If you want to fill your life with joy I believe that it is very important to find your purpose. What does this mean – well to me it means finding why I am here at all, what I am meant to be doing, what I am good at and how can I marry these things together – even in retirement.
In terms of 2023 I would love to find something to focus on and get excited about and make sure that I maintain that excitement throughout the year, regardless of what life throws at me.
Many of us are still coming back to life after years of lockdowns and fear for our health. But, we can get on with living, find joy and a positive outlook if we remain focussed!
So how do we get there? How do we move into a space that makes us happy, that we work towards, no matter what?
- You need to think it through, work out what you are aiming for and why i.e. what are your intentions and purpose,
- Set your goals and,
- Map out your path for achieving those goals and for weathering the storms along the way.
Thinking it through to set your purpose, your aims and your intentions
You need to think this through – set aside some time to work out what you would like to do this year.
Your might think that your overall aim is to have a bit more excitement in your life, or it may be work related or family related or even holiday related if you’re ready to get back our there. Or conversely, if you have been working hard just to survive over the past few years e.g. you might be a doctor or a nurse, you might be wanting a little less excitement in your life!!!! We are all individuals with different needs but we can all benefit from a little planning. But before jumping into the tangible, spend some time thinking about your purpose as an individual human being!
Think through your purpose and your values: What do you value in life the most?
Getting clear on your values is a powerful exercise and your purpose or aims for the next year and beyond will become clear once you understand what you value in life.
What do you value?
Your core values are the things that are most important to you in life and influence the way you act, the choices you make, the way you spend your time. It is important to ensure that there is a good match between your core values and your work environment and your household or home life.
Have you ever taken the time to sit and think about what you really value in life? I was in my 40s when I first did this and boy was it an ‘aha’ moment! Suddenly some of the work struggles I had made sense and I started to think in earnest about my future work and plans for family etc.
The list of ‘Values’ below will help you think through your own most important values. From the list, select the 5 – 10 values which are most important to you.
Choose values which consider all aspects of your life – do not limit your responses to your current work situation.
Of course you should feel free to add your own if not listed below.
It is important that you choose no more than 5-10. Limiting your list will help you really focus in on what is important to you. It is not always easy to do but it is a worthwhile exercise. Write them down when you have them and get ready to use them to set your intentions.
Setting those intentions
It is helpful to set your intentions and be clear on your purpose in life before you set your goals for the year. Being clear on your purpose is very important if you are to stay focussed and achieve your goals fresh throughout the year.
So, you have your values – what do you do from here I hear you ask? You will need to take a bit more time out for self-examination and keeping in mind those important values ask yourself some questions.
- My personal strengths and talents are:…….
- The 3 or 4 most important things in my life are:……
- The most valuable aspects of my personal life are:……
- The activities in my work life that are of the greatest worth are:………
- What do I want from my life?
- At the end of my life I want to have accomplished:…..
For example, if I think about my purpose – I value being helpful to others, being reliable and loyal and doing what is right.
Earlier in my life I thought I wanted success and recognition as I set on an academic path but a realignment of values set me straight there. In fact my whole work life was about helping others! This meant that all my jobs throughout my working life were focussed around helping others. The things that I value i.e. the reliability and loyalty etc meant that I worked hard for my clients and threw myself into their problems whole heartedly. This was great for them but not always good for me. I was always a workaholic – not a healthy way to live your life – but now I am at peace with the way my life is and I am happy to help others where I can – without going overboard.
In all honesty a healthy, happy family is really all that I want from life and my intention is to still be helpful to others. So, if I think about my blog for example, I am not writing a blog because it is something to do or make money from but because I really want to share our experiences and ideas with others so that we can be helpful!
By working out what I value in life I was able to set my intentions and each year set some goals that will help me achieve those overall aims in life.
So now write down your purpose in life and your intentions for your life!
Next time I will be writing about goal setting and how to move forward with your goals so that you can realise your intentions and purpose!
We hope you will join us at Helpful by Nature by subscribing to our email list. We would love to hear from you, take your questions and provide answers if we are able.
Until next time,
Gillian (and Andrew)
