Dividends of purpose renewal from people who have been there
Over the past couple of months, I’ve been working on manuscripts to report findings from our most recent studies on purpose renewal for people who have experienced health transitions. We use the same standardized self-report instruments to measure before-after changes in purpose in life as are used in the scientific literature that evaluates the health and well-being benefits of living with purpose (see my new Research Brief). These data are extremely important but even more, I’m often moved by what participants tell us changes for them as the result of the purpose renewal process.
Here’s what I mean by “purpose renewal.” It’s an intentional process where people devote time to reconnecting with their inner Compass (values, strengths, and sources of personal meaning) in order to frame what matters most in their lives now. They use that self-knowledge to invest in the daily life enterprises that most align in order to move in an aspired direction in life. People might do this by working with a life-coach, reading a good self-help book, or by participating in a structured, evidence-based process like the Compass Course. I don’t know much about what happens when people use a book or life coach but here's what people tell us changes via the Compass Course.
- They learn a framework and a vocabulary for thinking and talking about purpose in life. People shift from seeking a vague notion of “my purpose” to realizing that the unique composition of their inner Compass points them towards what purpose means for them. That is, they stop looking out there and start looking inside.
- They feel a renewed sense of authenticity and autonomy as they appreciate the uniqueness of their inner Compass and their own path.
- They are able to differentiate between being busy and living on-purpose. Chronic busyness is often more about distraction than authentic purpose and it can bleed us dry.
- They have a greater appreciation for self-care as an enabler of purpose.
- Sometimes they make lifestyle changes so that more of their daily life aligns with their inner Compass.
- They notice how much of their daily life is already chock-full of purpose in ways that they didn’t previously recognize.
I am especially moved when participants talk about the latter – and they almost always do. For example, many years ago, I facilitated a Compass Course group at Gilda’s Club Minnesota, a community organization for people impacted by cancer. At the conclusion of our 8-session Course, a young cancer survivor shared how because of the Course, she saw bath time with her kids through a purpose lens. Instead of something to just get over with, bath time became a means to enjoy and affirm her kids, which supported her larger purpose aim as a mom.
If it seems like I’m trying to encourage you to sign up for the Compass Course, you’re right - I am (see the 2024 dates here). Or work with a life coach or find a good guidebook. Especially if you are stalled or stuck or moving backwards, please do something. We all deserve the dividends of living on purpose and this world needs the infusion of joy and contribution that results when people are awake to their own lives.
What about you? Do you need and want a purpose tune-up? What’s one step you can take in that direction today?
Onward!