How Discovering Your True Purpose Makes it Easier to Escape the 9-5 Life
Shelley’s approach is always sensible, especially when it’s about discovering your true purpose!
Finding your why is Step 1 on my 6-Step Checklist to Escape the 9-5, it’s an important concept you’ll find throughout this blog. Now I bring you a new perspective: tailoring it to “discovering your true purpose” to make leaving the 9-5 life easier. Thank you to guest author Shelley Hanson! She is the publisher of the women’s lifestyle blog Sensibly Shelley.
Shelley’s goal is to empower her readers to be the best version of themselves possible by providing “sensible” tips and ideas suitable for modern times. Her guest post below is definitely an example of how she approaches meeting her goal.
Necessary disclaimer: As a blogger, I use affiliate links sometimes! I may receive commission from purchases I share; it does not change your price but sometimes you might get a discount.
Image by Artur Pawlak from Pixabay
Introduction to making it easier to escape the 9-5 life by discovering your true purpose.
How would you describe your life today? Are you happy or unhappy? What would you change if you had the chance?
The modern workplace has become a place where employees spend over 50% of their waking hours at work. This leaves little time for family, friends, hobbies, or even sleep. In addition, working long hours often leads to burnout and stress.
If you want to escape the 9-5 life, you need to discover your true purpose in life or “find your why”. Once you figure out what makes you tick, you'll be able to create a lifestyle that allows you to live the way you really want.
RELATED: These posts on the Free At 50 blog category to Find Your Why.
Photo by Kalei de Leon on Unsplash
Discovering Your True Purpose Is a Process
Discovering your true purpose in life is a process that is necessary to escape the 9-5. It will be difficult to do if you spend hours sitting on the sofa binge-watching your favorite shows on Netflix. It will take some time and effort, but it will be time well spent.
You must go through this process if you wish to discover your true purpose and live life to your fullest potential.
RELATED: Download and watch this 19 minute Free At 50 interview with business coach Meghan Stockman about Finding Your Why.
Image by Tim Bastian from Pixabay
Note: As a blogger, I use affiliate links sometimes! I may receive commission from purchases on links I share, but it does not change your price.
You Need a Journal in Your Tool Kit
Regardless of anything else, the one thing you need before beginning the process of discovering your true purpose is a journal.
A journal is the most important asset in your tool kit. It is an extremely effective tool that will help you through every part of the process, from setting goals, tracking your progress, and staying motivated.
Writing down your goals and recording your progress in a journal makes it easier to review your progress and will motivate you to keep moving forward.
So be sure to include a journal as part of your tool kit.
RELATED: Shelley’s blog post sharing 13 reasons to start journaling.
The Key to Finding Your True Purpose Lies in Your Passion
Your true purpose is the reason why you wake up every morning. It's the reason why you get out of bed every day. It's the reason you go through each moment of your day. It's the thing that makes you who you are. And it's what drives you to achieve great things.
Just because you are good at something or have a lot of experience, if your work is leaving you feeling empty and drained, it’s time to consider a change. You should feel a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction when your job is aligned with your true purpose. If you’re not feeling this way, it may be time to ditch the 9-5 life.
Reflect on Your Values
What do you value the most in life? Is it family? Staying healthy? Or maybe a sense of belonging.
Reflect on the things that matter to you the most-what are your values? Use your journal to write about how your values influence your daily life. How do they relate to the way you want to live your life?
This part of the process that cannot be ignored. You should always strive to live your life according to your values and beliefs.
There is only one you. It is extremely important that you stop comparing yourself to others. It is ok to be different. You should embrace your unique qualities and use them to your advantage. It will help you stand out from the crowd.
Note from Daphne: this is important to note as you build your brand!
Image by Margarita Kochneva from Pixabay
I Know My True Purpose. What Should I Do Next?
Once you’ve worked through the process of discovering your true purpose, the hard part is done. You will find it much easier to focus on your plan to escape the 9-5 life.
Define Your Goals
Now it’s time to focus on making it happen. The first thing you need to do is define your goals. So, grab a pen and your journal and let’s get started.
Your goals should be realistic. For example, a goal such as “I will quit the 9-5 life today and be a millionaire in six months” may be pushing it just a bit. Your goals should be attainable, this will serve as motivation throughout the entire process.
Then think about the steps involved. You can’t become a yoga instructor without training. What is the next logical step after that?
You also need to consider possible obstacles. Maybe funding is an issue. How can you overcome this or any other obstacle?
RELATED: Download and watch this Free At 50 interview about goalsetting with entrepreneur and blog coach Margaret Bourne.
Image by Markus Spiske from Pixabay
Shift Your Mindset
If escaping the 9-5 is what you truly want in life, you need to shift your mindset.
Start by turning negatives into positives. Positive thinking is essential to achieving goals, especially those related to business. If you want to succeed in business, you need to develop a positive mindset.
One of the most common problems that affects everyone at some point in their lives is negative self-talk. It’s a habit that we develop over time, and it has a powerful effect on our mood, energy levels, and overall wellbeing.
RELATED: Shelley’s post sharing "5 Habits of Successful Entrepreneurs and Why You Need to Have Them Too."
Hand in hand with a positive mindset is shifting from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset.
Growth mindset refers to the belief that our potential is limitless. People who possess a growth mindset tend to see challenges as opportunities for personal development rather than obstacles. They also tend to view failure as a stepping-stone toward success.
Just remember, you need to take the first step. You won’t get very far if you don’t start!
RELATED: Take action and purchase the Business Launch Lab course to move from employee to entrepreneur.
Takeaway
"Do what you love," they say, but how do you know what you love? It's an essential question, and one that even the most successful entrepreneurs struggled with at some point.
That's why I'm so passionate about helping others to discover their true purpose because there is no better way to find success and happiness than by doing something you truly enjoy.
Just remember, discovering your true purpose will take some time and effort. However, once you’re there, it will be so much easier to escape the 9-5 life.
Reach Shelley:
Are you enjoying the articles and resources I'm sharing on this blog? Use the Free At 50 online tip jar and buy me a coffee:
