Not everything has to be purpose-y but something should.
Since mid-January, three Dear Ones and I have been doing the 8-session Compass Course together. This is the third or fourth time I’ve gone through this material as a self-learner and every time, I come away with rejuvenated direction because of the conversations and this structure of revisiting where my arrow points. Just saying…
At a recent session, one of the Dear Ones wondered aloud about how much we have to focus on purpose-related efforts in everyday life in order to experience a rich sense of purpose. That is, do we have to fill every single day with purpose-related activities or can we relax a little and still claim lives of purpose?
I don’t know of any research that answers this question but here’s what I think. People with a robust sense of purpose (who are most likely to experience the health and well-being dividends described here) (1) know what makes them tick; (2) can articulate what they are trying to do with their wild and precious lives; and (3) intentionally and regularly make choices to live in alignment with their broader aspirations. That’s it. And that’s plenty.
I don’t think that means that every waking hour of every single day has to be chock full of purpose; I mean, sometimes a person has to buy stamps and needs her daily drip of stupid TV (ok we’re talking about me here). I believe that as a person regularly makes choices about how to spend her time with the specific intention to live in alignment with purpose (we call this a purpose choice), she experiences her life as having purpose. Acting on purpose precedes feeling purpose-full. In the end, we decide how often we need to make purpose choices in order to feel that way. Engaging in one thing each day that’s tethered to my purpose works for me. It’s worth remembering that engaging in something purpose-y doesn’t always need to be about doing – it can be savoring an experience that is rich with meaning or living out an attitude that I really value. From that standpoint, at least one purpose-y thing each day is pretty easy.
What about you? How frequently do you need to make purpose choices in order to feel like you’re heading in the direction you want to go in life?
Onward!