Ever wake up some random Tuesday with that stomach-dropping feeling that everyone else got the life manual except you? Finding purpose seems like this magical achievement that should happen by now. I swear there’s this collective myth we’ve bought into that someday we’ll magically figure it all out – snap our fingers and suddenly understand our purpose, career path, and why we’re taking up space on this spinning rock.
Nobody knows what they’re doing. Not me, not you, not even that LinkedIn influencer who claims they found their purpose through positive thinking (conveniently leaving out their uncle’s executive connections). We’re all just winging it, trying to look confident while internally screaming, “WHAT AM I DOING WITH MY LIFE?”
I’ve spent countless nights scrolling through Instagram, as if finding purpose might happen between someone’s Bali vacation photos and sourdough bread attempts. Maybe you’ve found yourself Googling “careers for people with no passions” at 2 AM while stress-eating whatever snack was closest. I get it.
Here’s the first step when you don’t know what to do: stop trying to answer the impossible question of finding purpose immediately. It’s too big, too vague, and honestly, too exhausting. It’s like being handed a compass with no map and told “good luck!” Sure, you’re pointing in a direction, but who knows if it’s the “right” one? (there probably isn’t a “right” one anyway.)
Instead, zoom in. Way in. Not “what is my purpose in life” but “what am I doing today?” Or even better, “what am I doing in the next 15 minutes?” When finding purpose feels overwhelming, shrink your focus until it feels manageable.
I’ve found that reading “The Midnight Library” by Matt Haig was incredibly reassuring during my own struggles with finding purpose. The book explores the infinite possibilities of our lives through a library where each book represents a different path we could have taken. It’s a gentle reminder that no single choice defines us entirely.
Sometimes just getting through the day feels like achievement enough, right? On those survival-mode days, add a tiny twist to make life feel deliberate. Buy yourself those cookies you loved as a kid. Use the fancy pen. Listen to the most ridiculous playlist while answering emails. Finding purpose doesn’t need to happen in grand gestures – it can begin with making survival feel like yours in some small way.
The truth? Action creates clarity. You won’t think your way to finding purpose. You stumble into it while you’re busy doing something else entirely. Finding purpose isn’t something that happens after careful consideration – it’s something that surprises you when you weren’t even looking.
And I know how paralyzing it can feel to start anything when you’re not sure it’s “the thing.” But here’s the liberating truth about finding purpose: you’re not signing a lifetime contract. No one’s going to burst into your pottery class and yell, “CONGRATULATIONS, YOU’RE A POTTER NOW, HOPE YOU’RE READY TO DEDICATE YOUR ENTIRE EXISTENCE TO CERAMICS.”
Starting is just starting. It’s giving yourself permission to explore, to test waters, to get it wonderfully, spectacularly wrong on your journey to finding purpose.
And you will get it wrong! That’s the good news. You’ll try things and realize halfway through that you hate them or you’re terrible at them. But failure is information, not a dead end. It’s not a grand movie montage kind of revelation – it’s more of a quiet “well, at least now I know” moment that actually frees you to try something else. Finding purpose often happens through process of elimination.
Sometimes, the best thing you can do is distract yourself. Yes, I said it! People love to say “don’t distract yourself from your problems” as if you’re one deep thought away from finding purpose. But sometimes clarity sneaks in when you’re watching ridiculous reality TV shows about home renovation or taking a walk pretending you’re the main character in an indie film.
The pressure to always know what’s next in finding purpose is honestly a scam. Some of the best parts of life happen when you’re wandering aimlessly, making “mistakes” that later become your favorite stories, stumbling into experiences you never would have planned.
And maybe one day, in the middle of something completely unremarkable – organizing your bookshelf, walking your dog, laughing with a friend – you’ll feel it. Not a lightning bolt revelation of finding purpose, but a quiet little thought: “This. This is nice.” It won’t be everything or the answer to life’s mysteries, but it’ll be enough for that moment.
So if you’re standing at your own personal crossroads, clueless about finding purpose, here’s your permission to stay there a little longer. Watch the clouds. Text a friend. Try something that might be terrible. Fail spectacularly. Then try again.
Life isn’t about having all the answers – it’s about asking better questions and collecting moments that make you think, “This is nice,” wherever they lead you on your journey to finding purpose.
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