Don’t Know Your “Purpose”? That’s OK.

“Unlock your best life by finding your purpose!”

“7 questions that can help you find your life purpose.”

“Know your purpose to make a perfect landing in life.”

Finding your “Life’s Purpose” Is a constant clamor that surrounds us. Google “how to identify your purpose,” and you’ll be overwhelmed with countless articles, videos, podcasts, and guides on how to do it. Sponsored research papers also support the idea that knowing your life purpose can help you attain a higher degree of emotional and mental well-being.

As you scroll through social media you’ll find yourself inundated with messages asking you to adopt the hustle culture: have a mission or risk leading a life that’s meaningless. The idea is to run your life like you’d run a corporation or business, where failure is certain without a big, clear goal.

But what if you don’t find your life’s purpose? Does that mean it’s all been a waste of time? What about living a life “on” purpose with happiness, satisfaction, well-being, productivity, and abundance as your end goals?

Life’s journey is never a straight path. We go through ups and downs, change with the times, and grow as a result of the lessons we learn from our experiences. This shapes (and reshapes) how we perceive life at different stages. What seemed to be our life purpose up until yesterday may no longer be appealing to us today.

There are times in life when we may feel lost or confused or perhaps may need some time to figure out what to do next. At times like these, it’s important to realize that uncertainty, doubt, and ambiguity are entirely normal aspects of life. We shouldn’t feel terrible or embarrassed about not having everything figured out or not having a grasp of the bigger picture just because everyone tells us, we should. Our quest for answers shouldn’t take over our lives to the point where we begin to feel unhappy, frustrated, or anxious.

Realize that finding our purpose usually takes time and is influenced by several factors, such as experiences, beliefs, values, and mental processes. We must appreciate that each one of us is free to live our lives however we please. Having a big, overarching objective in life is not a mandate.

Accept that an extraordinary, amazing, and rewarding existence is possible if we live an intentional life every day. Choose to focus on positive thoughts throughout the day rather than fixating on the lack of a “larger purpose.” Surround yourself with people who share your good feelings and thoughts, who understand your unique outlook and can embrace it for what it is.

Here are a few simple steps we can take to “purposely” design a life of happiness and plenty. Ask yourself:

• To what extent does knowing (or not knowing) my life’s purpose contribute to my sense of self-worth?
• Should I feel guilty about being content or happy, yet unsure of my life’s purpose?
• How do I want to feel most of the time on a daily basis—happy, contented, helpful, or productive?
• Every day, how do I ensure that I align my good feelings and thoughts with my actions?

Nobody knows how long it will take someone to find their calling in life. However, ignoring what one has right now in pursuit of the unknown is never wise. We can design and build on what we have gained or accomplished so far. Living in the present is just as important as devising solutions for the future, and sometimes those solutions are generated from the pleasant situation we are in right now.

-Rachna Singh

Photo: Bigstock