How To Find Your Purpose in Life

I used to really tie myself up in knots trying to figure out what my “purpose” was...

I thought that until I figured it out, I'm not going to do anything, because I don't want to do anything that is not my purpose...

Pro tip: everything is your purpose... because whether it is or it is not, by acting on it you are making the realization that it's not your purpose which is moving you closer to finding your purpose.

Here's are some things I learned:

1.) YOUR PURPOSE CHANGES:

Your purpose will change as you grow and evolve... different stages of your life will prioritize different values and goals... your purpose today could be different than your purpose tomorrow... and that's okay.

Take the pressure off yourself from having to 'have it all figured out' - it's going to change anyways... go with what feels right today and give yourself space to evolve in the future.

2.) NOBODY CAN GIVE YOU THE ANSWER, ONLY THE MAP:

We are conditioned to externally seek for answers... but no book or coach or podcast can tell you what your purpose is... they can give you a map, but you have to take the journey inward yourself.

Which brings us to the next point…

3.) YOUR MESSSY LIFE STORY IS NOT A MISTAKE:

Look at your life so far... what challenges have you overcome?

A really bad breakup? A challenging skin condition? A terrible health crisis? A frustrating quest to lose belly fat? An exhausting search to make the worlds best pizza?

Your life and your experiences will reveal your unique gifts... what you have gone through is not a mistake... you overcame those challenges and you can help others do the same.

Maybe you spent years obsessing over how to make the worlds best pizza so that you can open a restaurant and bring the community together?

Maybe that awful breakup that you survived was preparing you to help others who are going through the same thing?

Maybe that challenging skin condition was the catalyst to develop a course that helps others overcome their skin issues?

It can be very superficial (and even materialistic), like "make a ton of money and buy an NFL sports team…"

Because even a superficial and materialistic purpose can give birth to great depth and evolution...

(Maybe your purpose to make a lot of money leads you to solve one of humanities most pressing challenges, and you significantly raise your well-being and the well-being of the planet by doing so?)

Follow what interests you and don’t judge yourself for doing so.

4.) YOUR PURPOSE IS PART OF A MUCH LARGER SYSTEM:

Your personal fulfillment in life has a lot to do with the well being of others, because you are part of a much larger interconnected system...

This is why I believe in the simple formula of:

Freedom and Fulfillment = Solve your own challenges first, and then pass the solution on to help others solve theirs.

^ This will reward you with fulfillment and abundance because you are evolving yourself while also raising the well-being of the much larger system that you are a part of - the planet.

A rising tide lifts all boats.

5.) IT’S PERFECTLY OKAY TO HAVE A SUPERFICIAL MATERIALISTIC PURPOSE:

Your purpose in life doesn't have to be some philosophical masterpiece or an attempt to change the world...

It can be very superficial (and even materialistic), like "make a ton of money and buy an NFL sports team…"

Because even a superficial and materialistic purpose can give birth to great depth and evolution...

(Maybe your purpose to make a lot of money leads you to solve one of humanities most pressing challenges, and you significantly raise your well-being and the well-being of the planet by doing so?)

Follow what interests you and don’t judge yourself for doing so.

6.) YOUR PURPOSE IS ALL ABOUT YOU, AND THEN IT'S NOT:

Your purpose will eventually begin to transcend your personal desires and interests...

This is when it opens up into something much larger than anything you could come up with on your own and starts to go beyond your individual (rather limited) perspective...

At this point it can feel like it’s no longer up to you...

You’re not doing it for the rewards, or the abundance, or even the fulfillment…

You are doing it because you cannot not do it… like a flower grows towards the sun, or a stream flows down the mountain... you are floating with the current in a stream of consciousness.

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I hope this helps you.

- Adam