Creating Meaning in Your Life
The new year often brings forth reflection, renewed energy, or a feeling that things are not as you might wish they were.
If someone were to approach you and ask “what is the meaning of life for you?”, how would you respond? It is perfectly fine to not know the answer to this question, or as most things, it is constantly evolving as you learn and grow. This article can provide you with a roadmap to begin exploring what that might look like.
Find Someone Who Has What You Want
Is there someone in your life like a supervisor, mentor, family member, or friend who has what you are looking for in life? Not from a material aspect necessarily, but from a personal/professional/spiritual growth perspective. This person has reached a place of growth where they acknowledge the triumphs and learn from the failures. Their attitude with life is in line with what you are working toward. They seem to work and play from a place of flow. Don’t have this type of person in your life yet? No problem! Utilize your resources; reach out in the community and join a club in your city, find a group MeetUp that is interesting to you, or ask a trusted person for insight on connecting.
Okay so you have identified this person! Great! Now what?
People who are kind and in a good place in their growth inherently enjoy uplifting others. Ask them for a phone call, video call, coffee, or lunch. Yes, I said it. For all of my introverts out there; this is a lot less uncomfortable than staying stuck where you are at (believe me!). Let them know what you are trying to work at (flattery will get you everywhere) and inquire about their habits.
Below are some question ideas:
What habits did you create to be successful/happy/healthy
What are your hobbies?
What type of technology do you use to help you reach your goals?
How did you handle bad days or moments when you encountered a roadblock to success?
Can you recommend a book or podcast that inspires you?
This is a great way to create meaningful connections and give you more direction for present moment and future.
Reflect on Your Environment
Take a few minutes to think about your environment and what might be getting in the way of you creating healthy habits and cultivating meaning in your life. Write down in your phone notes or on a piece of paper some habits that create speed bumps to you living a meaningful life.
Examples:
Apps on phone: Social Media, Apps you do not use (basically Marie Kondo your phone)
Physical Environment: Clean up clutter, organize and donate what you no longer need/want
Toxic People: Observe how you feel around people during and after you spend time with them.
Morning Routine: The way you start your morning sets the tone for the rest of the day.
Here are some ideas to add to your morning routine: https://thethirty.whowhatwear.com/morning-routine-ideas/slide16
Find a Career With Purpose
Does your job merely pay the bills or contribute to your purpose in life? There is truth behind the statement that if you love what you do, it does not feel like work. I honestly feel a true joy with my career, and I want that for you too.
Finding a job that brings you joy can begin with a values assessment. Using this core values list, identify ten values that are most important to you. It is important to identify an industry, company, or potential career that is in line with these values. When our work is not in line with our values, it causes us unease, suffering, and resentment.
Photo Credit: SaturdayGift.com
Next is to understand your skills. Not sure what those are? No problem! Take a career assessment like the ones on Monster.com: https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/best-free-career-assessment-tools. There are 10 potential assessments to take.
Explore on websites like indeed.com linkedin.com and ziprecruiter.com with minimal filters. See what grabs your attention. You might be surprised what you encounter when you do not limit the mind to previous programming (ex. “I could never do something like that even if I like it”). Check out the company values on their website, read reviews from employees online, or talk to current employees if possible.
Tailor your resume/CV to each job application. Remember: limit your resume to two pages if possible. A six page resume is unnecessary.
Have fun with this process! There is no need to limit yourself to one type of job or industry as you explore.
Rediscover a Passion
What activities give you joy? When do you feel “in the flow”? In graduate school, my mentor once told our class to find a hobby that results in the creation of a physical object. Our job involves planting seeds of change that we may not get to witness fully bloom while they are still in therapy. This beautiful process is mostly intangible.
Having a hobby where you create something can be very rewarding in a way that we might not get to see in our current career. I deeply enjoy crocheting. Am I great at it? I am learning…and I get a good laugh at all my family members who have lumpy hats or scarves from the beginning of my crocheting journey. Each hat gets a little less lumpy, and I’m here for it.
Other lovely ideas for hobbies include:
Dancing
Working with clay
Learning to draw
Biking, swimming, yoga or other physical activities
Learning a language
Learning to play an instrument
Joining a book club
Sometimes looking at Groupon can give you fun ideas to try new things (lazer tag anyone?)
Conclusion
There are many ways to take action and live your life in a way that feels purposeful. By identifying a mentor, making adjustments to your environment, finding a career you love, or engaging in hobbies you will observe positive changes in the way you think, feel, and behave.
If you still have difficulty finding meaning in your life, we can work together to cultivate a sense of renewed energy and purpose.
Call 727-900-5129 for a free consultation.
- Kristie
