It’s never too late to change. Finding your purpose can take a lifetime, and true purpose only emerges as the process progresses. So the journey itself can be seen as the ultimate goal.
How to find the purpose of your life?
Take a moment and reflect on the following questions. Writing down answers helps you focus.
- Is this the life I really want to live?
- Does my current job satisfy and make me happy?
- What do I really want in life?
By answering these questions, you will understand that there is “more” in life and that you have so many hidden talents and qualities that need to be shown. You may come to the conclusion that your potential has not yet been revealed. If so, then it’s time to start searching for your true calling.
The seed germinates only when we manage to create optimal conditions and the best soil for reproduction. The seed eventually becomes a plant, which then puts down strong roots and grows taller and taller until flowers bloom. This is the time when we can harvest our well-deserved fruits.
Tips to help you decide on your life goal
1. Understand why you want it
Try to figure out what is behind your desire to find your purpose. Often there is a specific desire, desire, or life event that creates the urge to seek it out right now. The better you know the reasons for your goal, the easier it will be for you to stay on track if obstacles arise and things do not go as expected.
2. Take a look at your past
Some people knew exactly what they wanted to be from childhood. They just know their talents and work on them from an early age.
But the truth for most people is that their career path is largely chosen based on external and social criteria imposed and influenced. Look back into your past. Perhaps life already gave you clues in childhood or through certain experiences that you did not perceive as such or that you simply ignored.
3. Realize your talents and qualities
Another important element on the path to finding your purpose and reaching your full potential is awareness of your talents and abilities, as well as your weaknesses. Everyone should know their talents and positive qualities, but in practice it is not always so simple. Many people find it difficult to recognize their positive qualities.
Many abilities are simply treated as ordinary and nothing special, while they are valuable and unique. Phrases like “Anyone could do it!” often pop into our heads when we think about the things we do exceptionally well.
4. Explore and discover your values and desires
Having explored your talents and skills, it’s time to get to know all the desires and values that you want to associate your life with.
This is our unique set of values, which we want to align with our abilities in order to sincerely follow our destiny. It means being true and honest with yourself. We truly live when our actions and words are consistent with our values and beliefs.
Living a real life means following your passion and living according to your natural abilities, desires and talents. It means being yourself and not imitating someone just because you think it might be more promising or successful.
5. Learn self-acceptance
Accept what you cannot change. Have the courage to change what you can. Develop the wisdom to distinguish one from the other.
These harmful thoughts often go hand in hand with the desire to become a better person or a different person. This is because we constantly compare ourselves to others in almost every area of our lives. We always find someone who is better, prettier, more experienced or smarter in certain areas. At the same time, we ignore the fact that these people, like any other person, have their own shortcomings and weaknesses.
Self-talk that is doomed to failure often begins with “If only I could…”. We imagine what our life would be like if we only had this talent, this perfect body, or this mesmerizing charisma. However, in search of one’s own vocation, these thoughts are useless. It is much better to realize your true self and accept it so that you can learn step by step what really fills you and makes you happy.
6. Redefine your career
These days, our careers are often based not on our inner voice and calling, but on the values, goals, and ideas that are broadcast to us by our upbringing and society. These are prestige, security, earnings, and career opportunities, not our talents, passions, and values. This ultimately leads us away from recognizing and following our true purpose.
For most people, their job is to have a secure income, be able to pay their bills, and have a respected profession. In fact, work becomes a true calling only when we can fully identify with it, when it is in harmony with our own values and ideas.
7. Explore all your roles in life
On the way to finding your true purpose in life and in order to reach your full potential, you should take a closer look at the different roles in your life. They make up the bulk of your day and often determine your thoughts, feelings, and actions.
Not all roles are beneficial for us. We often unconsciously adopt some of them or they are imposed on us by others. Many people then feel obligated to fulfill these roles, even if they do not feel comfortable in them.
8. Ikigai is the Japanese concept of happiness
When it comes to finding your true purpose or calling, many people in Japan turn to the so-called concept of ikigai.
It is a comprehensive philosophy of life that should lead to contentment, fulfillment and happiness. The philosophy of ikigai can help us take a fresh look at ourselves. It provides guidance on how to live a life that is consistent with our desires, values, abilities, talents, and passions.
9. Be bold, open, curious and act bold
Find your own purpose or calling. Our lives are often dominated and formed by rigid stereotypes of thinking, beliefs, responsibilities, roles and daily routines, which makes it almost impossible to make radical changes from day to day.
Therefore, the safest path to lasting success is to step by step put into practice the newly acquired self-knowledge.
Taking action and changing things that have often taken years to develop requires courage, curiosity, openness, and the joy of experimentation.
Healthy relationships, loving families, and good friends can act as support or anchors in a journey that everyone must eventually walk alone.
