Our Life Purpose Changes Over Time

Does our purpose change over time?

What is purpose? Purpose is defined as the reason or intention behind an action or what one sets out to accomplish or design. I would often read and hear people say that a person only has one purpose in life, but I do not believe that. We can set out to create goals and aspirations for each stage of our lives i.e., work, personal relationships, raising children, traveling. Therefore, our purpose is not static. It changes by season and over time. So, let us explore how our purpose changes as we walk through a few examples of the various stages of life.

Different Purpose by Stage of Life

Marriage and Children

When a person gets married and has children the focus maybe sacrificing a time-consuming career in exchange for spending more time with family. However, once the children become of age where they can responsibly take care of themselves a shift happens. The children have grown and moved out of the house. Now the parents become empty nesters. Their purpose has  shifted from being a source of child-rearing to establishing a deeper connection with one another.

Divorce and Single Parenting

At this stage, the focus is on surviving and maintaining a healthy rhythm of working to provide for both the parent and children’s needs.. As the sole provider of the family (in the event there is no support from the other side) one must stretch not only their finances, but also their physical presence at PTA meetings, booster clubs, rehearsals and additional after-school activities that benefit the child’s social skills. For the parent there may be no “me time.” The children are at the center of attention and all else revolves around that.

Career

You may be looking to change careers because you are not satisfied with the current situation. At one point you enjoyed that volatile fast-paced, chronically deadline-driven job (and there was nothing wrong with this if you enjoyed it at the time), but you wake up one morning and decide that you do not want to do this anymore. So, you shift. You decide to take a class or hire a coach to transition into something that better aligns with your core-skills and values.

Traveling

Perhaps you are a single person, and you can go anywhere in the world. Planning a trip is easier. Only you are the head of your itinerary. You do not have to worry about budgeting for anyone but yourself. This is also a wonderful opportunity to meet interesting people, especially if you are on a group tour or need to ask for directions. In addition, you will develop a keen sense of problem-solving because you will become more decisive. (After all, somebody needs to know how to make those currency conversions and that person is you.)

Embrace Multiple Purposes Throughout Your Life

Do not forget to breathe. Things will change. This is the one constant in life. One of the most dreadful things in life is to look back in regret for not cherishing the present moment. Each season of life brings an opportunity to learn something new about ourselves to rest and to reimagine! Therefore, you owe it to yourself to take advantage of the different seasons in your life.

Life Is A Journey

Remember that life is a journey so make it an adventure. Your purpose is a workout within yourself. It does not rely on anyone else’s purpose. Stop looking for answers from everybody else. Nobody can tell you what your purpose is. Your purpose is standing right before your eyes. But is it though? The good news is, yes!  I began to see my purpose clearly in each season of my life when I wrote down my dreams and feelings about different events that occurred, i.e., career, relationships, etc. Writing was my source of meditation. When I looked back over what I wrote, I recognized patterns. I noticed that I consistently desired to share tips on how to declutter with other people. After having a life defining moment in 2009, I wanted to start a blog documenting my experience and sharing decluttering tips, but I was too scared to be vulnerable. Thoughts came to mind like “no one is going to read this”,’ “I do not even know where to start” and so on. Then I gave up on the idea of blogging. Some time had passed, and I discovered podcasting in 2016. It was not until 2018 that I had a eureka moment! The thoughts and ideas I wrote down began to come together.

There is Connection Between Pattern and Purpose

For years, I had also documented how I enjoyed listening to audiobooks in the car and at home. Hearing narrators’ voices make stories come alive was amazing to me, especially since I often read aloud to myself. And then it happened: In July 2018 I finally started Declutter Empress Radio, a lifestyle podcast providing tips on how to create an oasis space through decluttering. This was a terrific way for me to use my voice to create a community around sharing techniques and tips on creating clutter free spaces! I would not have gotten this far had I not reviewed my writings. The consistent pattern that showed up for me was my joy and desire for reading aloud and my love for decluttering. What patterns do you see in your own life that would reveal your purpose at this moment?

It Does Not Have to End Here…Begin Today

What thoughts have you been meditating on? We do not have to go through life blindly searching for our purpose. We all have a book filled with wonder on how each chapter will begin and end. Take note of the season you are in. As you do this, you will see patterns that will reveal your purpose. Your purpose is unfolding right before your eyes. You are living in it right now. Enjoy the trip. Bon Voyage.