Work like you don’t need the money! We have all heard the saying. Some of us can only dream about loving what we do, others get stuck in a whirlwind of mediocrity and some are on a journey to find the work they love, so they never have to work another day in their life again.

There are many keys to success, but until you find your purpose in life, your journey will feel like a ship lost at sea. Purpose is the compass that will get you to your destination, so you can stop questioning your life’s existence on the path to success.

When you have purpose, all of your actions, decisions and motivations are channeled through an indescribable energy that directs you towards your end goal no matter what trials and tribulations come your way.

The journey of discovering your purpose in life is not easy. It takes time, effort and focus, but once you discover what makes you tick you’ll never look back again. The answer lies within you, just keep digging.

Here are 5 Questions To Help You Start Discovering Your Purpose:

1. What makes you lose track of time?

Take yourself back to when you were a child and you were playing your favorite game. Do you remember how it made you feel to spend hours doing something that you loved? You were so engrossed in it that the only way you knew what time it was is because your parents called you in for dinner.  

As a grown up, dig deep and find the things that make you feel the same way. Do you love helping people, writing, designing, crafting or teaching?

Once you find the thing that you love, you can easily apply those skills to a variety of different ways to start loving the work that you do. You need to re-invent you.

“A good time occurs precisely when we lose track of what time it is.” – Robert Capon

2. What are you a natural at?

We all possess some kind of natural talent and ability.  Find that one thing that feels effortless to you, while others struggle at it.

If you take some time to develop it, you can become the master of it. But the question is – what is it? That question lies within you. For all you know, you may have been ignoring it or unaware of it this entire time. It may come so natural to you, that you never paid attention to it. 

Observe yourself. Ask people who know you well. They can help give you feedback that opens your eyes. You may be a natural at organizing things, understanding complex concepts, teaching, dancing, singing, anything. Just keep pushing on until you find it out. 

3. What makes you feel good about yourself?

We all have things that make us feel good about ourselves. What is it you have done in your life that you are proud of? Did you help someone in need? Did you save someone’s life?

Did you achieve something you thought impossible? When you find that out, you will get an idea about what makes you feel good about yourself. Once you do that, you can then think of similar things you can do in future that align with those actions. 

4. What makes you smile?

What is it that puts smile on your face? Very often people spend a lot of time and effort on things that they care about and make them happy. When they succeed at it, they feel deep satisfaction and happiness. What is it you care about most? 

You may not enjoy the effort, but you care about the cause and that keeps you going. The end results make you smile. It can be anything ranging from social service to entrepreneurship. Look for the things in the world you care about most.

“Let my soul smile through my heart and my heart smile through my eyes, that I may scatter rich smiles in sad hearts.” – Paramahansa Yogananda

5. What are your core values?

People have deep seated beliefs and values, which govern most of their decisions and actions. If you do something that does not resonate with your core values, you can’t find happiness and satisfaction. When they are missing, you can’t be successful. You need to do things that are in alignment with your deeper self.

The first step is to dig deep and discover your core values. They may not be easily visible, but observe your past decisions and actions and how they made you feel. This will give you an idea about your values. Once you discover them, you can make better decisions regarding which direction you want to choose for your life. 

Answers to these questions may not be easy. They require deep introspection on your part, but they will reveal truths that will guide you towards your life purpose. The next step will be to incorporate them into something that you can do for a long time.

Your career constitutes a large part of your life. Once you choose a career that is in alignment with your purpose, it will make your journey on the path to success a happy and fulfilled experience. Remember, never give up and always keep on pushing on.

When are you going to start to apply this steps in order to discover your purpose? Please leave your thoughts in the comment section below!