Redefining Purpose: Take This with You into 2025
I used to drink an entire bottle of wine in the bathtub almost every night. In the years before that, I’d collapse on the couch, high and disconnected. These habits weren’t about addiction for me, though its veins run deep in my family, but about something deeper - the comfort of the process. The ritual. The pattern of escapism. And while the habits themselves changed over time, the pattern remained.
If you step back and examine your life, you’ll probably notice similar patterns. These patterns, even when they wear the mask of being "productive" or "healthy", shape the way we live. The question to ask yourself is, are the patterns helping you build a life you love, or are they just ways to escape a life you've outgrown?
In my case, I eventually shifted all my spare energy when I wasn’t working into fitness, convincing myself I was choosing something "better." But ultimately, I realized I was still just escaping - trading one form of imbalance for another. That led me to a question I'd been avoiding. Why did I feel the need to escape in the first place?
The healthier my body and mindset, the more aware I became of the restlessness of my spirit. I had ignored its needs. This sent me on a journey to explore what purpose meant to me, and as I started to redefine it, I realized that it was the reason I'd never felt fully satisfied, why I'd repeated a pattern of escape over and over.
Looking back, the most important lesson I learned was this: the work of uncovering and living in alignment with your purpose is not optional - it’s essential. It’s the difference between endlessly escaping your life and building one you don’t want to escape from. It’s not just a nice idea - it’s the anchor that ties your mind, body, and spirit together.
If I could offer you one piece of advice to take into 2025, it’s to start prioritizing this work. “Purpose” isn’t about chasing some grand vision. It’s about learning what fulfills you, what lights you up, and integrating it into your everyday life.
Let’s take a step back and redefine it, not as a dramatic, one-time revelation, but as something simpler, more fluid, and more personal.
Redefining Purpose
Rather than being a dramatic fate, what if it were more about what growth opportunities you will be presented with over your life?
Rather than being a type of work or a traditional societal role, what if it were more about the effect you have on the people you're around?
Rather than being a requirement you're supposed to fulfill, what if it were more about defining your requirements to feel fulfilled at the end of the day?
Instead of waiting to discover what purpose means to you by accident, try uncovering it by asking the right questions. Ask yourself these questions and dig deeper into what lights you up and gives your life meaning:
What childhood dreams or ideas have you let go of that still spark excitement when you think about them?
If you had to teach one skill to others every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?
What problem or challenge in the world feels so personal to you that solving it would feel like healing a part of yourself?
What kind of advice or encouragement do other people come to you for, and how does it make you feel to provide it?
What are three things you want to be remembered for when you're gone?
What does the perfect day look like?
It's Less Complicated than You're Telling Yourself
Ultimately, purpose isn’t about waiting for some grand revelation or dramatic shift. It’s about how you bring intention to your daily life. No need to wait for 2025. These five strategies are simple, but that’s the point. These can help you integrate purpose into your actions starting today:
Turn Your Passion into Impact
Purpose thrives when you share your passions, and it creates value for others.
Action: Identify one thing that sparks your curiosity or joy - a hobby, skill, or idea - and find a way to share it. Teach it, create with it, or invite others to do it with you. Positive energy ripples outward, and you may not realize how much of an effect you’re having on others.
Redefine the Mundane as Meaningful
Everyday tasks hold hidden opportunities for fulfillment.
Action: Reframe daily routines as acts of service, gratitude, or connection. Cooking becomes nurturing, and cleaning becomes clearing space for your peace of mind. Fulfillment is something meant to be created and experienced in the day-to-day now, not somewhere in the distant future.
Align Your Actions with Your Values
When your choices reflect your core values, you create alignment between who you are and how you live.
Action: Write down your top three values and audit your day-to-day actions. What’s out of alignment? Replace one action this week with something that honors a value - whether it’s time for family, creativity, or personal growth.
Serve from Your Sweet Spot
Your power is where 1) what you love, 2) what you're good at, and 3) what the world needs come together to meet. What’s one area where these meet that you know you could make a difference?
Action: No matter how small, identify one area where you can consistently make a difference - whether it’s mentoring, cheering someone on, or supporting a cause.
Build Purpose through Inspired Rituals
Rituals turn purpose into action by creating intentional moments in your day.
Action: You’re the artist of your life. You create the landscapes and shape the experiences. Design one daily ritual that inspires you - 10 minutes to journal your thoughts, take a quiet walk in nature, or work on a passion project. These small, repeated actions ground you and allow purpose to become part of your lifestyle.
Living with purpose isn’t complicated. It’s about small, intentional steps you take day-to-day that help you create a life that feels fulfilling. When you align your daily actions with what truly matters to you, you create a life that grows with you. No need for escape.
In 2025, you don’t need to overhaul everything overnight. Start small. Reflect deeply. And remember that your body, mind, and spirit are equal partners in shaping a life that’s not just worth living, but one that feels deeply meaningful every day.
Want to go deeper? Learn about ways to work with me.
Takeaways + Tools + Prompts
Audit Your Patterns to Uncover Hidden Escapism
Are there patterns that feel productive or “healthy” but are actually forms of avoidance?
Design Your Life Around What Gives You Energy
Purpose-driven living isn’t just about doing what you love - it’s about prioritizing what energizes and excites you!
Create a “Why I’m Here” Statement
Fill in the blanks: “I’m here to ____ (contribution/impact) by ____ (what you do) so that ____ (effect on others).” What do you care about most? What impact do you want to make?
Practice 5 Minutes of Stillness Every Day
Try sitting still in silence for just 5 minutes a day. Restlessness usually hides deeper things. Sitting in stillness allows things that can inform your sense of purpose to surface.
Identify Your “Impact Zone”
This is the unique area where your strengths and passions meet the needs of others, and where you can create the greatest impact. What are you great at? What do you love doing? What problems or needs are there in the world that resonate with you? Look for the overlaps between these three areas and start with small actions in that direction.
Meditative Prompt
Take a deep breath and let yourself settle into this moment.
Close your eyes and ask yourself: What patterns am I living on repeat? Are they serving me, or are they ways to escape?
Now, gently shift your focus to a vision of your ideal day, one where you feel fulfilled, energized, and at peace.
Ask: What would I do, how would I feel, and who would I show up as?
Breathe into this vision and hold it in your mind. Purpose begins with small, intentional steps.
What is one step you can take today to create that life?
Creative Project Prompt
Gather magazines, old photos, quotes, or anything visual that inspires you. With scissors, glue, and a blank canvas (or journal page), create a Purpose Collage that reflects:
What lights you up – Images or words that spark joy, curiosity, or excitement.
What impact you want to have – Visuals that represent the difference you want to make in the world or in others' lives.
What balance looks like – Symbols of a life where your mind, body, and spirit feel aligned.
As you arrange the pieces, notice patterns that emerge - what feels most meaningful? What surprises you? Once you’re done, reflect on this question:
What small steps can I take today to bring this vision to life?
Let this collage be a reminder - you are the artist of your life. Keep shaping it with intention.
Gratitude Prompt
Consider writing these out by hand in your own words and saying them out loud:
I’m grateful for the patterns in my life, both the ones I’ve outgrown and the ones that inspire me, as they guide me toward growth and purpose.
I’m grateful for the clarity to recognize what lights me up and the courage to take small steps toward a life of deeper purpose and impact.
I’m grateful for the moments of stillness that allow me to reconnect with myself and uncover what truly matters.