If our work and/or our lives align with our sense of meaning and purpose, we have:
Resilience
Meaning and Purpose
Meaning and purpose provides a framework of how you understand the world and your place in it. Having a sense of purpose involves finding meaning in one's daily life plus being motivated and directed by ones's values and goals.
Why is Meaning and Purpose important?
- Greater focus
- Increased energy
- Greater perseverance
- Greater happiness
And:
- Make healthier lifestyle choices
- Cope better with stress
More About Meaning and Purpose
Knowing what gives your life meaning and significance as well as what you see as your life purpose(s) has an impact on how you allocate your time, energy and talents. That, in turn, influences the decision-making and pathways you take in your life. It also helps us to make sense of, or provide direction in, times of adversity.
Belonging to or believing in something greater than ourselves will provide a framework of meaning and /or purpose. Having religious beliefs and belonging to a faith community is a common example of that. Other examples include believing in a cause or belonging to community groups.
Impacts on:
- Medical
- Lifestyle
- Work
- Connections
Strategies to Improve Meaning and Purpose
1. Take time to think.
Make regular time for ‘big picture thinking and reflection. It doesn’t have to be long, and it doesn’t have to be every day. Make use of commuting time, waiting time or exercise as an opportunity to do this.
Practices like meditation and prayer can also facilitate this reflection.
2. Questions to consider.
- How do I explain the world and make sense of what happens in it?
- What are the positive contributions to life/work/family that I want to make? Am I achieving these?
- What would help me make these contributions?
- What are my core values and how can I live them out in my daily life?
- What aspects of my work align well with my meaning and purpose?
- How can I derive a greater sense of meaning and purpose from my work life?
- Do I feel I belong to something bigger than myself?
3. Other activities.
- Engaging in causes that are meaningful
- Striving for valued goals
- Meaningful connections
- Belonging to a community group
- Belonging to a faith community
