Figuring Out Your Purpose

Whilst we would never suggest that figuring out your purpose is as easy as reading a blog post, it’s a great place to start. Especially when we’re young because it’s so easy to get caught up in what everyone else is doing or what’s trendy to become right now. 

Today we’re sharing our guide to finding your purpose. Some steps may be harder than others and finding your purpose will always be a work in progress. That said, we hope this will help you remain true to who you are really meant to become.

Step by Step Guide to Finding Your Purpose

1. Be Curious

Finding your purpose begins with curiosity. What are you naturally interested in? and where does your mind wander when you’re not paying attention?

Maybe you’re more inclined towards maths and numbers. Maybe you love improvising in dance versus sticking to the choreography. Maybe you have a deep passion for animals or children. 

Follow that curiosity and see where it leads. It’s certainly the first step in finding your purpose and developing a passion that’s stronger than what just happens to be trendy today.

2. Figure Out What Comes Easy

Along with understanding what you’re curious about, the next step is figuring out what comes easily to you?

Maybe you’re really good at talking in front of a crowd. Maybe you’re confident in problem-solving situations. Maybe you’re most comfortable reading versus listening to a lecture. 

On the flip side, perhaps it takes a lot out of you to be social and extroverted. Or maybe it’s difficult for you to focus on one thing for long periods. Perhaps you find it hard not to take the lead in your group of friends. 

Think about what’s easy and what’s difficult and it could lead to finding your purpose. For example, if you're great with public speaking and love working with children then perhaps your purpose lies in teaching. While this is only one example, putting together what you like and what you’re good at is a solid place to begin.

Let’s use Lauren for example. Lauren is a great dancer and loves helping others get the best out of themselves too. Combining these two skills allowed Lauren to become a role model for other dancers and help build RNH into what it is today. 

On the flip side, there are also many things that Lauren does not like to do. For example, editing videos. So for these tasks, Lauren seeks out people who are much more passionate about bringing video to life than her and they have then found what they are great at too.

3. What Does Your Gut Tell You?

You can’t always trust your gut. Sometimes, trusting our feelings is just an excuse. However, if something feels wrong for you in the pit of your stomach, it probably is.

It’s common to make excuses for procrastinating or avoiding a goal. It’s easy to say, I just don’t feel like it. Or, I just don’t feel motivated today. That’s different from listening to your gut.

Your gut is the voice that tells you, I need a break - I’ve been dancing every day for three weeks straight. It’s the voice that says, I don’t want to drink beer even though my friends are pressuring me to. Your gut tells you when something you’re doing goes against your core values. That’s when you should listen. 

It’s a fine line between listening to your gut and make excuses based on feelings but remember, feelings come and go, but your gut is very reliable.

4. Dare to Be Different

Now that you know what interests you, what you’re good at, and what your gut is telling you, you have to dare to be different. This one is particularly difficult as a teenager when peer pressure is at its peak. However, it’s a key part of finding your purpose.

We’re all unique individuals with our own goals, dreams, and values. Your friends may not understand your choices or maybe they’re not “cool” enough. But in fact, following your own unique path is a huge strength that you should not hide away from.

5. Reassess

As with everything else in life, finding your purpose is an endless work in progress. You are never really done. As we grow up, our goals and priorities will change and evolve. So, it’s important to reassess now and then to make sure the path you’re on is still working for you. If not these main points will help you get back on track.

6. Define Your Values and Act Accordingly

Overall, what you’re doing when you “find your purpose” is defining your values and behaving according to those values. It’s when we’re acting differently to our values that things will feel “off” and wrong.

For example, if your purpose at the moment is to be the best Irish dancer you can possibly be, but you decide to drink alcohol at a party before a big competition (or really at all, for that matter), you’re not actually living out your values. After a while, your gut will start telling you that something’s off - and it is.

Get back on track with your purpose by staying true to yourself - even when no one’s watching.

Good Luck!