What will make me feel more fulfilled? What am I meant to do with my life? These questions stem from the central universal question that many of us will ask in our lifetime… what is my purpose?
When you cannot distill or define your purpose down to a single thing or answer, you may find yourself overthinking, succumbing to feelings of self-doubt, and feeling incredibly overwhelmed.
What if I told you that your purpose doesn’t have to be diluted down to a single ‘thing’ you chase… Your purpose is a way of being. In this article, I’m debunking the myths surrounding finding your purpose and offering a new perspective on life’s purpose.
The Myths Behind ‘Life Purpose’
My career is as a life purpose coach, and one of the things I’m passionate about is dispelling the myths about what it means to live your purpose.
Some common misconceptions are that…
- Your purpose has to be found in your career or job title
- Your purpose is one big “calling” or “vocation” you’ll feel divinely compelled to pursue
- Your purpose is something you must find outside of yourself
These misconceptions lead to frustration, pressure and comparison, because you’re continually looking outside of yourself, rather than from within.
A More Expansive Way To View ‘Purpose’
Rather than seeing your purpose as some final destination, see it as a call to alignment. Aligning yourself with what matters to you and the ways you’re meant to pursue those things is a beautiful and intentional way to explore and discover your purpose.
Rather than a final destination, your purpose is how you live your life. It’s how you express yourself, how you energetically flow through the world, what you value, and what you are gifted with.
Your purpose is already within you… It’s not something you have to look outside of yourself to find or discover.
Your purpose isn’t necessarily your career or what you do for work. Your purpose can also be in the art you create, the way you parent, and how you interact with others.
Clarifying Your Purpose With Human Design
Human design is a fantastic lens with which to clarify your soul’s purpose. It’s simply a way, not the only way, but it’s a self-awareness tool that genuinely allows you to better see yourself.
Why? Because for each of us, different things will make us feel purposeful. We’re not all designed to function and flow in the same way!
New to human design or not sure what your type is? Start here!
For each human design type, “living on purpose” feels like…
- Generators & Manifesting Generators = following what makes you feel lit up, and feeling a sense of satisfaction
- Projectors = awaiting invitations to share your perceptions and knowledge, feeling a sense of internal success
- Manifestors = following your creative desires, informing those around you who will be impacted, trailblazing without permission, and feeling a sense of internal peace
- Reflectors = being in your own company, while still reflecting back to society what is and isn’t working, allowing yourself to feel surprised and delighted with what you discover along the way
What’s key to living in alignment from a human design perspective is to follow your strategy and authority. Following these 2 things, you’ll be able to really live in alignment and clarify your sense of purpose.
Following Your Human Design Strategy
Your strategy is like your mode of operation – it’s how you’re designed to interact with others to experience the most incredible sense of ease and flow. Here’s your strategy based on your human design type:
- Manifestors = INFORM those who will be impacted by your actions before you do them. This isn’t about asking for permission but about clearing the way.
- Generators + MGs = RESPOND to what you see, hear, touch and feel, following your gut’s signals of yes and no
- Projectors = WAIT FOR THE INVITATION before sharing your energy, insights, perceptions and wisdom with others. When you feel seen and recognized and are invited to share, you’ll be better received and listened to
- Reflectors = WAIT FOR A LUNAR CYCLE before engaging in new major projects, relationships, collaborations and partnerships, regularly attuning to how you feel about it overall.
Trusting Your Authority in Human Design
Your authority serves as your compass for making aligned decisions based on your design. Here’s a quick recap of the different authorities:
- Emotional – Don’t make big decisions on the spot; instead, ride the emotional wave and await neutrality before making the final call.
- Sacral – Make decisions based on your gut’s yeses and nos, trusting that your gut never lies
- Splenic – Make decisions based on your intuition and instincts in the moment
- Heart (Ego) – You are actually meant to make decisions that you purely want to do – when you follow that, it will result in the most positive overall outcome for all
- Self – Talk out decisions with an impartial sounding board; when you hear yourself aloud, you will know the truth
- Mental (Environmental) – Ensure you are in an environment that feels right for you, surrounded by the right people, before making a significant decision.
- Lunar – Await a full lunar cycle (about a month) before making a final decision, regularly tapping into how you feel on an individual day about that decision.
Mindset Shifts for Purpose
Instead of continually obsessing over defining yourself by one single purpose, or obsessing over ‘what is my purpose?’, ask yourself…
- What can I do today to live in deeper alignment?
- What energizes me?
- What drains me?
- When and where do I feel most myself?
Regularly checking in with yourself every single day is key here. Purpose isn’t found in some lightning-bolt moment. It’s something clarified and uncovered over time.
Practical Ways You Can Connect With Your Purpose
Here are some practical steps you can take regularly to connect with your purpose…
- Practice journaling based on the questions we outlined above
- Ground yourself in the knowledge that what you focus on grows – consider what you want to spend your life focusing on?
- Write down your values so you can root yourself in what really matters for you
- Embody your highest self by tapping into self-care practices that will actually feel good for you, specifically
- Practice cultivating gratitude by keeping a gratitude list or journal – the more you focus on these good-feeling emotions the more of them you’ll experience
- Experiment with your human design strategy and authority
- Encourage small steps and shifts rather than awaiting one final major lightning-bolt breakthrough
Your Purpose Isn’t a Final Destination… It’s a Journey
You’re not behind my darling… and you’re not missing out on your purpose. You simply cannot miss what is meant for you. Instead of thinking so much about your purpose being strictly what you do, consider it a measure of how you live.
Uncovering your unique human design is a fantastic way to begin clarifying your greater sense of purpose. Get started with this free guide.
Other Articles You’ll Love
Discovering Your Soul’s Purpose
Why Traditional Career Advice ‘Fails’ Creatives
Mindset Shifts for Clarifying Your Purpose
All About Authority in Human Design
Your Human Design Roadmap: How to Actually Use It to Create a Life You Love
