How to Find Purpose, Meaning and Fulfillment
Three tips from my personal experience
"What is my purpose? What am I meant to do with my life?"
If you have ever asked yourself those soul-searching questions, you are not alone.
At some point, most of us reach a juncture where we feel stuck, unfulfilled, and desperate for deeper meaning in our daily lives.
I vividly remember that feeling. Back in 2019, I was miserable in my corporate job, dreading each morning's alarm like a prison wake-up call. Something inside kept whispering, "There has to be more to life than this..." But what else could I do?
After months of self-doubt and spinning my wheels, I finally got brave and quit that soul-sucking job. It was a huge risk with zero plan B. All I knew was staying put guaranteed a purposeless path I could no longer stomach.
Related article: “How I Quit My Job and Became a Full-Time Writer”
This brings me to the first advice.
Know When to Walk Away
When you find yourself experiencing what I described in my book — Damn You Boss, I Quit! — as the “F*ck it Moment,” is a signal that it is time to walk away. Because if you never do, you will never find the alternative.
While walking away was scary, it also opened up a world of possibility. You see, the first key to finding purpose is giving yourself the space and freedom to explore. You cannot discover your deeper calling while staying stuck on the same hamster wheel.
When I quit my job, I took two months away doing nothing but introspecting and searching my soul for the things that mattered — this time to me.
Those two months were a period of self-discovery and self-awareness for me, and it birthed this next advice.
Quick break: In my book — Damn You Boss, I Quit — I discuss in detail the art and science of quitting a job/career/relationship, etc. You should grab a copy on Amazon.
Take Inspired Action
Walking away does not mean you quit everything and sit on the couch waiting for inspiration!
The momentum to find purpose comes from trying new things and taking inspired action, however small.
For me, writing online helped me get unstuck. I had always loved writing but never considered it as more than a hobby. Then, one day, I hit "publish" on a post and started sharing my unfiltered thoughts with the world. The more I opened up through words, the more my voice and stories began to impact others.
Soon, I was connecting with like-minded people all over the globe – individuals who resonated with my musings and perspectives in powerful ways. Each time someone expressed how my writing helped them see their struggles in a different light or gave them a boost when they were down, I felt an indescribable sense of joy and purpose.
My point is that you cannot sit and wonder what your greater purpose might be. That is a surefire way to get trapped in an endless spiral of analysis paralysis.
Feel Free to Explore
Give yourself the grace to explore, be curious, and shamelessly embrace new experiences that ignite the tiny sparks of excitement within you.
It is in trying different hobbies, side projects, classes, and adventures — that your passion and purpose will likely unveil.
For you, finding purpose might look like training for your first marathon while your day job pays the bills. Or it begins by taking that writing or digital marketing course you have always dreamed about. Or volunteering for a cause that has been tugging at your heart.
Wrapping Up
The path to purpose isn't always linear or obvious at first.
We are multifaceted beings, so it makes sense that our greater sense of meaning may come from an unexpected combination of experiences, interests and feelings.
The beautiful part? Once you unlock that deeper purpose and start living in alignment with your "why," everything else in your world seems to rearrange itself in the most fulfilling way.
So if you have been wrestling with those big existential questions, start by giving yourself the space, freedom and self-compassion to shamelessly play, experiment and open up to appealing new possibilities. Your purpose is there, patiently waiting to be unlocked through action.
Are you at this kind of crossroads and need someone to talk to? Feel free to get on a FREE 15-minute clarity call with me. I’d love to help in any way I can.
I hope this helps you. If it did, clap me a thousand times (joking, a few tens would do), leave me a comment (it will encourage me a lot), click the follow button and subscribe to get email notifications.
