Finding My Purpose: The Beginning of a Journey

As you can tell from the snazzy title, this post is about the start of my journey in finding my purpose, and working towards accomplishing the goals I’ve set for myself right now. I talked about it a little in my last post, and included the article which inspired this whole process.

Now, to start off, it would probably help if you knew my goals. These are part of the SMART goals I set for the next year, three years and five years. I used this template I found online to organize everything, and make it easier on myself.

Anyways, we’ve gone on long enough about templates… let’s get into my SMART goals!

One Year Goals:

1. Buy my own car (Finishing Date: January 1, 2021)
2. Publish my poetry collection (Finishing Date: March 2, 2021)

 

Three Year Goals:

1. Publish my novella idea (Finishing Date: February 14, 2023)
2. Move out of my parents house (Aiming for January 1, 2023, but really, I just want to be in the process of moving by the time 2023 hits)

 

Five Year Goals:

1. Find my purpose in life (Aiming for January 2025, although honestly this could take my whole life, but at least I will be working towards something)
2. Freelance Full-time and be out of retail for good (January 1, 2025)

 

Now, having my SMART goals is only one part in giving myself direction in life, so I can accomplish what I want in life, and feel more fulfilled. The next step (which is one of my SMART goals) is to figure out my purpose in life.

But… How do I do that?

This is something I’ve struggled with, because as much as people say following your passion and living your life with purpose will be fulfilling, there’s just one little issue:

What if you don’t know what you want?

After reading the post I mentioned in my last blog, I want to add the list here, and then each week, I will talk about what I’m doing to incorporating that concept in my life, and the lessons I’m learning along the way.

If you want to follow along and do the same thing, feel free to join me! Comment down below what your SMART goals are, or even what steps you’re going to take to find your purpose in life. If you need a little inspiration, here’s the article I’m using for reference:

https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/how_to_find_your_purpose_in_life

 

• 

  Read

  • I love to read, but lately I’ve been experiencing a terrible reading slump. A few days ago, I finally picked up a book (The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold, in case you were wondering). I’m only one chapter away from finishing it, and it’s been motivating me to read more of the books sitting on my shelves. So far, success!
  • I want to accomplish my 2020 Good Reads reading goal, and read 45 books. That may not sound like a lot for those of you who read a lot, but with my reading slump issues, 45 books is a lot 😂 Last year, I had the same goal, but fell short two or three books, so this year, I am determined to reach it 👍👌

 

• 

  Turn Hurt into Healing for Others

  • Here’s a good question to start with, “How can I learn from my own setbacks, and use it to help others in similar situations?”
  • The next question is, “What setbacks have I faced, and how am I dealing with them?”
  • I want to make a list with three columns. The first column is a list of these setbacks I’ve faced. The second column is what I learned from those situations (or maybe I will realize I haven’t learned anything yet, which is also good to know). The last column will be me figuring out what I can do to help others in these situations such as:
    • Write a blog post
    • Create a story/ poetry collection
  • Ultimately, I want to use my writing as a means to help others.

 

• 

  Cultivate Awe, Gratitude and Altruism

  • Remember: I am a small part of the universe. One person in the grand scheme of things. However, one person can make a big difference.
  • What am I grateful for? What are the things in my life I have going for me?
  • Since I am only a small part of the universe, there are other people here who may not have the same things going for them. How can I use the good things in my life to help others who don’t have these things?

 

• 

  Listen to What Other People Appreciate About You

  • When I tell people my ex had broken up with me, one of the first things someone does is remind you of what makes you such a great person. I’ve been thinking about these conversations, and it makes me realize what my value as an individual is.
  • A habit I want to develop is to focus more on the positive aspects of myself, rather than the negative. I have a therapist who is helping me deal with my issues, so now I want to learn how to appreciate and love myself again. Instead of thinking back and over analyzing everything that went wrong, I want focus on what I can learn from the situation and move on.

 

• 

  Find and Build Community

  • As someone who is not a big fan of dealing with people… this sounds terrifying 😂 However, the point is to find support for yourself as you work towards accomplishing your goals.
  • I want to become more interactive in the writing community on Instagram, and for my personal circle, I want to focus on maintaining and fostering those relationships. I want a community to help with my professional goals, but I also want a community who is there for me during my personal up’s and down’s.

 

• 

  Tell Your Story

  • I’m already starting this with the blog, and who knows, maybe I’ll find a story idea through all of this!
  • Don’t be afraid to share your experiences, whether it’s through talking to friends, or even posting about it online. Sometimes when sharing these experiences, we find other people who have dealt with similar things, and can help us. Or maybe our story will help someone else who is experiencing a similar situation and hasn’t come out on the other side.

 

The purpose of this process is to learn more about myself and have something to work towards, instead of aimlessly going through life. Sometimes it may take baby steps, or I might have to take a leap of faith, but that’s how it is in life sometimes. It’s just a matter of figuring out when to take things slow, and knowing when it’s worth taking the risk, no matter the result.

Now, that’s all I have for today’s post! Thank you for following me along this journey, and if you decide to join me, let me know! I would love to hear your stories!

Anyways, thank you for reading, and I will see you next week with a new post! Have a good week 😊

-Erin 😊

Twitter: @ENordhof

Prose: https://theprose.com/ennord

Instagram: @eclectic_erin87

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/99734662-erin-nordhof

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/eclecticerin87/