| What is the purpose of your life? Do you know? Does | | | | lives and reducing our need for money. If you are able |
| your life have any meaning? Many people ask | | | | to reduce your need for money, then you also reduce |
| themselves questions like this yet few people seem to | | | | the amount of time you need to spend simply earning |
| find an answer. People sometimes turn to religion or | | | | money. The key is reducing the amount of time you |
| politics or to life coaching to help them find an answer | | | | spend doing things just to earn money; earning money |
| to these questions. As a life coach, I present to you | | | | is not the purpose of your life! |
| here my seven steps for you to follow to help you find | | | | Becoming financially independent does not mean |
| a purpose to your life. | | | | becoming extremely wealthy and it does not mean |
| First of all, let us dismiss the idea that there is only one | | | | opting out of society. Financial independence means |
| answer to the meaning of life. Each of us leads our | | | | not relying upon other people or institutions for the way |
| own life and each of us can have our own purpose to | | | | you live. Being indebted to other people or |
| our life. The purpose you find or you create for your | | | | organisations inhibits our lives and requires us to |
| life may be unique to you or it may be something you | | | | service our debt. To find, create or to lead your life |
| share with other people. | | | | purpose, you need to be free. |
| Step 1: Do something new. | | | | Step 5: Cultivate a social network. |
| If what you are doing now has not revealed to you a | | | | Social networks are important. Your social network |
| purpose in your life, then it is not likely to do so. Doing | | | | consists of your family, your friends, your colleagues |
| something new can open up new opportunities, new | | | | and your work associates. It also consists of your |
| insights and bring new experiences into your life. It can | | | | doctor, your banker or financial adviser, and anyone |
| also lead you to meeting new people and new ideas. | | | | else who supports you in any way. |
| Just the very act of choosing something new and the | | | | Your social network is important in finding or creating |
| reasons for your choice can be revealing and may | | | | your life purpose because it consists of people who |
| give an indication of a purpose in your life. | | | | know you. These are people who have an insight into |
| Of course, things are not quite so simple. Just doing | | | | you and people who may have shared experiences |
| something new may well not give you any indication of | | | | with you. What these people say to you, maybe what |
| a purpose for your life. That's fine, for at least by doing | | | | they say about you, how they see you and how they |
| something new, you will be opening yourself up to new | | | | respond to you, may all give you cues to help find your |
| things and improving the chances of finding a purpose. | | | | life purpose. These people may see you as being |
| The key is not letting your life get in or stay in a rut but | | | | 'reliable', 'dependable', 'friendly', 'jovial', 'thoughtful', 'intense' |
| opening your life to new experiences, new challenges, | | | | or they may see you as being a 'creative person', or |
| new ideas and new people. Some of these you may | | | | 'someone who cares', or an 'intelligent' person. They |
| later discard and some may well help you find a | | | | may have knowledge of you that even you yourself |
| purpose. | | | | do not have, though equally they may lack knowledge |
| Step 2: Give time to yourself. | | | | of the inner you. Yet these people can give you |
| So many of us lead our lives giving our time to other | | | | insights and cues that you can use to help find or |
| people; we give time to our boss, or the company, we | | | | create your life purpose. |
| give time to our partner, our children and our friends. | | | | Perhaps most importantly of all, however, is that finding |
| We give time to travel, to work, to domestic chores | | | | your life purpose may involve making changes in your |
| and to entertaining or being with others. There is | | | | life and your lifestyle. It is the people in your social |
| nothing wrong in any of these, though we may often | | | | network who can support you through making such |
| feel our time is not allocated fairly. Yet how many of | | | | changes. |
| us give time to ourselves and, when we do, how many | | | | Step 6: Be positive. |
| of us feel just a bit guilty about it? | | | | It is hard to find or create a purpose in your life if you |
| You are important. You are important to others and | | | | are not positive about it. It is true that life can |
| you are important to yourself. It is important, therefore, | | | | sometimes bring us down, it is true that life sometimes |
| to give time for yourself; time to consider yourself, to | | | | means facing things that are unpleasant and yet how |
| develop yourself and to become more aware of | | | | many of us would really, honestly, be without our life? |
| yourself. Being aware of yourself is crucial if you are | | | | You may wish your life was different and in many |
| to discover or create a purpose for your life. You | | | | ways you may wish your life was better. For many |
| need to be aware of what it is that you value, what it | | | | people, giving life a purpose may be seen as a way of |
| is that you believe, what it is that you want and what it | | | | making life better. |
| is that you need. To create a purpose for your life, you | | | | Being negative will not usually lead to a change in your |
| need to be aware of what things, what values, what | | | | life but will keep you living as you are now. It is only by |
| concepts and what outcomes you feel are important. | | | | being positive that you can change your life and follow |
| Step 3: Maintain a healthy mind and body. | | | | your life purpose. For those people who find a life |
| Your health is important; many people would consider | | | | purpose, all would say that their purpose is a positive |
| their health to be one of the most important aspects | | | | one. The life purpose that you find or you create will |
| of life. If you can maintain a healthy mind and a healthy | | | | also be a positive one. So to find your life purpose you |
| body then you will be free to find a purpose to your | | | | need to be positive, have a positive outlook and a |
| life. If your mental or physical health suffers, then you | | | | positive regard for people and ideas. |
| will find that your time, energy and resources will be, | | | | Step 7: Learn. |
| quite justifiably, spent trying to regain your fitness. | | | | Our life's learning does not stop when we leave school, |
| It is quite true that some people have found that a | | | | our learning continues throughout our life. The |
| period of illness has enabled them, or forced them, to | | | | difference between being a child and being an adult is |
| give time for themselves and has helped them to gain | | | | that a child is told what to study whereas you, as an |
| new insights into life It may even, in some cases, help | | | | adult, can choose what you study. In searching for a |
| them to find purpose in their life. However, this would | | | | life purpose, we need to be open to new ideas, new |
| not be true for everyone who falls ill and it would not | | | | thoughts and new insights, all of which can come |
| be wise to advocate undergoing a period of illness to | | | | through learning. |
| find your life purpose. | | | | Learning is about finding, it is about discovering and it is |
| Better, then, that you take all steps you can to maintain | | | | about creating. You are seeking a purpose for your life |
| your health. Thereby you will be better able to pursue | | | | so learning is important to you. If the way you live now |
| your life purpose and work toward it. | | | | has not given you a purpose, then learning can be |
| Step 4: Prepare to be financially independent. | | | | used to give you insights into new ways of living and |
| Financial burdens can overtake and dominate your life. | | | | help you find a purpose. |
| Too many of us find ourselves leading lives simply to | | | | You can learn to look at life in new ways, you can |
| gain money. Becoming financially independent may | | | | learn to interpret experiences in different ways and |
| mean earning enough money so that you do not need | | | | you can also learn how others regard life. Above all, |
| to worry about your finances, yet how many of us | | | | you can learn about yourself, your views, your beliefs |
| are able to say how much is enough? Becoming | | | | and what's important to you. This is fundamental to |
| financially independent may also mean simplifying our | | | | finding or creating your life purpose. |