Whenever someone joins the Becoming Who You Are community, I invite them to respond and share a little about themselves. A common thread that comes up in these emails is feeling directionless and wanting to create a sense of meaning and purpose in life.
I get it. This is hard. There’s a lot of stuff that can get in the way of our clarity around what it looks like to live a fully self-expressed life. Many of the initial dreams and goals we have for ourselves are things we think we should be doing or having, rather than things we truly want. Many of us buy into the belief that a sense of purpose is something we magically find, rather than something we have to go out and create. We are also masters at getting in our own way through procrastination, distraction, and more.
But it is doable.
It’s not a linear path, the destination is rarely obvious, the journey is full of twists and turns, ups and downs. But it’s a journey you’re on anyway, whether you’re conscious of it or not.
Here’s the truth: Feeling directionless is often the result of avoiding something in our lives. And it usually takes as much (if not more) energy to avoid doing something as it does to do it.
I wrote about a couple of tools I’ve found helpful for identifying and pursuing direction on my other website a couple of weeks ago and you can read it here:
How to Design a Bucket List for a Fulfilling and Meaningful Life
Have you ever felt directionless in your life? How did you create a renewed sense of purpose and meaning? Leave a comment and share your thoughts.
Further reading: Are you avoiding pain or seeking growth? & 5 truths for those times when you’re struggling with confidence
Image: danist soh
