{"id":826,"date":"2018-05-31T19:16:50","date_gmt":"2018-05-31T19:16:50","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/kathryncolleen.com\/studio\/?post_type=project&p=826"},"modified":"2026-08-07T19:16:33","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T23:16:33","slug":"finding-your-purpose-methods-to-try","status":"publish","type":"project","link":"https:\/\/kathryncolleen.com\/studio\/project\/finding-your-purpose-methods-to-try\/","title":{"rendered":"Finding Your Purpose – Methods To Try"},"content":{"rendered":"
Finding your purpose or mission in life is not easy, precisely because it it unique to you. You cannot look at a lot of other people, like a menu of options, and expect to find your purpose there. When you look at others and their purpose, what you are actually looking at is a list of what your purpose is NOT. So what you are actually trying to do is invent a task, vocation or mission that is completely new to this world – you have never seen anything exactly like it and neither has anyone else. That\u2019s hard because we are not necessarily brought up to do that. However, you are certainly capable.<\/div>\n
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There are a lot of neat methods out there for finding your unique purpose. I think I have tried them all. My best advice would be to try them all until you find one that works for you and\/or you spot a pattern or connection in the results\u2026 here they are:<\/div>\n
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Free Flow Writing<\/strong> –\u00a0get a bank piece of paper or pull up a blank note on your phone or computer (whichever will allow you to get ideas down the fastest). Start by asking yourself, \u201cWhat is my purpose?,\u201d or, \u201cWhat is my mission in life?\u201d Then, write whatever comes to mind. Just start listing and keep listing until you get to something that makes you tear up. An emotional response is the key to spotting the right answer.<\/div>\n
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Intersections<\/strong> – write down four separate lists: (1) What you are good at (2) What you enjoy (3) What the world needs and (4) what you can get paid for. Your purpose or mission in life is what lies at the intersection of these four things. Now, I kind of don\u2019t necessarily agree with the idea that your purpose in life is necessarily linked to an income. I suspect that the idea of being able to be paid for it suggests that it has value to society at large and I would focus more on that. If, however, you are doing this exercise because you want a new career and you are not yet financially free, then, yes, I would include the getting paid part.<\/div>\n
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What Have You Always Done?<\/strong> – In this exercise, you look back from childhood until now and ask yourself what have you always done, when nobody is looking, when you are not getting paid for it, etc. What MUST you do just because you cannot imagine not doing it? What activities are at the core of your being and always have been?<\/div>\n
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Skills Assessment<\/strong> – Ask people you trust (and who would tell you honestly) to list the skills that you are really really really good at. Which of your best skills gives you joy? How can you double down on and possibly combine those skills?<\/div>\n
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The Simon Sinek Method<\/strong> – Call a small number of your closest friends (people that have known you a long time). For each, ask them, \u201cWhy are you my friend?\u201d. They may have a hard time and need to think about that to really get to the heart of it. But keep digging and they will eventually have an epiphany about how you make them FEEL or some other thing that you do for their INTERNAL self. This is the value that you bring to humanity. How can you leverage that into a purpose, mission or vocation?<\/div>\n
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The Tony Robbins Method<\/strong> – Tony Robbins has lots of very insightful methods for everything and this is no exception. It goes like this\u2026 When you were very young (3-5 years old), what did you want to be when you grew up? WHY? Then, when you were a teenager (13-15), what did you want to be for a career? WHY? Then, when you were in your twenties, what did you want to be for a career? WHY? Thirties?\u2026. keep going until you reach your present day. Then, focus on all the WHY\u2019s. What is the pattern? Can you combine them into one purpose, mission or vocation?<\/div>\n
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Sit Down, Shut Up & Listen<\/strong> – In this method, you simply ask for the answer and it is delivered to you. This is also called mediation, prayer or as Jesse Elder puts it, Cosmic Google. It is wonderfully effective, although it takes some practice. Find a quiet place where you can be alone and will be guaranteed to be undisturbed for a period of time\u2026 let\u2019s say 15-60 minutes. Put your phone on airplane mode and get all your typical distractions as far away from you as possible. Sit down. Quiet your mind by listening to the silence intently. Ask your question; in this case, \u201cWhat is my mission?,\u201d or, “What is my purpose?\u201d. Wait patiently for the answer and write it down exactly as you heard it – do not stop to interpret it. And don’t dismiss it. Think about how it fits in with what you got from the other methods.<\/div>\n
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Let me remind you that your result is not going to look exactly like anything you have seen before, so if it looks like something that someone else does, you need to be more specific and carry out your mission in a more unique way, by a new method, etc. Get creative and don\u2019t let society\u2019s rules steer you away from your true answer.<\/div>\n
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As an example, here is what I found when I used these methods…<\/div>\n
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Free Flow Writing<\/strong> – creator, curator, connector, catalyst<\/div>\n
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What Have You Always Done?<\/strong> – writing: journaling, poetry, songwriting; art, thinking about the universe and how it all works. Seeking scientific proof and taking it further with new ideas.<\/div>\n
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Skills Assessment<\/strong> – Researching and combining the latest on any subject from the perspectives of art, music, philosophy and science to inspire new ideas, new understanding, and practical tactics I can use.<\/div>\n
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The Simon Sinek Method<\/strong> – People want to hang out with me because I make them feel at peace and give them perspective.<\/div>\n
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The Tony Robbins Method<\/strong> –<\/div>\n
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