What Drives You

Answer these questions to discover your purpose

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Purpose is not the destination, but rather, the fuel that gets us wherever we want to go. It grows as we grow, deepening and evolving over time. That’s why it’s useful to reflect on it every so often, to see where your path might have changed. This list of questions may help you reflect on your purpose and provide insights on what fuels you.

Set aside 10-15 distraction-free minutes, and then choose one or two of these questions to answer. Write down whatever comes to mind and feel free to be honest. (You’re the only person who will see your responses.) If you get stuck, choose a different question!

• What gives your life meaning?
• What brings you joy?
• How do you want to make others feel?
• What’s memorable about you?
• If money wasn’t an issue, what would you do with your time?
• What verb best describes you?
• What problem do you want to solve?
• What do you wish you had more time to do?
• What kind of person do you want to be in 5 years?
• When do you feel the most like yourself?
• What makes you lose track of time?
• What do other people always thank you for?
• If you had to teach something, what would you teach?
• What do people ask for your help with?
• What makes you smile?
• What makes you feel great about yourself?
• What would you regret not doing, being or having in your life?
• What are some challenges, difficulties and hardships you’ve overcome or are working to overcome? How can the lesson you learned help others?
• What’s something about yourself or your life that might surprise others to learn?
• What are you willing to struggle for?
• What motivates you when you’re most productive?
• What kinds of conversations do you have with your closest friends?
• What is on your bucket list?
• What would you like your grandchildren to say about you?
• Over the last 6 months, when have you felt the most alive and electrified?
• If you had to leave your house all day, every day, where would you go and what would you do?
• What job other than your own would you like to have?
• What gives you strength?
• What do you do in your spare time?
• What do you enjoy reading about?
• What would you go back to school for?
• What would you do if you did not care what others thought?
• What do you love to learn about?
• What do people compliment you on?
• What could you do all day and not consider it a waste of time?
• What’s something you’d do even if you never made any money?
• What would you write a book about?
• What would you build if you had unlimited resources?
• What do you love to do for others?
• What do you want more of in your life?
• What’s the best compliment you ever received?
• What’s one thing you’re never afraid to do?
• If you could start your career over, what would you do differently?
• If your name was on a product, what would that product be?
• If you had a full year off with pay, what would you spend your time doing?
• If you could make one change in your life, no matter how impossible it seems, what would that change be?
• What are you avoiding doing because it’s hard or scary?
• What are your values and are you being true to them?
• If you had no deadlines, what project or task would you focus on right now?
• What do you want to be the best in the world at?
• What are you most grateful for?
• What are the biggest things you’ve learned in life thus far?
• What advice would you have given yourself three years ago? How about three years from now?

After you’ve completed the questions, reflect on your journal entries and identify if there are any reoccurring themes throughout your answers. If you find a trending theme, it can provide you with insights about your purpose.