As we edge closer towards the end of the year it’s natural for people to take stock of the year that was and begin to mentally plan for what they would like the year ahead to look like. This sort of reflection may then lead to the bigger picture question; how satisfied am I with the life I am living? Am I living a purposeful / meaningful life?

It is my hope that we all figure out what a meaningful life looks like for each of us and that we find the courage to pursue it, even if that means letting others down to not betray what you need in life.

We’re all a little lost and life requires constant reassessment. Again and again you have to find your values, figure out what matters to you and choose who you want to be accordingly. Don’t let your current sense of identity define who you might be and what you do with your life.

So where do you start. Here’s an activity to help you assess what’s important for you.

Imagine you’re nearing the end of your life you’re looking back fondly. You’ve experienced what you wanted to experience, done what you wanted to do and are ending as you were meant to end. Ask yourself these questions:

What three values made your life the most worthwhile?

What three goals have you achieved in your life that you are most satisfied with and proud of?

What three personality traits do you want people to remember you for when you’re gone?

Here are some examples to help stimulate your thinking

Values: authenticity, creativity, humour, safety, excitement, fun, social recognition, happiness, self respect, status, passion, balance, independence, friendships, growth, loyalty, trust, community involvement

Life goals: career success, financial security, travel, adventure, marriage, children, learn a language or instrument, health/fitness goals, volunteer, live aboard, start a business, regularly help less fortunate

Personality: honest, confident, perceptive, kind, generous, brave, hard working, ambitious, decisive, enthusiastic, open minded, rational, sensitive, affectionate, calm, dependable, compassionate

How well do you answers align with the way you currently live your life. If you find you’re happy with your answers, congratulations but if things aren’t really lining up it’s time to ask yourself what different choices do you need to make to find your true north.

But what if you couldn’t land on answers here and you’re not just a bit lost but stuck, overwhelmed and/or unsure of what you should be doing with your life. Then I have another suggestion taken from recently watching the Srutz documentary on Netflix.

Try working on your life force. Like maslow’s hierarchy of needs the base layer is your relationship with your physical body, the next level is your relationship with other people and at the highest level is your relationship with yourself.

• Physical body – get your body working better – nourish your body with good food, exercise daily even if it’s just a small walk just move your body, get a healthy amount of sleep
• Other people – take the initiative – put the effort in to build and maintain the important relationships in your life
• Yourself – get yourself in a relationship with your unconscious – you enhance your relationship with yourself when you write in journal form and allow your unconscious to come out

Having tired this myself I can definitely say that prioritising exercise daily and starting journaling again has made a huge difference to how satisfied I feel with my life.

I hope something here resonates with you and you find yourself walking into the new year filled with unlimited possibilities for a magical year ahead.

love and blessings

xx