Is Your Life On Purpose?

People who have successfully answered this question and created a fulfilling life typically follow these suggestions.
1. Listen to your inner voice.
If your life is so hectic that you forget what your inner voice sounds like the first thing you need to do is slow down, and start filling your schedule with things you enjoy doing.  When you are doing things you enjoy you will experience a shift in consciousness which actually makes you more receptive to your inner voice.  Your inner voice is the guide for living a life on purpose.
2. Recognize the signs that things are off track.

Does your job feel like a grind? Do you spend your free time fulfilling obligations?  A key to finding your purpose is re-discovering joy and a feeling similar to play in your work and life.  Write down five things that make you feel alive, and schedule these in your calendar first.  Commit to saying no to those things that feel like an obligation, or a necessary evil. 3.  Give yourself space to consider possibilities.  In the business world people are often rewarded for being decisive and having the answers, yet to be on purpose and create a fulfilling career you need to give yourself some time and space to explore possibilities without the pressure of "making a decision" right away. I recommend giving yourself at least three months to explore possibilities and make a conscious decision to not decide anything during this time.  During your "exploratory phase" pay attention to people who inspire you and write down what it is about their life that you would like to emulate (passion clue) and dwell in big questions like:

  • What do you love about life?
  • How could you make the world a better place for others?
  • What would be the greatest version of your grandest life?
  • If you could wave a magic wand and have three things appear in your life.  What would they be?
  • What topics do you tend to gravitate towards again and again?

4.  Tune Out Other People

To be fulfilled you need to listen to your inner voice and tune out friends and family's voices.  The voice you listen to needs to be your own - your wise self.  That balanced loving part of you. If you have not been listening to this part of you for some time then you may need to build trust with this part of yourself.  When you hear the whisper of your inner voice take notice and take small actions to prove to yourself that you can trust this part of you.

5.  Consider how you want to feel, not just what you want to do

People often spend time considering all the things they want to do, but they forget how they want to feel.  Ask yourself:  "How do I want to feel in 2013?  When at work?  Around my family?"  This will clarify what you need to say "yes" to, and what you need to say "no."  If you want to feel calm and present at work then you likely need to say "no" to taking on more then you can handle, and you may need to ensure you have an adequate support system in place.

6.  Do work that aligns with your natural talents.

If you are doing what you love you will have the "passion edge."  That extra edge that comes from doing what you love, rather than doing what you have to do.  When you are fueled by passion, and enjoyment, you will be more likely to put extra effort into your work because it doesn't feel like work much of the time.  Ask yourself:

What am I naturally good at?

What am I doing when I lose a sense of time?

Ask people who love you or have worked with you, "What do you think my strengths are?"

Consider buying the book to take their strength's assessment.  The author's did the largest study on strengths in the world so it is a good place to start.

7.  Consider a Career Intervention

Last, but not least, consider doing the Career Intervention.  This is our coaching program that helps you explore these big and important life questions.