How To Find Your True Purpose And Avoid Purpose Anxiety

Having a sense of purpose has been scientifically proven to help people find happiness, longevity, and health. But lots of us are also worried about purpose―having purpose anxiety―estimated to affect as much as 91% of people. That purpose anxiety is the fear of not knowing your purpose in life.

“Most people understand the term purpose but have no idea how to take action to discover what it means in their lives,” says hospice medical director Jordan Grumet, author of the new book, The Purpose Code: How To Unlock Meaning, Maximize Happiness, And Leave A Lasting Legacy.

Furthermore, explains Grumet, “It turns out that we fundamentally misunderstand purpose and the role it plays in our lives. In fact, there are two distinct types of purpose. One will lead to anxiety and disillusionment; the other will lead to connection and legacy.”

Grumet uses personal anecdotes and examples from years of his hospice work to illustrate that true contentment comes from filling our lives with enriching activities that lead to connection and, ultimately, legacy, in a time when we all need it more than ever.

According to Grumet, there is Big P purpose and Little P purpose. Big P leads to disappointment. Little P leads to happiness. Big P is characterized by grand audacious goals, anxiety, and disillusionment. Little P is process oriented and involves simple small steps and incremental gains toward purpose.

As you read the book you will learn how to:

Chart a course for you to reach happiness through understanding purpose and human truths behind the concepts of meaning and purpose (including life review therapy and simple ways of healing generational trauma).
Use practical and proven framework for unlocking your real purpose and show you the life-changingly enjoyable way to climb to goals, regardless of your situation in life.
Embrace that true purpose is created, not found.
Conduct a life review to use a structured list of questions to help assess the important moments, regrets, and themes in your life. This will help you develop a plan for the future.
Use the art of subtraction to help find life’s positives. How to start with a comprehensive list of your current daily duties and slash out the parts that do not bring joy or fulfillment.
Get experimental with the spaghetti method. How to be open to trial-and-error, say yes to people and activities that you normally would not. How to step into potential discomfort to unlock new levels of self-discovery, even if it may look foolish.

“Finding happiness has never been about creating big audacious goals that we may or may not be able to achieve. True contentment comes from filling our lives with enriching activities that lead to connection and, ultimately, legacy,” shares Grumet.

Finally, Grumet states that if you are authentic and intentional about living a purposeful life, you will attract like-minded individuals who will nourish and support you. He adds, “When we connect with other people around our sense of purpose, we are much more likely to affect them in profound ways that create a long-lasting legacy.”

The Purpose Code is a compelling self-help book, terrific for leaders to read as we start the 2025 new year.

Thank you to the book’s publisher for sending me an advance copy of the book.

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