I get a lot of questions along the lines of “How do I figure out what I’m meant to do with my life?” It thrills me that we’ve entered an age in the world of work where they idea of doing meaningful and purposeful work is actually on the agenda and we’re no longer seeing work as just a vehicle for earning money so that we can get by. And it excites me that so many people are asking questions about “What’s it all about?” and “How can I use my life in a meaningful way, rather than just getting by each day?”

But the other side of all this focus on discovering our life purposes is that I’m seeing a lot of people who are causing themselves terrible grief and frustration and stuckness, because of all the stories we’ve been told about what purpose is, what to do to find your purpose and how you know when you’ve found it. These stories and beliefs about finding your life purpose are meant to help people, but instead they’re exactly what’s getting people stuck, so I wanted to share these stories and assumptions with you, so that you can get unstuck and get on with living and enjoying a purposeful life.