{"id":72605,"date":"2022-07-16T14:05:00","date_gmt":"2022-07-16T18:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/?p=72605"},"modified":"2022-07-20T14:37:10","modified_gmt":"2022-07-20T18:37:10","slug":"how-to-find-meaning-in-your-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.shortform.com\/blog\/how-to-find-meaning-in-your-life\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Find Meaning in Your Life: A Proven Technique"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How do you find meaning in your life when feeling unmotivated? How will your life improve once you discover your purpose<\/a>? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to author Simon Sinek<\/a>, finding meaning in your life leads to discovering more satisfying work and making better decisions<\/a>. Sinek’s “Golden Circle” technique for finding your life’s purpose can be used by anyone who desires a more meaningful life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep reading to learn how to find meaning in your life by using Sinek’s proven technique, including a personal purpose exercise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Finding Meaning in Your Life: How to Find Your Why<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Finding your \u201cWhy\u201d or purpose can help you make better choices in your work and life that lead to greater fulfillment, according to best-selling author Simon Sinek. That\u2019s what he discovered when finding his purpose helped him overcome depression. He then began helping others find their purpose through his popular 2009 TED Talk and by working with individuals and organizations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sinek shared his ideas about the centrality of purpose in his best-selling book, Start With Why<\/em><\/a>, <\/em>in 2009, which focused on organizations. He outlined his theory that the most successful organizations have a clear purpose<\/a> and stick to it as they grow. To provide practical help to more people, he later co-wrote Find Your Why<\/em><\/a> with David Mead and Peter Docker: a follow-up book that lays out a step-by-step process for how to find meaning in your life by discovering your Why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: Sinek\u2019s concept of a Why or purpose isn\u2019t new. In 1946, psychologist Viktor Frankl argued that the driving force in our lives is meaning<\/em><\/a>, not pleasure or power, as other schools of thought at the time suggested. Frankl also argued that the meaning of life<\/a> isn\u2019t universal, but rather something each person must find for themselves<\/a>, just as Sinek believes everyone has a unique purpose they must discover.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your Purpose Is at the Core of Everything You Do<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

We\u2019ve discussed the importance of finding your purpose<\/a> and its benefits. Next, we\u2019ll explore how to find meaning in your life by using your purpose. We\u2019ll start with a three-part model Sinek first introduced in Start With Why<\/em><\/a>, which illustrates how having a central purpose affects your actions (your “How” or methods) and your results (“What” you accomplish).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sinek\u2019s \u201cGolden Circle\u201d<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Sinek created the \u201cGolden Circle\u201d model to help you find meaning in your life<\/strong> by placing your day-to-day actions and your strengths in the context of your purpose, or Why. In other words, his model helps you see whether the action you\u2019re taking aligns with your purpose and thus whether it will bring you fulfillment or distract you from your Why.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Shortform note: In Designing Your Life<\/em><\/a>, Bill Burnett and Dave Evans provide a similar tool: a Life Compass<\/a>. It places your life and work philosophies side by side so you can identify where they overlap and determine whether your actions are in accord with your philosophies, or beliefs about what you do and why<\/a>.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sinek\u2019s model consists of three concentric circles. Each circle represents one of the core concepts in his theory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. The innermost circle is the Why:<\/strong> the purpose <\/em>that orients everything you do. It\u2019s the core belief that motivates you to get out of bed in the morning. In terms of an organization, it\u2019s the mission you stand for and the reason you\u2019re in business. An organization\u2019s Why might be to provide accessible health care to its community. An individual\u2019s Why might be to create spaces for learning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. The middle circle is the How:<\/strong> your typical methods and practices<\/em> that characterize you, and which other people consider your strengths. Your How brings your Why to life. An organization\u2019s How or method might be to always pursue the most sustainable alternatives. An individual\u2019s How might be to forge meaningful connections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. The outermost circle is the What:<\/strong> the outputs <\/em>or results you generate. It\u2019s the tangible part of your organization or life and the easiest to identify. An organization’s What includes its products, services, policies, and strategies. An individual’s What might be their family, job, and projects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Purpose Discussion<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

To determine your Why<\/a> and come up with a written statement, Sinek and his co-authors created a step-by-step process that individuals and groups can follow in a group discussion or workshop. Sinek\u2019s process for learning how to find meaning in your life helps you or your team explore past experiences for insight into what moves you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Get Into the Right Mindset<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To bring the right mindset to the individual process, Sinek recommends that you: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Release preconceptions.<\/strong> Don\u2019t expect or angle for a specific outcome. Instead, focus on telling your stories honestly, and let the process unfold. (Shortform note: This helps avoid confirmation bias\u2014the tendency to interpret new information in a way that confirms what we already believe<\/a> and one of the cognitive biases<\/a> Daniel Kahneman discusses in Thinking, Fast and Slow<\/em><\/a>. Confirmation bias<\/a> might cause you to focus on stories that fit what you think your purpose should <\/em>be, and overlook stories that don\u2019t fit your expectations.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Embrace vulnerability.<\/strong> The more honest and unguarded you are, the more useful this process will be. (Shortform note: If you\u2019re hesitant about embracing vulnerability, keep in mind Bren\u00e9 Brown\u2019s assertion in The Power of Vulnerability<\/em><\/a> <\/em>that vulnerability is a strength, as it requires more courage to share something intimate than to keep quiet<\/a> for fear of being judged.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Exercise: Discover Your Personal Purpose<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

If you don\u2019t have the right partner available, these questions will help you through the process of finding your purpose on your own. <\/p>\n\n\n\n