Activities to help you find your purpose
We could be wrong, but chances are a person never found their purpose by just sitting somewhere and doing nothing. Engage your senses and your mind with one of these seven activities designed to help you uncover something purposeful for you.
Craft a personal vision statement
A personal vision statement is a way to bring together your values, strengths, and goals into a singular statement that you can use throughout your life to guide both your life and career. This exercise does take some reflection and brainstorming, but completing this exercise is time well spent. For more information on how to craft your personal vision statement, check out this article from BetterUp.
Build your five-year resume
Think about yourself five years from now. What kind of job do you have? What degrees have you earned or are in the process of earning? Where do you live? What skills do you have? By projecting an idealized form of you five years into the future, you may be able to uncover the steps you need to get there through planning and goal setting. This article will help you build your five-year resume.
Write a love list
Thinking about the future? Why not include things you would love to do in the future! A love list is a simple activity that allows you to write out all sorts of activities and things you would love to do. They do not have to be work or career related, however there is a possibility that you can uncover your passions through them. Learn more about writing a love list with tips from Be More With Less.
Build your wheel of life
If you are feeling out of balance, it might help for you to think critically about the areas in your life that you may be focusing too much on, and the others you are neglecting. The Wheel of Life exercise is a way for you to self-assess your specific areas and identify if you are finding yourself out of balance. Try building your own Wheel of Life using this online tool from noomii.
Map your heartbreak
One step to finding your purpose is through identifying issues or causes that really matter to you. If something breaks your heart, you may find additional motivation to do something about it. This reflection exercise prompts you to think about your passions and connect these with issues that affect these passions. Learn how to do this exercise with steps from Learning to Give.
Identify your values
Identifying your values can help you focus on what you find truly important in life. Let your values help guide you and filter out the aspects of your life you may not want to focus on too heavily. When you meet with CAPD, we can help you with a values card sort exercise, or you can do something very similar online using this exercise from Think2Perform.
Write down your purpose
Regardless of whether you did the previous exercises listed here or not, taking a moment to write down your personal purpose statement can act as your own personal guide into the future. Keep in mind that identifying and pursuing your purpose make take time and evolve as your progress, but these reflective exercises are a great way to get started. Learn more about writing your statement with the help of Fearless Culture.
Still struggling to find ways to tap into your greater purpose? Meet with a career advisor to discuss some of your thoughts and get connected to additional resources.
