Hi Fabulous Traveler,

You wake up early, before the rest of the world has begun turning its wheels. Arriving at work as the sun rises, you start clearing vegetable scraps, hosing down floors, disposing of waste, administering medication, and repeating the process all over again. You rarely get any verbal acknowledgment or thanks. You end your day filthy and exhausted, and you know you will wake up again tomorrow to be met with more of the same.

How did reading this make you feel? Are you feeling invigorated and ready to seek out this hidden gem of a career? Your answer may be an immediate and resounding NO, but for Zoologist Meghan Nemes, it's the shining center of her world. When asked about her work and the seemingly unpleasant tasks that compose it, she sparkles with passion and excitement. For Nemes, these often repetitive and tiring days mark a profound opportunity to live out her purpose: conserving and caring for endangered species.

The idea of purpose can seem idealistic, lofty, broad, or perhaps something reserved for a select few. It's a concept elevated to unreachable heights, an inspiration that strikes you unexpectedly like lightning, or stays out of your reach forever. Here's the thing: that's actually nonsense.

So what exactly is purpose? At its most simple, it's having a significant reason beyond the immediate for how and why you do things. At the core of that reason is what gives your life meaning: Something that adds passion, dedication, and intention to your daily choices.

In the next 6 weeks, Fabulous is going to take you on a journey that makes finding, directing, and building a purposeful life something tangible and concrete. You're going to explore what's of the greatest importance to you, and make it central in your life.

Bringing Purpose Back to Earth

A lucky few know exactly what they want to do with their lives, why they want to do it, and how. But most of us didn't wake up at age 10 and declare our life path. If we did declare it, we likely changed our minds multiple times in the years that followed. Even as adults,

we struggle to determine our passion and what ways of living would ultimately most fulfill us. Why is that?

The 21st century has put us in a place we’ve never quite been in before. The milestones in life that our parents and grandparents used to gauge personal progress no longer exist, or are vastly different. Career possibilities are multiplying in unexpected directions, and the idea of a straightforward and predictable life path is feeling….well...like less of a reality. Seemingly endless choices have our eyes wandering to other options that could perhaps satisfy and fulfill us just that much more. The information overload of the internet adds an extra element to this heady mix, because we’ve also become painfully (and magnificently) aware of our connections to everyone and everything. So we’re thinking about our impact and contribution too.

To discover how to live with purpose in the midst of all this, no matter what job you are doing or practical choices you have to make each day,  you need to ask certain questions: What is most meaningful to you? What would you get up in the morning daily and do? What would you make sacrifices for, regardless of if you get a reward? Regardless of if anyone is watching. Regardless of repeated exhaustion, frustration, or embarrassment.

But why is finding a sense of purpose important? Research presented by the NY Times, Harvard Health, and JAMA Psychiatry all suggests that purpose is linked to many positive health outcomes and improved functioning in later age, such as fewer chronic conditions, greater emotional resilience, better sleep, and lower rates of premature mortality. It allows us to remain active, to feel capable, and to perceive having a worthy impact in the world. It gives us a deeper drive, focus, and hunger for life.

The good news is your well-being boost is not lost forever just because your sense of purpose is currently elusive or dormant. Studies happen to show that purpose is something you intentionally cultivate, modify, and hone in an ongoing way. Living from a place of purpose is a practice and process that you commit to. A purposeful life is something you build.

And that's exactly what you're going to do, Fabulous Traveler. Build a purposeful life. This journey is about creating a life that’s meaningful to you during your limited time on Earth. And make no mistake, your time IS limited. It should count, it should feel important, it should have meaning. Your time should matter most to you. It is the only resource you can’t get back once it’s spent.

So are you ready Fabulous Traveler? We've got a plan for you.

This Week's Plan

Your One-Time Action

You’re going to take a few minutes right now to begin understanding what’s important to you.

• Open a fresh page in a notebook.
• Now you'll do what's called The Passion Test, developed by Chris and Janet Attwood. You simply write out “When my life is ideal, I am....” 15 times, and fill in the blank with a verb or action-oriented sentence.
• From these 15 statements, you now pick the top 5 choices. You’ll narrow them down by comparing the first 2 statements, and eliminating one of them. Then you’ll compare the one you chose with the 3rd statement and continue this process until you are only left with 5.
  

Your Goal

For the next three mornings, you’ll pick a different passion each day from your list of top five, and spend 10-15 min exploring it. Let your mind wander and write your reflections down in your notebook. Some thought-triggers that can help you process include:

• In what ways does this passion give my life meaning?
• What memories do I have of feeling fulfilled while engaging in this passion?
• How much space does this passion currently take up in my life?

When you’re ready to embark on this new journey to live your purpose, just hit Accept below Fabulous Traveler, and the Think About My Purpose habit will be added to your morning routine.

What We Are Doing

Like I mentioned Fabulous Traveler you're going to build. And that means starting small and going brick
by brick, because to live a life of purpose, you'll need strong foundations. You're taking the first fundamental step this week, giving yourself dedicated time to explore what brings the most meaning to your life.

For now, just stick to your morning practice of reflecting on your passions. Next week you'll be taking that exploration deeper, and then we'll move into fine-tuning, directing, and integrating your purpose into your life.

Talk to you tomorrow, Fabulous Traveler!

“The mystery of human existence lies not in just staying alive, but in finding something to live for” —Fyodor Dostoyevsky