Are you struggling to create your dream life, business or find your next role? If so, you are probably distracted by the “how.” What you should be focused on instead is identifying your inner calling.
I know first-hand that nothing else matters if you aren’t following your soul’s purpose. Once you’ve found it, you can align all areas of your life to point in that direction. It is possible to do what you love and live in flow – you just need the right motivation and mindset, and to take the right action.
Understand what life should feel like
“Living life with purpose” means doing what truly matters to you in alignment with your values and beliefs. I can’t tell you what that means for you, but you know it when you feel it – and when you don’t.
When you aren’t being you, everything can be foggy and colourless. You’re bored and busy at the same time, always tired. Even small things feel hard work. You take tests to understand why you feel down or can’t achieve your ambition or revert to Dr Google to fix it. The list can go on.
If you continuously ignore your higher self, it will send you nudges – even a slap in the face – to get your attention.
But first identify your values – “what do you stand for? and what will you not stand for? What do you want to be known for? What have been your key successes or failures in your life?” Don’t forget to write them down this is only the beginning!
When you’re in alignment, life is right. Things are easy, and everything just works. You feel alive, passionate, and lit up from within. You aren’t concerned with how to get where you’re going; you’re sure of yourself, even if you’re scared at the same time. That might sound a little simplistic to create a few lists but identifying the good the bad and the ugly is what you are doing!!
Tap into your calling within
Not sure where your life is going? Or not sure where you want your career to go or what job next?
You’ll be able to put it into words when you stop worrying whether you’re saying it right or others will “get it.”
However, sometimes access to your soul is blocked by confusion, especially if you’ve ignored it for a long time. In that case, practice connecting with yourself and tuning in to what’s buried there by asking, “What do I need to know or listen to here?” Then trust the answer. Sometimes you just need a few pointers to help you along the way.
You
Who are you? Get clear on your strengths and focus areas – things you work hard at to achieve, your personal values and what you want to achieve in the long term ie 3-5 years.
Goals
If you are pondering over, your job or business – what value will you deliver? Considering your key stakeholder groups or customers and their expectations, what are the significant results you want to accomplish in the next year?
Recognition
How do you want to be recognised or known for? What do you want people to say after they have met or worked with you?
Now write a short statement that connects the dots across You, Goals, Recognition about yourself – it will help explain your calling.
Try journaling or mind mapping they are powerful ways to explore your inner thoughts and generate ideas too.
Trust yourself and forget what others think
We’re naturally intuitive before we learn “the rules”. But there’s no right or wrong way to live. If you aren’t following your intuition, you’re operating on others’ terms – and no one can tell you how to be you.
There’s always another approach to everything – and you have to find your way.
Visionary leaders do things differently; that’s why they stand out. They question the norm to find what’s right for them.
Imagine that you’re successful. No one would question you because you’re on top of the world. Who would you be? How would you act? Confidence and self-belief are key. Consciously you know what’s best for you. Put your hand on your heart and tell yourself, “I trust my ability to make the best decisions for me.” Do this for every area of life that’s important to you.
Stop searching outside yourself for answers. There’s only one: be who you were born to be.
You can find plenty of exercises online to identify your purpose, but, deep within, you already know what makes you feel alive. You just have to pay attention.
Feel the fear and take the first step away
If you don’t wake up excited to start your day, rip off the plaster. Make a change or take action. While maintaining alignment will take practice, you don’t have to work forever to get there.
The unknown is scary. We feel safe and comfortable with how things have always been. Fear is part of us and will always be there, but it can’t rule you unless you let it; so, take action toward your goals. You don’t have to know how or feel ready or worthy.
You do have to take the first step…
Rethink your to-do list
Time is precious and you should value how you spend it. If you don’t decide what matters in advance, you’ll spend it all doing things that aren’t moving you forward.
Outline your goals and dreams in a document called “Creating the life I want.” Make sure you set the goals for you (not others), identify the actions that will get you there, and schedule them each week.
Fast forward to a year from now when you’re living on purpose. Does the stuff on your to-do list today matter? Is that how you got there?
Review the items on your list and either delete them, do them, or delegate them. Sometimes it’s worth paying someone else to do things so that you can focus on what really matters: the tasks that will get you where you want to go if you do them every day.
If you don’t care enough about a goal to take regular action toward it, it might not matter as much as you think it does. But if you want it badly enough, you’ll suck it up and do the work.
Check-in with yourself daily
Before you get out of bed in the morning, ask yourself “What is important today? What would make you sleep well tonight?” Most of the things we do all day disconnect us from ourselves, so practice tuning in. Just sit or journal whatever needs to come out for 15 minutes. Let go and ignore the outside world – even if you have to start by just noticing the world you created for yourself.
Before you make decisions or take action, ask yourself: “Do I want to do this? Does this feel right? Am I excited about this?” Make this a daily practice by setting reminders to check in; otherwise, you’ll slip into old patterns.
Recognise that you have everything you need
This may be uncomfortable at first, and it will still feel like work sometimes. But when you’re working toward the right thing, it’s worth it. You can either choose to deny yourself or say yes to your heart and soul, but you choose what you get in life. Do the work today to create the tomorrow of your dreams.
If you trust that it will work out, it will. Don’t worry if you don’t get the outcome, you want today. Success takes time, which is why most people give up. You’ll never look back and think “I spent too much time being me”; so, keep going. It’s impossible to fail at being you.
You have everything you need. You will become who you are meant to be when you realise who you already are. Above all recognise your achievements and smile!
Final Thoughts…
Living with purpose is about remembering why you started, or assessing your “why;” it’s about aligning your thoughts and actions to your purpose and reviewing and reassessing them. When you do, your calling suddenly becomes clear. And you live in a way that can be remembered, that can be revered. You know your worth, and you determine your destiny. Most of all, you take the necessary steps towards making it happen. You create good along the way, no matter the detour. And even if you change directions, you do so with intention. Change the world and let yourself be changed.
Only then can you say you’ve lived with purpose.
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