How to Find Your Purpose

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

You were probably asked this when you were a child.

My answer changed at least a dozen times as I was growing up. I had no idea, really, but I felt like the world was a wide-open field, ready for me to explore.

Later, in high school or college, you eventually chose a career field and got busy preparing for that.

It may have been something that sparked your interest. It may have been the same occupation or business that your parents worked in. Or it may have been something you weren’t particularly passionate about, but at least it paid the bills. And you may have changed jobs or even career fields multiple times during your working life.

But now that your working days are over, you have another opportunity to seek your passions. For the first time since you were a kid, the world is once again a wide-open field, ready for you to explore. You can choose activities based on what interests you. And this time, you don’t have to worry about making a living at them.

This can be exciting but also daunting. Because now it’s up to you to fill your days, months, and years with meaning. Many people derive their sense of purpose from their jobs and professional roles. The end of work often leaves an empty void.

Finding Purpose and Meaning

Having a sense of purpose in life is crucial: it contributes to satisfaction and happiness, better physical and mental health, greater optimism and resiliency, and lower risk of death. The quest for purpose is a fundamental human experience that spans a lifetime.

But many of us encounter periods when life feels empty. One of these periods is after retirement. A loss of purpose and identity is quite common among retirees.

The good news is that finding purpose is possible, and the journey itself often proves as meaningful as the destination. Below are some suggestions.

1. Consider Your Interests

You may have had hobbies and interests earlier in life that had to take a back seat to the demands of work, raising a family, and taking care of the home. Rediscovering these interests can bring new happiness to your life and also provide a sense of purpose.

To find what activities you might enjoy, consider doing the following:

• Pay attention to moments when you lose track of time in an activity
• Think about what people naturally come to you for help with
• Reflect on compliments you consistently receive

These activities may include:

• Creative pursuits like painting, sculpting, playing a musical instrument, creative writing, cooking, or photography.
• Athletic activities like jogging, fitness classes, hiking, golf, or dancing.
• Entrepreneurial interests like starting a side business or teaching in your areas of experience.

An added benefit of some of these activities is that they encourage regular social interactions, which can prevent feelings of loneliness that afflict many retirees.

This video will give you some ideas about how to find your unique strengths and abilities.

2. Choose Inspiring Company

The people we surround ourselves with profoundly influence our outlook, ambitions, and sense of what’s possible. While we can’t always choose all our social connections, we can intentionally seek out and spend more time with individuals who inspire us to grow and contribute meaningfully to the world.

Consider cultivating relationships with:

• People who actively pursue their passions
• Individuals engaged in community service
• Those who maintain a positive outlook while acknowledging life’s challenges
• Mentors who have found their own sense of purpose
• Young people who bring fresh perspectives and energy

If your current social circle doesn’t include such individuals, explore:

• Professional associations aligned with your interests
• Volunteer organizations
• Community groups focused on causes you care about
• Online communities dedicated to personal growth
• Local meetups centered around shared interests or goals

Remember that inspiring company doesn’t always mean like-minded company. Sometimes, people with different perspectives can challenge our assumptions and help us grow in unexpected ways.

3. Seek Suggestions From Others

Understanding ourselves—our strengths, passions, and potential contributions—often requires an external perspective. Others frequently recognize patterns and possibilities in our lives that we might miss, simply because we’re too close to our own experience.

To gather meaningful feedback:

• Ask your spouse, relatives, and/or trusted friends what they see as your unique gifts
• Request feedback from mentors or colleagues about your strengths
• Consider taking online quizzes to discover your passions and strengths

While collecting this feedback, maintain a balance between external input and internal wisdom. Your gut feelings about different paths and opportunities matter—they’re often your inner compass pointing toward authentic purpose.

This video suggests 15 activities that you might consider.

3. Read

Reading serves as a powerful gateway to purpose, offering unique connections across time, culture, and human experience. When we immerse ourselves in books, we’re not just absorbing information—we’re connecting with countless human experiences and perspectives that can illuminate our own path to meaning.

Research consistently shows that both religious and secular reading contribute to a stronger sense of purpose. Religious texts often provide direct frameworks for finding meaning, while fiction and poetry offer diverse perspectives on the human experience. Literary characters, from Jane Eyre’s quest for independence to Marcus Aurelius’s philosophical reflections, demonstrate how different individuals navigate life’s challenges and find their calling.

Reading also exposes us to varied life philosophies and approaches to finding purpose. Whether through biographies of inspiring figures, philosophical works that challenge our thinking, or novels that explore life’s big questions, books provide a safe space to examine different life paths and their consequences.

4. Champion a Cause

One of the quickest ways to find purpose is identifying and supporting causes that ignite your passion. Volunteerism is a popular and beneficial retirement activity that connects personal meaning with broader social impact, creating a powerful sense of purpose that extends beyond individual satisfaction.

To choose a cause to support, consider:

• Personal experiences that have shaped your worldview
• Issues that consistently catch your attention in the news
• Challenges faced by people you care about
• Environmental or social issues that keep you awake at night

The key is to match your skills and interests with meaningful action:

• Writers can create compelling content to raise awareness
• Public speakers can educate and inspire others
• Artists can communicate complex issues through their work
• Business professionals can apply their expertise to nonprofit management
• Teachers can incorporate social justice education into their curriculum

Remember that impact isn’t measured solely by scale. Small, consistent actions in your local community can be just as meaningful as large-scale initiatives. Whether you’re helping at a local food bank or advocating for global climate action, the sense of purpose comes from knowing your actions contribute to positive change.

5. Serve Others

Service to others consistently emerges as one of the most reliable paths to purpose. When we contribute to others’ well-being, we often discover our own sense of meaning and direction.

Effective service can take many forms:

• Regular volunteering at organizations aligned with your values
• Mentoring others in your area of expertise
• Supporting elderly or vulnerable neighbors
• Teaching skills you’ve developed
• Advocating for those who lack a voice
• Creating art or content that uplifts others
• Developing solutions to community challenges

The key to finding purpose through service is matching your unique abilities and interests with genuine needs in your community or the broader world. This alignment creates sustainable engagement that benefits both the giver and receiver of service.

6. Explore New Activities and Experiences

One of the most practical paths to finding purpose is through active experimentation with different activities and experiences. While reflection and introspection are valuable, sometimes we need to take action to discover what truly resonates with us. This approach is particularly effective because it combines self-discovery with concrete experience.

Start by casting a wide net:

• Take classes in subjects you’ve always been curious about
• Try different forms of creative expression (painting, writing, music)
• Experiment with various types of physical activities
• Join clubs or groups with diverse focuses
• Attend workshops in different professional fields
• Explore various volunteer opportunities
• Learn new skills through online courses or local community centers

The key is to approach this exploration with an open and curious mindset. Rather than feeling pressure to find your life’s purpose immediately, treat each new activity as an experiment. Pay attention to:

• Which activities energize you versus drain you
• What you find yourself thinking about in your free time
• Activities where you lose track of time
• Skills that come naturally to you
• Topics you enjoy learning more about
• Experiences that leave you feeling fulfilled
• Activities that combine multiple interests

Be Persistent

Don’t be discouraged if your first attempts don’t lead to immediate revelation. Sometimes the process of elimination is just as valuable as finding what you love. Each experience, even if it’s not “the one,” teaches you something about yourself and your preferences.

Consider keeping an experience journal where you record:

• Your initial expectations about each activity
• How you felt during the experience
• What aspects you enjoy or dislike
• Whether you’d like to explore this area further
• Unexpected discoveries about yourself
• Connections you made with others
• Skills you developed

Remember that purpose often emerges at the intersection of multiple interests. For example:

• A love of cooking combined with teaching might lead to conducting cooking classes for underprivileged youth
• Interest in technology and environmental concerns could spark innovation in sustainable solutions
• Enjoyment of exercise and working with seniors might evolve into specialized fitness training for older adults

The beauty of this approach is that it’s active rather than purely contemplative. While thinking about purpose is important, engaging in various activities provides concrete data about what brings you joy and meaning. It also creates opportunities for:

• Meeting like-minded people
• Developing new skills
• Discovering unexpected talents
• Building confidence through competence
• Creating connections between different interests
• Finding practical ways to contribute to others

This experiential approach to finding purpose often leads to more sustainable and authentic discoveries because it’s grounded in real-world engagement rather than abstract thinking alone.

Final Thoughts

Finding purpose is rarely a linear journey. Your sense of meaning may evolve as you grow and encounter new experiences. What feels deeply purposeful early in retirement might shift as you move further in retirement or face different challenges.

Remember:

• Purpose often emerges gradually through exploration and experience
• It’s okay for your sense of purpose to change over time
• Small, consistent actions can lead to significant discoveries about meaning
• Multiple sources of purpose can coexist in your life
• The search itself often provides valuable insights and growth

The most important thing is to remain open to possibilities while taking concrete steps toward what feels meaningful to you. Whether through reading, advocacy, relationships, self-discovery, or service, each step forward is part of your unique journey toward a more purposeful life.

In this video, Fritz Gilbert, author of The Retirement Manifesto, describes what he did to ensure he had a sense of purpose and identity after he retired.