You can’t even finish your coffee hot. How does it make sense to go as deep as, “finding your purpose”? We all know it, we all feel it, we have one thousand (ok a million) things pulling for our attention. Knowing where to put our most valuable commodity should be easy but it’s just not.
5 Tips to Find Your Purpose
When you find your purpose you will naturally slow down. You will naturally be able to say no to the things that make you feel so distracted and chaotic.
Take just a second to think about and maybe answer this question. What makes your life feel meaningful or satisfying. Despite all the kids, games, meals, carpool lines, coffee dates, work dates, date nights … if you stopped and really looked at your life what would bring you life?
When Americans were asked this question, 69% said family brought meaning. Great love that. But let’s really think about that answer. Family brings meaning to your life. If you ask me, I feel like to find your purpose you need to first look at yourself.
Don’t get me wrong, I looooveeee my family and I love that so many others do too but you may be missing something if family is what brings YOU meaning. Let me explain what I mean.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO FIND YOUR PURPOSE?
Let’s think down the road for a moment. 40 – 50 years from now when you’re on your “last leg” what will you look back on and say, “I wish had done more of that”?
Boom, that’s your purpose.
No, joking, it’s not quite that easy, although it sort of is.
But really think about that. Will you say, I wish I had watch more instagram reels, or answered a few more emails promptly, volunteered for PTA, read more books with my kids, started a business, chased a dream, gone on more walks with my family?
This question holds no judgment. This is your life and what it means to find your purpose is different for each and every one of us. I know you’re thinking, Jen – this is so not helpful, I want an easy and quick answer.
Well friend, that’s just the thing. Easy and quick are opposites of purpose. You have a natural push back when it comes to sitting down at the kitchen table, distraction free (like cell phone OFF, kids off location) and giving our life a good ol’ self evaluation. I know this because it’s a struggle for me too.
You can’t be told what your purpose is and, truth be told, it’s not really a discovery process either (I know all these other people much smarter than me say it is about discovery but let me explain more)!
HOW TO FIND YOUR LIFE PURPOSE
How to find your life purpose and not make it about “discovery” is simple. You have to already know yourself and chances are…you do. You’ve lived with yourself for 30+ years. You know your weaknesses and your strengths already. It’s just admitting to them and even writing them out (yes writing, the old fashioned way, not in notes in your phone but with pen and paper!)
Let’s call this a brain dump. A chance to write out all the things you feel you excel at. All the things that need work. Your loves, hates, wishes, dreams. You name it. Dump it out on a piece of paper. Anna Rose talks about this more on The Unhurried Life Podcast this week.
Make a list or dump of what you want to accomplish, big and small! Complete with long term and short term ideas or goals.
Next, get to the root of all you wrote down. Circle a few things and get to the why. Why is it important to you to x.
To be a good wife.
To start a business.
To Homeschool.
To retire at 55.
This is where you can take time to sole search. Why are these things a priority or something you want for yourself? Just pick a few and find your why.
Anna Rose even goes as far as saying that once you’ve gotten all the things out on paper star what you want to evaluate. Circle or put a date next to things you feel need to be looked at closer. Are there dreams? Are there things you want to do more of?
As you’re looking at this mess of words, sentences, dates and stars all over your paper take a second to dwell on why these things are important to you? You are the key phrase here.
Just a little about me real fast. Mom of 3, currently working from home and life is full! Anna Rose is in a similar boat and I bet you are too. So, making a list of what’s important to you and being able to give yourself permission to DO those things is OK. We don’t want to forget to have fun cause we got to carried away!
FREE RESOURCE: Finding Focus Guide
WHY IS IT SO HARD TO FIND YOUR PURPOSE IN LIFE?
Simply put. We’re distracted. Don’t believe me? Try taking a walk around the block phone free. Anxiety creeps in the moment you set foot out the door. It’s not difficult to get distracted from our own purpose by clinging onto others purposes. That’s what happens when we’re unsure. (And this is why finding your purpose will not be done while scrolling instagram, so, remember to grab paper and pen!)
Why is it so hard to find your purpose in life? We also tend to have an all or nothing mentality when in fact, purpose is seasonal. Finding your big purpose can become easier if you clarify your current purpose in this season or stage currently happening all around you. More like short term purpose or direction.
Finding your purpose is truly made more possible when your direction is clear. Getting clear direction takes intention. Knowing where you want to go and why. Mostly the why part!
5 TIPS TO FIND YOUR PURPOSE
On this week’s episode of The Unhurried Life Podcast Anna Rose gave some amazing and simple strategies to truly get to know yourself and your purpose. Take a look but remember to go deeper by tuning in!
- Evaluate and ask yourself: why is what you want important to you?
- Making an actual list of what is important so you don’t miss doing it! (the typical – life slipped by preventive)
- Brain dump your loves, your life givers and then star what you feel pulled to (don’t be afraid to put a date next to ones you want to take action on)
- Self permission to do but also, once you’re there and doing, permission to say this is not it
- Knowing yourself and priorities – keeping the main thing the main thing!
If you feel too busy to even have a moment to sit down and find your purpose then that’s exactly what you need to do. Finding your purpose allows you the room (I say margin) to live fully where you were made to live. It’s hard to find your purpose because there are so many other distractions you’ve allowed into your life. (Sorry, I have to get real with you for a sec)
Take these tips and listen to Anna Rose and I on the Unhurried life podcast this week to start down the path of true purpose and take a second to download the Unhurried Life Starter Kit for more help with purpose. This is an amazing free tool that will get you started on most of those 5 tips to find your purpose I just wrote about up there!
READ MORE ON PURPOSE HERE:
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