How to Clarify Your Core Personal Mission and Stop Chasing Accolades

So many of us are daunted by the question “what is my purpose in life?”

Sometimes it feels like there is immense pressure to figure out this one massive, deep, all-encompassing question. If we don’t know our purpose, then what the hell are we doing with our time?

Clarity takes time and self-exploration. When I first began truly defining what I want in my life: who I want to be, the type of daily experiences I want to have, the amount of income, and the impact I want to leave behind… I realized that the answers were actually so, so simple.

I’d practically blurt them out in my mind without even thinking!

But my internal critic would quickly go to edit and complicate them. I’d get confused and intimidated by the work of figuring out my inner longings and push aside the daunting task for another day.

Photo by Valeriia Miller on Unsplash

Your Subconscious Already Knows

Ironically enough, most of us already know our mission. We just haven’t consciously defined it yet.

Sometimes in the dim sleepiness of early morning or the blurry haze of late night contemplation, long after your mind’s thought-storm has calmed, answers emerge from the ether of a quieted soul.

When you read these questions, is there a word or phrase that jumps out of your subconscious without pause?

• If money were no object, how would I spend each day?
• What is my deepest wildest dream that I’ve always pushed aside as impossible or unimportant?
• As a child, what did I most want to be or do?
• How do I want people to describe me after I am gone?
• What brings me the greatest joy in my daily life?

It’s easy to complicate these types of questions. We think there is some profound, deeper answer that will appear more worthy and important than what our initial instinct jumps up to say.

For me, even just a few words sum up my gut reaction to each question:

• Traveling, writing, creating, and being in nature
• Building a multimillion dollar company