The new year ushers in a feeling of hope and a promise of good fortune to come. With fresh opportunities and renewed energy, it likewise serves as the perfect time to reflect and reset goals, as well as add a more defined direction to one’s life.
Well-being expert, consultant, and writer Tchiki Davis, Ph.D. highlighted having a purpose comes with a sense of connectedness and satisfaction.
“You might feel that there is some ultimate reason for your actions and that you are contributing to the world in some important way,” she stated.
Davis was instrumental in happiness programs, products, and services that have reached more than a million people worldwide. She shared four types of purposes: prosocial, creative, financial, and personal recognition.
She stated prosocial, or the propensity to influence the societal structure is the best strategy to increase happiness.
“Get involved in projects that help others and try to give back in ways that matter to you,” she advised.
Likewise, social connection, self-expression, excitement, impact, and personal growth serve as contributing factors.
Echoing Davis, the experts from the Benilde Well-Being Center (BWC) of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB) highlighted having a personal purpose or mission statement can assist one in staying on track and making decisions that are in accordance with their values and objectives.
To guide the general public, they shared several guidelines by Davis on the digital platform of Berkeley Well-Being Institute.
Here are some tips:
Start by thinking about who you are and who you want to become.
Consider your current identity. Identify your long-term personal missions. Make a plan on how to best achieve this.
Clarify your most important goals.
Think of how you can reach your self-imposed objectives. Aim for community-oriented results, rather than self-focused ones.
Identify your greatest strengths and how you can apply them.
Know yourself inside and out. By being cognizant of what you can do best, you can constructively apply your greatest traits.
Think about the mark you want to make on the world.
Ask yourself about the impact you want your objectives to leave. This may motivate you to reach them, no matter how big or small it may be.