Unlock A Meaningful Life

A Life Without Meaning

Most people feel a sense of quiet desperation in their lives.

They yearn for change.

They go through the motions, hoping for a purpose to find them.

However, they never find it.

Why?

Because they have yet to take control of what life means to them.

If you haven't actively taken control of your life, you will be destined to serve the interests of others.

This letter is an antidote to this problem, a guide to help you determine what is most meaningful to you.

Together, we'll craft a vision for what you want to do with your life.

Once you have a vision, you can create a life that brings you meaning, joy, and purpose as you strive toward it.

If you want life to be different, this letter is for you.

Like many, I've experienced the pain of drifting without a clear purpose, and I want to share what I've learned to help you find your direction.

Even if you think you know what you want to do, life will seem unbearable without a clear vision. I know because living life without purpose caused me great suffering.

For years, I went through the motions, pursuing my art aimlessly.

Initially, I was driven by a self-centered desire for personal expression. While I gained some satisfaction from creating, I struggled to connect with an audience and make a sustainable living. This disconnect led to years of frustration and a feeling that my work wasn't making a real difference.

All I wanted was to become a successful artist, but even though I thought I knew what I wanted to do, I wasn’t clear on how to actualize it.

This desire was self-centered, which was an issue. I just wanted to make what I was interested in. I told myself I didn’t care if people liked my work because I wanted to express myself authentically. That’s all that mattered to me.

I was happy and content, telling myself I was successful because I had the time and space to work on my craft. I was so grateful to have a dedicated studio to create my work. But the majority of the time, I felt hollow, resulting in depressive episodes.

However, that changed when I finally realized that all my problems weren't about me.

Meaning and purpose come from directing your life toward what you can do for others.

Focusing on others will give you direction, which is the first step toward finding your purpose.

Direction

When you lack clear direction, everything seems like a problem. When you have little to no hope for the future, you start a cycle of self-rumination. This is a recipe for depression.

Others will control your time and attention, at which point you are not living; you are being lived.

The solution is to give yourself the gift of a creative mission.

A creative mission contains several ingredients.

• Your values: The principles that you live by.

• Your contribution: The impact you want to make.

• Your purpose: What you will do and why it is meaningful to you.

• Your vision: How you will actualize your values, contribution, and purpose.

Once you clearly define them, these aspects will become powerful guiding forces, helping you overcome past burdens and present distractions.

This is all great, but you have to make an effort to articulate each of these points.

Which is not an easy task if you’re feeling so low.

When It’s hard to get fired up and care about anything, this might feel overwhelming.

But if you take the few small steps I’m about to share with you, I’m positive your life will start to change for the better.

We will create a mission statement tailored to your personality that will drive you to take action and make life meaningful.

This isn't a quick fix but a fundamental change. We're not just patching things up; we're replacing the source of your anxiety, allowing life to flow more freely.

If you work on this over time, you will build momentum and move from apathy to excitement. Life becomes joyous when you can’t wait to get up to work on your mission in the morning.

But how exactly do you find this direction?

The following three exercises will help you clarify your purpose by identifying the problems you care about, crafting a vision for your contribution, and defining a mission statement to guide your actions.

Each exercise builds upon the previous one, so completing them in order is essential.

For a complete toolkit and continued support, subscribe to my mailing list here for weekly insights.

Let's get started:

Journaling Exercises + Template

Grab your pen and paper or open your note-taking app of choice and get ready to start. If you use Kortex like me, I've created a template you can duplicate here.

Define Your Creative Mission Worksheet

Exercise 1: What Problem Can I Solve?

Understanding what problems resonate with you is the first step to finding your unique contribution.

Set a timer for 10 minutes and list as many problems you can think of that you've solved for yourself or wish to see solved in the world.

These could range from minor individual problems, such as getting out of debt, to significant global issues, such as solving homelessness or poverty.

There are no correct answers; only you know what problems you have a personal connection to.

Think of things you've already solved in your own life that have significantly impacted your quality of life. Perhaps you learned how to budget and manage your money or invest. Maybe you figured out a diet that cured your skin issues. Possibly, you figured out how to land your dream job with a killer CV.

Don't filter yourself, write.

Write out any problems you helped friends or family overcome or solve. Again, think of things that changed your life or theirs. What are you emotionally attached to? For me, this was helping my mum battle cancer.

When the timer goes off, take a good look at your list. Ask yourself;

Which of these problems really resonates with me?

Circle 2-3 that stand out and ask yourself;

Can I see myself dedicating some of my life to helping other people solve these problems?

Take your time with this. Find something you genuinely care about.

This is where you will have the most impact.

Contribution And Assisting Others

Why help others?

The biggest mistake people make when it comes to living a meaningful life is thinking that life is about them and what they can gain from it.

You're not going to make this mistake.

Now that you've identified a meaningful problem, you must determine how to position yourself to help others solve it.

Perhaps you must find a new job, volunteer for a charity, or start your own business.

Either way, the next step is creating a vision.

You will remain unfulfilled if you do this for superficial reasons, such as a big house or a nice car.

To achieve lasting success, create a purpose larger than yourself, built upon using your talents and skills to help others.

Contribution is the foundation for success.

We do not live alone. We are part of a society and need each other to survive. To live in the world is to be interested in your fellow humans and figure out how you can best assist them.

Having experienced the depths of depression, I knew that I wanted to focus my mission on mental health advocacy. For me, that means eliminating suffering for as many people as I can. That's why I'm sharing my knowledge on how I've overcome depression and maintain a healthy mind, and it's why I'm writing this.

Now that you’ve found a problem you want to help solve, what does that look like? How will you get there?

Your vision is your sense of a possible future. It’s about articulating who you really are and who you could become. You can create a vision by writing it out or holding an image in your mind.

This will give you something to strive towards and a reason to get up in the morning.

If you’re currently working a job you dislike, I recommend getting up a bit earlier and dedicating one hour each morning towards actualizing your vision.

This will change your outlook for the rest of your life, helping you see your job as a necessary stepping stone to achieving your genuinely desired goals.

An hour a day is all you need to change your life.

Exercise 2: Crafting A Vision

Take some time to articulate your vision for the future. Write it out in as much detail as possible using the present tense. I am, I have, I do.

Describe your day in vivid detail. How will the average day look? What do you do, and how will you help people?

I call this process a “creative mission” because it requires you to become a creative force and see it as a creative act.

What will you create for yourself and others?

You don’t have to change the whole world; that’s almost impossible. Just think about what you can do to make your little corner of the world better.

Block out some time to do this, or set a timer again to get yourself going.

Exercise 3: Defining Your Mission

Now that you have a problem to solve and a vision for how to do it, it’s time to create a strong message that you can read daily to remind yourself why you’re working so hard.

What is your reason for pursuing this vision?

This is the fuel for your fire, your motivation.

For maximum impact, make it about intrinsic gains, not external gains.

Write your mission statement in a clear and concise sentence.

Consider your contribution and vision.

Your statement should be timeless and contain both means and ends.

I.e., What you do and how you’re going to get there. If you’re struggling to define it, try substituting this sentence:

I help (people) by (doing X) because ___.

For example, I help artists and creatives find meaning and purpose behind their work, alleviate their suffering, and guide them to live fulfilling lives.

By writing down your mission, you should have a clear, positive intention for your time, talents, energy, and focus. By reading your mission statement daily, you can commit to living it through your actions.

Living Your Creative Mission

Your creative mission is more than words on paper; it's the compass that guides you toward a fulfilling life.

Embracing your mission allows you to shape your world, find joy in your contributions, and live a life aligned with your deepest values.

With a clearly defined mission, you'll unlock new opportunities, sharpen your focus, and experience the transformative power of living with purpose.

You can create the life you want and start living it today.