
As you ponder these three sentences, you may find yourself reevaluating your current trajectory and priorities. Are the choices you’re making today aligned with the legacy you ultimately want to leave? This exercise serves as a powerful reminder to live with intention and to shape your life in a way that will lead to a fulfilling and meaningful epitaph.
Take this opportunity to define your own lasting impact on the world.
3. Obituary Writing
You wake up and find yourself walking down the aisle of a church, attending a funeral service for two individuals — your current self who died unexpectedly, and your future 100-year-old self who passed away from natural causes. As you approach the front, you see two coffins — one holding your present-day self, and the other containing your elderly future self.
Someone hands you the obituaries for both versions of yourself and asks you to read them aloud. What would the obituary say about who you are today? What stories would it tell about your life, accomplishments, and impact thus far? Then, consider the obituary for your 100-year-old future self — how does it differ? What legacy would you want people to remember? What incredible experiences and achievements would you hope to have lived through by that age?
By contrasting these two narratives, you gain profound insights into who you are currently versus who you aspire to become. This exercise reveals areas where you may feel unfulfilled or dissatisfied with your present trajectory. It also illuminates the qualities, values, and experiences you hope to cultivate as you shape your life’s journey.
Write your story and align your actions with the person you ultimately want to be remembered as.
4. Hawaii Nuclear Test
This exercise prompts you to imagine having only 38 minutes left to live.
You receive an emergency alert — a nuclear missile is headed towards your location and will strike in 38 minutes. In that short window of time before the world potentially ends, what would you regret not experiencing or accomplishing? Set a timer for 38 minutes and spend that time writing down the things you’ll miss out on, the unfulfilled desires and aspirations that will forever go unrealized.
Perhaps you’ll wish you had traveled more, spent more quality time with loved ones, or finally pursued that passion project you kept putting off. Maybe you’ll lament not taking more risks, not leaving a greater positive impact on the world, or not fully embracing and living in alignment with your true values and purpose. As the minutes tick away, you’re forced to confront the aspects of life that truly matter most to you.
This exercise cuts through the noise and superficial wants, revealing your core priorities and deepest yearnings. The things you find yourself wishing for in those final moments provide profound insights into what you need to start prioritizing now, while you still have time. Use this exercise as a wake-up call to start living with more intentionality and focus on the experiences and goals that will leave you with no regrets.
Embrace the sense of urgency this exercise provokes, and let it motivate you to craft a life you’ll find truly fulfilling.
5. The Ideal Ordinary Week
This exercise encourages you to design your perfect weekly routine.
Imagine you could create an ideal schedule for an average week in your life — how would you structure it? What activities would you include beyond just work or school? This exercise prompts you to map out a typical week that incorporates all the elements you find meaningful and fulfilling.
Perhaps your ideal week involves dedicating mornings to your career, afternoons to a passion project or creative pursuit, and evenings to quality time with loved ones or personal hobbies. Or maybe you envision a schedule that allows for ample time outdoors, regular exercise, and opportunities for continued learning and growth. The key is to thoughtfully consider how you would allocate your time across various domains — work, relationships, health, personal interests, and more.
By designing this ideal week, you gain clarity on the experiences, activities, and priorities that truly resonate with you. It serves as a blueprint for crafting a life that aligns with your values and aspirations. While it may not be immediately feasible to implement this schedule in its entirety, you can use it as a guiding vision and gradually prototype elements of it in your current reality.
Intentionally shape your life and create a fulfilling routine that nurtures all aspects of your being.
6. 3 Odyssey Paths
This exercise prompts you to map out three different potential life trajectories.
You’ll describe an average day in your life five years into each path — one reflecting your current trajectory, one pursuing an alternate dream path, and one wildcard path exploring an entirely different direction. By vividly imagining yourself living these three divergent odysseys, you can evaluate which elements from each resonate most deeply and align with your authentic desires.
For the first path, envision how an average day would unfold if you continued along your present course with no major deviations — what would your daily routine, environment, and experiences look like? Then, consider a dream path you’ve always been drawn to but haven’t fully pursued — perhaps a different career, lifestyle, or personal passion. Craft a vivid narrative of an ordinary day immersed in that world. Finally, devise a wildcard third path that explores something entirely outside your current scope, something you’ve never seriously considered but finds intriguing.
As you travel these three odysseys in your mind’s eye, take note of the aspects that inspire a sense of purpose, joy, or meaning versus those that feel draining or unfulfilling. You may be surprised by the elements that call to your soul from each imagined reality. Use these insights to chart a course that incorporates the most nourishing facets across all three trajectories.
Try on different lives and discover which paths align most authentically with your values and aspirations.
7. Ikigai
The ikigai concept originates from Okinawan culture and represents the intersection of your passions, talents, what the world needs, and what you can make a living from.
It provides a framework for discovering your life’s purpose by exploring the overlap between these four elements. Start by reflecting on the activities, subjects, or causes that deeply resonate with you and bring you a sense of joy and fulfillment. These represent what you love. Next, consider the skills, abilities, and knowledge areas where you naturally excel. These make up what you’re good at.
Then, contemplate the needs, problems, or demands present in the world around you that you feel compelled to address or contribute towards solving. This sphere encompasses what the world needs from you. Finally, assess the opportunities, markets, or income streams available that could potentially provide you with a sustainable way to get paid for applying your passions and talents towards meeting those needs.
The sweet spot, the ikigai, lies at the powerful intersection where all four circles overlap. When you can align your life’s work with what you love, what you’re skilled at, what contributes value to the world, and what allows you to support yourself financially, you unlock a profound sense of purpose and the ability to wake up each day inspired to live your ikigai.
While finding this perfect balance is rare, the ikigai model serves as a guide for continually refining your life’s direction towards increasing alignment with your deepest values and highest potential for positive impact.
Conclusion
The journey of self-exploration is a lifelong pursuit, but one that holds immense value and potential for fulfillment.
By engaging with these exercises, you’ve taken the first steps towards uncovering your deepest aspirations, values, and the experiences that truly resonate with your soul. Whether it was envisioning your desired legacy through the gravestone technique, mapping out alternate life trajectories with the odyssey paths, or aligning your passions with societal needs through the ikigai framework, each activity has provided you with invaluable insights into your authentic self.
Yet, this is merely the beginning — a foundation upon which to build a life that is intentionally crafted to align with your purpose and bring you a sense of meaning. As you move forward, continue to embrace self-reflection and remain open to the ever-evolving nature of your desires and callings. Regularly revisit these exercises, allowing your perspectives to shift and your understanding of yourself to deepen over time.
Ultimately, the greatest fulfillment lies not in achieving a static end goal, but in the continuous process of growth, exploration, and aligning your actions with your innermost values. Embrace the journey, for it is in the pursuit of purpose that we find the richness and depth of a life well-lived.
Take the lessons from these exercises and courageously forge your own path, one that is uniquely yours and reflects the essence of who you are meant to become.
If you enjoyed this article and want to read more, check out last week’s article on skill stacking!
