Feeling Aimless? 7 Ways to find purpose.
“Purpose” the always necessary - often slippery - life aspect that impacts drive, service, and fulfillment. We’ve all experienced others who are passionate and ALIVE with their sense of purpose. It’s easy to catch their energy and excitement and support them forward!
What about those those lacking levity and zeal? I’m sure you, too, have felt stuck right along with them.
Where do they start?
How do they “find” purpose?
Leaving a career often triggers questions about one’s purpose.
As a Transition Coach helping men and women navigate big life changes such as Retirement, purpose and meaning comes up often in sessions. When people struggle with purpose there are many layers to explore.
Is it tied to legacy? Impact?
Is it the confidence and energy to accomplish a bucket list item?
Do they want assurance that their actions are important to others?
Or, maybe its desiring peace of mind for a path and progress…that each week will have consistency with mission and focus rather than questions about, “What do I do today?”.
There are a lot of starting places for clients to explore their unique, unrepeatable, personal purpose. As a launch pad, I offer 7 actions that are applicable to every community, with examples under each umbrella.
Whether one has an active spiritual practice or not, these options activate a sense of drive, service, and fulfillment.
Feed the hungry
Volunteer at a soup kitchen, activate a food drive or participate in an established organization.
Host a dinner club, make snacks for neighbors, create a meal-train for friends in need.
Research and educate others about food safety or nutrition.
Participate politically for food safety or nutrition access, development, etc.
Give drink to the thirsty
Participate in sports events for refreshments to participants.
Research and educate self and others about clean drinking water in communities - perhaps engage politically.
Partner with worldwide organizations for clean drinking water access for all.
Visit the sick
Start a regular rotation with a nearby nursing or elderly home for games and activities.
Create a schedule to visit family and friends that are more homebound.
Volunteer at a pediatric hospital or cancer facility.
Drop off a meal for someone in your community recovering from a procedure.
Give alms to the poor
Research causes near and dear to attend fundraisers or help spread the word.
Initiate a school supply drive, new baby drive, etc.
Help create a gala or event for those in need.
Share your expertise on a board of directors or panel in an organization helping those in need.
Shelter the homeless
Research your local community needs and support building efforts for affordable housing.
Attend community meetings about strategies to help the unhomed.
Donate sheets, clothing, personal care needs to crisis centers for the homeless.
Visit the prisoners
Connect with alternative schools and see if there’s a way to tutor or mentor youth in need.
Find training to prison volunteering.
Help with meals-on-wheels visiting and serving the homebound.
Research and educate others about mental health supports and wellness initiatives for prisoners reacclimating to their communities.
Bury the dead
Attend funerals and visit their loved ones.
Place flowers at community cemeteries.
Volunteer to funeral lunch meals.
Donate to people and organizations in need to support for funeral costs or related medical bills.
This list is meant to spur your own creativity for meaningful actions. Each person’s interests, communities, and skills are unique; so it certainly isn’t exhaustive.
What I’ve learned is that our best days are spent loving and caring for others. Our values shape the way this looks. I hope the above ideas help point those feeling like their floating through their days, to pursue something meaningful and purposeful for them.
To your wellness,
Coach Sam
