Have you ever felt unsure of which direction to take in life? Do you want to pursue meaningful goals while staying true to your authentic self?
Oliver Burkeman’s Meditations for Mortals explores Alfred Adler’s life tasks theory, offering practical guidance for those seeking purpose and direction. The framework encompasses various aspects of human experience, from work and social connections to love, self-discovery, and spiritual growth.
Keep reading to discover how making decisive choices can lead to personal growth.
Figuring Out What You Want to Do in Life
Alfred Adler’s “life tasks” theory offers information that may help you identify your life tasks. Adler specifies that there are three types of life tasks: 1) work tasks, which are acts that benefit the community (regardless of monetary reward), 2) social tasks, which connect with others and foster altruism and empathy, and 3) love tasks, which center on finding love in intimate relationships. Later psychologists also added two types: 1) self tasks, which uncover your authentic self, and 2) spiritual tasks, which focus on understanding existence and the meaning of life.
Burkeman’s discussion seems to mostly pertain to Adler’s concepts of work tasks and social tasks; however, according to the original theory, objectives surrounding your spiritual, romantic, and introspective journeys are just as valid and important.
Burkeman says that to take action toward your goals, you must first figure out what you want to do (and what you don’t).
To do so, Burkeman recommends first taking inventory of your current options and deciding what to pursue and what to leave behind. This will simplify your life and propel you from a state of indecision and stagnation to one of action. For example, you can either spend your free time writing your book, renovating your basement, or attending acting classes. You must decide which one to pursue and drop the other two for now; otherwise, you’ll accomplish nothing. Do this with decisions big and small, from where you’ll eat lunch to how you’ll spend your free time, and take action immediately—don’t just make the choice and sit with it.
(Shortform note: In The One Thing, Gary Keller similarly emphasizes the importance of getting decisive about your goals, specifying that you should focus on one goal at a time. Once you’ve identified this goal, begin taking action. You should also ensure you’re taking action consistently by determining the number one thing you can do each day, week, month, and so on to accomplish your goal.)
Burkeman says that once you become decisive, you must identify your life task—a current goal that will push you to improve in some way. These goals arise from your personal circumstances and are about growth rather than outward achievement—for example, writing a book is a goal, but a life task might be becoming a writer—someone who expresses themself through creative writing. Burkeman adds that you can have multiple life tasks through the different phases of your life and that they all must meet two criteria: 1) They expand your comfort zone to promote long-term growth over instant gratification, and 2) they’re achievable and within your limitations, stemming from your current challenges, abilities, and circumstances.
