Why Is It Important To Have A Sense Of Purpose In Life?
Why do you get up in the morning? Do you have a goal, or are you just going through the same old routine?
For far too many people, there isn’t any kind of force driving them through their day. Life often turns into a cycle of waking up, going to work, coming home, and then going to sleep. Is that really all there is to life? Surely there has to be a way to break this cycle, right? Thankfully, there is.
Even if we follow a routine, there is a way to make sure that life doesn’t become a pointless cycle. Simply put, we need to have a sense of purpose. Even without a sense of purpose, life is still meaningful, but it often might not feel that way.
Arnold Schwarzenegger sums up the importance of purpose in life perfectly through the example he set in his lifetime. He decided that he would one day become Mr. Universe, and he strived towards this goal every single day. He regularly spent five hours a day working out, but this didn’t bother him. In fact, he actually said that he would often be smiling throughout these arduous workouts. You might ask why, but the answer is simple: his goal gave him a sense of purpose.
Even when nothing else in life seems to be working out, having a sense of purpose helps to keep us grounded. It helps us to push through stress, and it even gives us the determination to work harder every day. If you ask most people what their purpose in life is, they won’t know what to say. At that point, what separates us, humans, from machines? Whatever work we do will always seem meaningless if there isn’t a purpose behind it.
Now, many people disagree with me about how life without purpose can seem meaningless but give me a chance to explain myself. If the only reason we live is to go to work so that we can pay bills, that often leaves us feeling empty. Unless you are absolutely in love with your job, spending eight hours a day working can start to feel agonizing. One of my friends told me that he works really hard five days a week so that he can do hobbies that he loves on the weekends. That fascinated me because I didn’t entirely understand the logic.
Why would anyone work five days a week so that they can enjoy just two days of the week? The thing is, most people don’t have many hobbies that they are really passionate about. Instead of working to have more time to follow a passion, most people only work in order to survive. This leads to a cycle that often doesn’t bring any genuine satisfaction in life: work, eat, sleep, repeat.
I am not saying that work is the source of all misery, in fact, I would strongly disagree with that. People who managed to earn enough to stop working forever often start to become miserable over time. Not having to work sounds great, but there is only so much we could do before we eventually start to feel empty… Rather than saying work causes us to feel miserable, I am trying to suggest that it is working without a purpose that makes us feel miserable. Regardless of what we do, if we can find a purpose in our labor, it does not seem meaningless anymore. Just knowing that we are doing something that is important to either ourselves or others can give us a special feeling of pride in our work.
So how do we find purpose in life?
Well, it’s actually a lot simpler than it may seem. All we need to do in order to establish a sense of purpose is to find some kind of value in what we do. For example, a lot of people find value in their families. The feelings of unity and togetherness that family can bring holds a lot of value. This can give someone a sense of purpose and belonging, but what we find value in does not have to be this profound.
We can learn to find value in even the smaller tasks that we do. Without switching careers, we can learn to appreciate our jobs more if we start actively searching for what makes our work matter. People who find value in what they do are often far happier than those who do not. Oddly enough, we get to determine what is valuable to us.
I will never forget the day that I met a certain man. I don’t remember his name, but I cannot forget how proud he was of his career. He had retired a few years ago, but he was telling me about his life with such passion. He seemed so much happier than almost anyone that I have ever met. What was his career? Well, he was a bus driver. He understood that what he used to do for a living had value, and this gave him a strong sense of purpose. He helped many people commute to work or to visit loved ones. Whether people realized it or not, he helped them a lot by providing them transportation.
Every single job provides some kind of value, all we have to do is examine how our job helps people. It doesn’t have to be a life-changing impact, even a small impact makes a huge difference in the greater scheme of things. Societies run because of all of the work that individuals do. In realizing this, we can often feel a sense of purpose, and then work doesn’t seem so meaningless anymore.
I strongly urge anyone who reads this to start looking for the value in everything you do. As you start to see how important your actions are, you will undoubtedly feel more satisfied. Find value in not just your career, but in your friendships and relationships. I even urge you to start finding value in the chores that you have to do around the house. Watch and see how your life will start to change… After all, a sense of purpose helps us see how meaningful our life really is.
Opinions and Perspectives
This article helped me understand why I've been feeling so unfulfilled.
Never realized how much purpose affects our daily happiness until now.
Been struggling with this lately. Thank you for putting it into perspective.
Sometimes our purpose isn't what we expected it to be, and that's beautiful.
Purpose isn't always about changing the world, sometimes it's just about making someone smile.
Finding value in small tasks has actually made my daily routine more enjoyable.
Purpose can change over time. What matters is staying open to new possibilities.
I love how this challenges the notion that work is just about survival.
Finding purpose helped me overcome my depression. It really does make a difference.
Really needed this reminder that every job has value in the bigger picture.
Purpose doesn't have to be something huge. Small daily impacts matter too.
This article assumes everyone has the luxury of choosing their path. Not always true.
Sometimes purpose finds you when you least expect it. That's what happened to me.
I appreciate how this article doesn't define purpose as just career success.
My purpose shifted completely after having kids. It's amazing how life changes our perspective.
We should teach this in schools. Kids need to learn about purpose early on.
The connection between purpose and motivation is so true. When I have purpose, I work harder.
Working without purpose is exactly why I left my high-paying corporate job. Money isn't everything.
This article helped me realize I've been looking for purpose in all the wrong places.
Not sure I agree that work without purpose makes us miserable. Some jobs are just jobs.
I started finding purpose in my morning coffee routine. Small things add up to a meaningful life.
The bit about societies running on individual contributions really puts things in perspective.
What about when your purpose changes? Mine has shifted several times throughout life.
This reminds me to appreciate my job more. I help people every day, even if in small ways.
Love the practical approach this takes. You don't need to save the world to have purpose.
Sometimes I think we put too much pressure on ourselves to find some grand purpose.
Interesting how the article connects purpose with happiness. They really do go hand in hand.
Reading this made me realize I've been too focused on the destination instead of the journey.
I find purpose in raising my kids, but I worry about what happens when they're grown and gone.
The weekend warrior mentality is so real. I need to stop living for just Saturday and Sunday.
My therapist and I were just discussing this. Purpose gives us resilience during tough times.
Changed careers three times searching for purpose. Sometimes it's not about changing what you do, but how you view it.
I like how the article doesn't push finding a grand purpose, but suggests starting with small daily tasks.
Anyone else feel overwhelmed by the pressure to find their life's purpose?
The comparison to machines really struck me. Without purpose, we're just going through motions.
This idea of finding value in everything we do seems exhausting. Can't some things just be neutral?
I wonder if our ancestors worried about purpose as much as we do, or if they were too busy surviving.
The article should address how mental health affects our ability to find and maintain a sense of purpose.
This made me realize I've been chasing the wrong things. Money isn't everything if you're miserable.
Being passionate about your job is great, but let's not forget about work-life balance too.
Never thought about how providing transportation could be so meaningful until I read about that bus driver.
The part about actively searching for what makes our work matter is crucial. We can't wait for meaning to find us.
What about when your purpose conflicts with making a living? That's the real struggle many face.
My grandmother always said purpose is what you make it. Now I finally understand what she meant.
I love how it mentions that every job provides value. Makes me feel better about my seemingly ordinary career.
The article oversimplifies things. Finding purpose isn't as easy as just deciding to see value in what we do.
This really challenges the idea that we should all hate Mondays. Maybe we just haven't found our purpose yet.
Anyone else find it ironic that we need articles to tell us to find purpose in life? Shouldn't it come naturally?
The cycle of work-eat-sleep-repeat isn't the problem. It's our mindset about it that needs to change.
I started looking for purpose in my retail job and realized how many people I help daily. It's changed everything.
Finding purpose in family is great, but what about those of us who are single? We need other sources of meaning too.
The article makes a good point about retired people becoming miserable without work. We need something to strive for.
I've noticed that my most fulfilled friends aren't necessarily in prestigious jobs, but they all find meaning in what they do.
Maybe we're overthinking this. Sometimes just being kind to others and enjoying simple pleasures is purpose enough.
This reminds me of Viktor Frankl's work on finding meaning in life. Even in the worst conditions, purpose keeps us going.
But what happens when you lose your sense of purpose? I had one but after achieving it, I feel empty again.
The idea that society runs because of everyone's contributions really stuck with me. Makes me feel more connected to the bigger picture.
I actually find this perspective a bit privileged. Some people are just trying to survive, purpose is a luxury.
Purpose doesn't always have to be career-related though. My biggest sense of purpose comes from volunteering on weekends.
It's interesting how the article suggests finding value in small tasks. I never thought about finding purpose in household chores.
The part about working 5 days to enjoy 2 really made me think. I'm definitely guilty of living for the weekends.
What about people who genuinely can't find purpose in their work? Not everyone has the luxury of choosing a meaningful career.
I needed to read this today. Been feeling lost at my job lately, but now I'm going to look for the value I bring to others.
The bus driver story brought tears to my eyes. It's amazing how finding meaning in what we do can completely change our perspective.
I disagree that everyone needs some grand purpose. Sometimes just being present and taking care of your loved ones is enough.
The Arnold Schwarzenegger example is so powerful. When you have a clear goal, even the toughest tasks become enjoyable.
This article really hits home. I've been feeling stuck in that work-sleep cycle lately and it's making me question everything.