People who feel like they’re pursuing their calling in life tend to be happier and healthier than those who don’t. Not only that, but people who are connected to, or in the process of finding life purpose tend to have lower rates of chronic stress and anxiety.

A sense of purpose in life is particularly beneficial during times of personal hardship, such as after the death of a loved one or during the first few months after losing your job.

Having a sense of purpose can help you cope better with these negative circumstances and feel more optimistic about your future.

In this article, we’ll explore what it means to have a sense of purpose in life, as well as some ways you can develop that connection with your career.

What Does It Mean To Have a Sense of Purpose?

A sense of purpose in life is your connection to the larger meaning behind your life. It’s what makes you feel like your life has a purpose even when you’re not actively doing something to achieve it. A lot of people confuse a sense of purpose in life with having a goal.

Having a goal is specific to a certain outcome you want to achieve. For example, you might want to start a business or write a book. A sense of purpose in life is much broader. It’s the reason why you want to achieve that goal in the first place.

A sense of purpose doesn’t have to be about being a famous author or owning a successful business. It can be about helping other people or being a good friend. The important thing is that you feel like your life has a reason for being.

How Having a Life Purpose Can Benefit Your Health

When you have a sense of purpose in life, you’re able to cope better with negative circumstances, leading to lower rates of chronic stress and anxiety. This is because when you’re faced with negative stressors, such as getting laid off from your job or having a family member fall ill, you’ll have a stronger sense of being able to handle the situation.

Having a sense of purpose can also help you be more optimistic about your future, which can help you stay motivated when times get tough. Having a purpose in life can also help you maintain better mental health, such as improving your ability to manage your emotions and maintaining a positive outlook on life. Having a purpose in life can also help you live a longer, quality life with.

3 Ways to Connect To Your Life Purpose Without Leaving a Job

1. Reflect on your past experiences: There are some things in your past that you’re going to want to forget, but that’s actually what you want to focus on. Think about challenges you faced in the past and how you overcame them. What skills did you learn during this process? What were your strengths? What did you learn about who you are?
2. Focus on the people you want to help: If you want to find a purpose in your current job, look at the people who you interact with the most daily. Who do you want to help? What do you want to accomplish? How can you help them achieve those goals? Does your current job value what you find to be meaningful work?
3. Ask yourself if you still like your job: If you have a job that you’ve been doing for a long time, you may have forgotten what it’s like to try something new. Take some time to reflect on whether you still like your job or not. Knowing what you don’t like can help you figure out what you do like.

2 Ways to Find a Job That Is Connected to Your Life Purpose

1. If you’re currently searching for a new job, try to get more in touch with what you want. What are your passions? What are your strengths? What are your interests? What are you interested in learning more about? What skills do you have that you want to use? If you are still unable to answer these questions you may have to try exposing yourself to a variety of things until you feel a spark.
2. If you’re currently in a career that doesn’t feel like a calling, but still feel stuck, try to get more in touch with what you don’t want. What are your dislikes? What are your challenges? What interests you the least? What do you dread doing? What skills do you wish you were better at? After you make a list of what you don’t want, reflect on the opposite of each item on the list. This exercise should help you find what you do want.

Conclusion

The key to finding life purpose is getting in touch with what you want out of life and what makes you happy. It’s normal to have some doubts about whether you’ve picked the right career path or if you’re headed in the right life direction.

Don’t be too hard on yourself if you feel like you’re not sure what you want to do with your life. It may take a while to figure out what has a connection to your life. Having a sense of purpose in life is beneficial for both your mental and physical health.

Having a sense of purpose can help you cope better with negative circumstances, have a more positive outlook for the future, and even live a better quality life. To have a sense of purpose in life, reflect on your past experiences, focus on the people you want to serve, and ask yourself what you want out of life.