It is one of the most rewarding feelings – you’re in a fulfilling job that you enjoy going to so much that it doesn’t feel like a job; you feel confident that the degree you’re studying for will get you the career that you’ve always dreamed of. But for most people, sadly this isn’t the case. So many adults don’t feel fulfilled by their jobs, and even at middle age, aren’t sure what path they should be taking so they breeze through life without any purpose.

In this post, I’ll be giving you some of the best tips for finding your life purpose and choosing a career you love. These are tips that I used to find my life purpose at just 20 years old!

  1. What are your values?

One of the main keys to finding your purpose is questioning your values and what you want to get out of life. Take some time to sit down, and make a list of the things that mean the most to you and the kind of person that you want to be – that may be helping people in need, teaching, saving the planet or something more general such as making a difference in the world or spreading kindness. If you really want to help people, but you’re in a job that doesn’t create a positive change in the world, there is an obvious lack of alignment between your values and career, which will result in you feeling unfulfilled and low.

2. Who are you doing this for?

This is SO important. It’s essential that you check in with yourself regularly to see if what you’re doing with your life reflects your own dreams and desires and no one else’s. A lot of different people can pressure you into following a certain path that they THINK is right for you, whether they are aware of it or not. This is most often parents, teachers or wider society. It’s okay to consider their opinions, but ultimately it has to be your own decision to pursue the career of YOUR choice – the people in your life should want you to feel happy and fulfilled rather than rich and miserable!

3. Try EVERYTHING!

Just like you may have to kiss a few frogs before you find your prince, you may have to try a lot of different things before you find your purpose. Consider trying out some jobs, doing summer internships or volunteering to get a good taste of a lot of different career options. If you’re not able to try out actual jobs, the best way to gain knowledge of subjects and careers is by reading daily. There is a book for everything and by reading a wide variety of books, you can discover what you enjoy learning about and you’ll find things that spark a fascination and inspire you!

4. Remember what you wanted to do as a child.

Reminding yourself of the careers you wanted to pursue when you were young can actually be a good way of discovering your purpose. As children, we are innocent and don’t realise that there are things people expect of us, or a concept of money. Therefore, we express interest in things that we genuinely love and care about! Take some time to consider the careers that you wanted when you were younger, and ask yourself whether any still resonate with you today.

5. Money is important, but it can’t be your ‘WHY’.

It would be entirely unrealistic to say that money and salary don’t matter and that you should JUST do what you love. The truth is, you should consider money when deciding your purpose, but it can’t be what drives you into pursuing your career. While how much money you need to earn differs from person to person, make sure that the career you pursue is financially realistic for you, but know that the happiness that doing something you love IS worth more than oodles of money. Also, it’s true that when you’re doing something that is in alignment with your values, the money will come easily.

So there are my tips to help you find your purpose! I hope it gave you some inspiration and gave you some good ideas on how to find a career you LOVE!