Do you ever feel lost in life? Do you get a nagging feeling that there is something you should be doing, that you would be doing, if only you knew what it was? I recently had this conversation with my husband and it lead to some interesting conclusions. Let’s jump right down the rabbit hole shall we? If you feel directionless and without purpose you’re right, you are. No one is going to hand you purpose, it’s not something you can buy or distill out of thin air. Purpose will not come floating to you out of the ether, you will not discover it by chance. If you want purpose in your life you need to make your own.

Give yourself purpose by focusing on a Big Idea.

Is there is something you dream about doing. Maybe it’s to travel to a distant county, run a marathon, learn a new skill, or start a business. Just like that you have your purpose.

Turn your Big Idea into a series of little ideas.

It could be something as small as setting a daily goal, which turns into a weekly goal, which turns into a life changing goal! Every goal requires taking small everyday steps. Big Ideas, the kind that you feel will give you purpose, can be overwhelming and can seem impossible so we cast them aside as something we CANT do. By breaking down our goals into smaller steps they become manageable and achievable.

Finally, don’t get caught up on the Big Idea.

When we feel purposeless in life it is often because we incorrectly assume we need something grand to give our life meaning. In realty life is made up of all the little day to day things that often get overlooked and taken for granted. Appreciate every part of every day, these little moment are like the sprinkles on your ice cream cone of life.

There is no single answer to finding happiness and meaning in life. All we can do is our best. Don’t get caught up in the overwhelming stuff, focus on setting small goals every day and remember to appreciate the world around you.

Photos by Chelsea Harris