Purpose - might not be what you think

You Don’t Have to Find Your Purpose - You Can Create It

We hear so much about finding your purpose, as though it’s a buried treasure waiting to be unearthed if you just search hard enough, meditate long enough, or listen to enough TED Talks.

But what if that’s not how purpose works at all?

Let’s Bust a Myth

There’s a persistent belief that we’re each born with one specific, world-changing purpose and if we don’t know what it is by a certain age, we’ve failed. But the truth is, most people aren’t handed a purpose like a divine assignment.

Purpose is something we create through living, learning, experimenting, and listening to ourselves. It grows through action, not just reflection. It doesn’t have to be big or dramatic like creating a charity or solving world hunger - some of the most deeply purposeful lives are built on quiet, consistent values: kindness, curiosity, contribution.

Do you ever felt like you “missed” your purpose, were somehow left out of the purpose party or that your purpose is not big or grand enough?

When Purpose Gets Shaken

Sometimes, the life you thought you were building crumbles. You lose your job. Your body changes. You burn out. You realise the path you’ve been walking doesn’t feel like yours anymore.

This has happened to so many people I’ve worked with.

I’ve been through it myself, too. There were times when everything I thought defined me stopped working, I loved working as an osteopath. It was something that I loved and gave me a sense of purpose and identity. Until it didn’t. I got arthritis in my hands, purpose gone, identity gone and income gone. It was only through continuing to help others, with their mindset and helping their stress, that a new sense of meaning began to grow. Purpose, for me, was something that evolved, quietly as I followed what I loved doing.

3 Simple Ways to Start Rebuilding Your Sense of Purpose

You don’t need a five-year plan. You just need a starting point.

Try these gentle prompts to reconnect with yourself and what matters:

1. The Energy List

Write down everything in your life that gives you energy and everything that drains it. Patterns will emerge. Follow the aliveness.

2. Tiny Impact Tracker

Each evening, write down one moment where you made a positive impact, a kind word, a small win, a connection. Purpose often hides in these quiet places.

3. Past Joy Scan

Think back to a time when you felt proud, content, or deeply “you.” What were you doing? Who were you with? What parts of that could you bring into your life now?

Final Thought

You don’t need to have all the answers. You just need to be willing to listen, explore, and take one small step toward what matters to you.

I am going to create a free workshop to help with this.

Or, let’s have a chat (book your free half hour call here).

You don’t have to do it alone. But you do get to do it your way.