Write it out

• Take out a blank sheet of paper or open up a word processor where you can type. Write or type at the top, “What is my true purpose in life?” Write an answer (any answer) that pops into your head. It doesn’t have to be a complete sentence. A short phrase is fine. Repeat this over and over until you write the answer that makes you cry. This is your purpose. Steve Pavlina
• Get a piece of paper and write at the top “What is my life purpose?” Then free associate and write whatever comes to mind. After about 20-30 minutes you will hit the wall – This is stupid, I have no good ideas – write those down and keep going. After about 40 minutes you will find yourself circling around a theme ( this is like cluster writing) – I want to teach others, I want to help my children to be independent and compassionate. You may get a clear purpose statement, or something more loose like a mission statement, but definitely more solid. The next step is to dwell on it, see how it fits, see how you can integrate it into your life. Robert Taibbi

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Conduct a joy review

• Placed inside every human being is a call to joy, and the purpose of your life is to answer that call. People who follow their joy experience the fullness of their being. They are the renaissance workers who evolve the consciousness of humanity. In this exercise, called “At My Happiest,” identify all the occasions when you feel truly happy. Afterward, reflect on what this exercise has taught you about your true purpose in life. Dr. Robert Holden
• A technique you can use to help you identify your life purpose is to conduct a joy review. Simply set aside about 30 minutes and make a list of all the times you’ve felt the greatest joy in your life. Then look for a pattern among all these times. Since we know that joy is part of your internal guidance system telling you when you are on course, you can determine a lot about your life purpose from completing this joy review.  Jack Canfield
• Think of the times when you were the happiest and record them in a journal. When writing, consider the following: What were you doing at the time? Where were you when you were doing it? Who were you with? Record as many memories as possible. Doing this will help you see patterns in your life in relation to your happiest phases and stages. Identifying these patterns will play an important role in understanding your purpose in life.  Tom Casano

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Conduct a passion test

• The Passion Test is a simple, yet elegant, process. You start by filling in the blank 15 times for the following statement: “When my life is ideal, I am ___.” The word(s) you choose to fill in the blank must be a verb. Once you’ve created 15 statements, you identify the top 5 choices. To do this, you compare statements #1 and #2 to identify which is most important. Take the winner of that comparison and decide whether it’s more or less important than statement #3. Then take the winner of that comparison, and decide whether it’s more or less important than statement #4, and so on until you’ve identified the passion that is most meaningful to you. Repeat the process with the remaining 14 statements to identify your second choice. Then repeat the process until you’ve pinpointed your top 5 passions in life. Next, create markers for each of your top five passions, so that you can look at your life and easily tell whether you are living that passion. Once you know what your passions are and how your life will look when you are living it, you can create action plans to turn your dreams into reality. Chris and Janet Attwood

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Visualise

• Try visualisation. Imagine yourself getting up early, jumping out of bed, excited about going to work. You get dressed quickly, full of enthusiasm about your day. The sun is shining and you take those first steps out of your bedroom. Now work out where you are going and what kind of job follows on from that feeling of anticipation. Rebecca Burn-Callander
• Imagine you grew up with all of the resources — financial, emotional, educational — you could have possibly wanted or needed. Your interests were encouraged and fostered. You had help and encouragement in all that you did. You weren’t limited by time or money or location. In a perfect world, what do you think you would be doing now? What would you already have done? What kind of person would you be? Think big. Be as extravagant and far-fetched as you’d like. Barbara Sher

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Reflect on the big picture

• At the deepest level, the human race has a shared purpose. Ask yourself then, “What do I think is the purpose of humanity?” I know this is a BIG question, but don’t let your ego put you off. You are a fully paid member of the human race and are equally qualified, along with everyone else, to answer this question. Be still and listen. Visualize how humanity needs to grow and how you want to grow. Think about what the human race still needs to learn and what you need to learn. Reflect on what is your shared purpose with all of humanity. Dr. Robert Holden

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Identify needs

• In this exercise you are going to focus on those around you and discover what needs are not being met. Focus on individuals, members of your family, friends, people you work with, employers, and even people you do not know. Focus on your own home, your neighborhood, and your community. Ask yourself, “What needs are not being met?” and, “How can I create greater value for those around me?” When you have found needs that are not being met, reflect on the ways that you can utilize your strengths and talents in addressing these needs. Tom Casano

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Think back to when you were a child

• What sorts of things attracted and fascinated you when you were a kid? What did you love to do or daydream about, no matter how silly or unimportant it might seem now? Did you have secret aspirations and fantasies that you never told anyone about? Do you feel like there’s a part of you that still loves the things you loved as a child? What do you miss most? What talents or abilities do these childhood dreams and passions point to in the present. What can you do today to reconnect with some of who you were as a kid?  Barbara Sher
• Think back to what you wanted to be when you grew up – your childhood dreams.  The idea here is that childhood fantasies about our adult selves are elemental dreams that tap into our core selves before life lays on its heavy hand of right and wrong, should and want, they want we want and scrambles us.  Robert Taibbi

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Think forward to your death

• Think about how you want to be remembered by your grandchildren or great-grandchildren. In the form of a first-person letter, write a summary of your life, values, and accomplishments as you’d like them known to your descendants. Pretend like you’re near the end of your life and want to share the “greatest hits” version of your personal story for posterity. J.D. Roth
• In your mind’s eye, see yourself going to the funeral of a loved one. Picture yourself driving to the funeral parlor or chapel, parking the car, and getting out. As you walk inside the building, you notice the flowers, the soft organ music. You see the faces of friends and family you pass along the way. You feel the shared sorrow of losing, the joy of having known, that radiates from the hearts of the people there. As you walk down to the front of the room and look inside the casket, you suddenly come face to face with yourself. This is your funeral, three years from today. All these people have come to honor you, to express feelings of love and appreciation for your life. As you take a seat and wait for the services to begin, you look at the program in your hand. There are to be four speakers. The first is from your family, immediate and also extended — children, brothers, sisters, nephews, nieces, aunts, uncles, cousins, and grandparents who have come from all over the country to attend. The second speaker is one of your friends, someone who can give a sense of what you were as a person. The third speaker is from your work or profession. And the fourth is from your church or some community organization where you’ve been involved in service. Now think deeply. What would you like each of these speakers to say about you and your life? What kind of husband, wife, father, or mother would you like their words to reflect? What kind of son or daughter or cousin? What kind of friend? What kind of working associate? What character would you like them to have seen in you? What contributions, what achievements would you want them to remember? Look carefully at the people around you. What difference would you like to have made in their lives?   Stephen Covey

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Inner and outer purpose

• Kris Carr once said “What if your purpose is to take impeccable care of yourself so that you have the energy and joy to serve others? ” He was really onto something.  With this in mind, it helps to differentiate between your inner and outer purpose. Inner purpose is about connecting to and sourcing spiritual power (energy, love, joy, passion, insight, inspiration, universal intelligence.) It’s a filling up. Outer purpose is about using and sharing that spiritual power in a way that blesses the world. First ask yourself “What can I do on a regular basis to connect to Life and fill myself up?”  Examples may include spending time in nature, meditating, resting, staying anchored in awareness, exercising, connecting deeply with loved once and so on. This is your inner purpose. Then ask yourself “How can I use my energy and express consciousness in service to others by doing something that I am passionate about and am great at?”  This is your outer purpose. Anthony Lambert

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Create a personal mission statement

• The most effective way I know to begin with the end in mind is to develop a personal mission statement or philosophy or creed. It focuses on what you want to be (character) and to do (contributions and achievements) and on the values or principles upon which being and doing are based.  Stephen Covey
• Write out your life philosophy in exactly one hundred words — no more and no less. This can take any form you want, from a statement of values to a list of instructions. Begin by writing down your core beliefs and values.  J.D. Roth
• Create a personal mission statement

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More exercises

• Imagine that you have enough money to take care of your needs, now and in the future. How would you live your life? Now imagine that you visit the doctor and she tells you that you have 5-10 years left to live. You won’t feel sick, but you’ll have no notice of the moment of your death. What would you do in the time you have left? Finally, imagine your doctor shocks you with the news that you only have 24 hours left to live. If you only had a day remaining, what dreams would you leave unfulfilled? What would you wish you had finished? George Kinder
• Who do you admire, who are your heroes? Your attraction tells you something about what you too have and want to develop within you. Pull it out. Robert Taibbi
• This is courtesy of Friedrich Nietzsche. Imagine that you had to live your life over and over again for all of eternity. What would you do, or not do, to celebrate it and avoid its pain?  Robert Taibbi

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What to do once you’ve awoken to your purpose

• Your purpose statement is your compass that reminds you what is most important to you in life. It guides your vision, helping you to decide where to focus your time and efforts. Your vision is your desired destination. It is an inspiring and vivid picture of your life (or the success of a project) at a particular time in the future. Your strategic plan is the road map to where you want to go including an action plan. Finally, you need streamlined processes in your life to marry visioning, planning, implementing and reflecting in a way that moves you towards your vision while allowing your mind to rest in Being.  Anthony Lambert
• Vision (exercises)