The Surprising Benefits of Living with Purpose

Here is an experience which virtually every human being can relate to. I bought my wife a robotic vacuum cleaner. One day it stopped working because a part was missing — I had thrown it out because I couldn't identify its purpose.

If It Lacks Purpose, It Lacks Value

Whenever we suppose that something lacks a purpose we are in essence devaluing it and therefore are able to dispose of it. Understanding this is key to comprehending the importance of purposefulness in humans.

In 2008, Professor William Damon of Stanford published "The Path to Purpose," the culmination of a multi-year study that found only twenty percent of youth in the United States have purpose. This corresponds with findings about the low percentage of workers who find their jobs engaging.

The Three Elements of a Purposeful Life

1. The intention to accomplish a particular aim that reflects your unique compilation as a human being 2. Actions that are in sync and will lead to that aim — all short-term actions must be in congruence with your long-term purposeful goal 3. Positive impact not only for the self but for others as well

Living Without Purpose Is Perilous

Most successful people have a motivating belief system — the belief that they can achieve great things for themselves and for the world. Purposeful people are much more likely to possess such a belief. Those who lack purpose have difficulty acquiring any motivating belief system and are much more likely to have overall pessimism.

Purposelessness leads to a sense of "drift" where the individual doesn't feel anchored professionally, academically or socially. This can lead to personal instabilities as well as social pathologies such as drug abuse, criminal behavior and poverty.

The Research Is Clear

Based on his national study, William Damon maintains that purpose leads to: - Pro-social behavior - Moral commitment - Greater achievement - Physical and psychological well-being - High self-esteem

Purposeful adolescents are less likely to be adversely affected by negative social and psychological factors. A purposeful teenager will be less affected by peer pressure, familial instability and other forms of psychological trauma.

Brad's Story: From the Brink to Purpose

Brad was brought up in a highly dysfunctional family. His parents were crack addicts, often homeless, and there was physical abuse. After being taken by social services, he bounced from foster home to foster home.

When I met Brad, he was deeply scarred and pessimistic. He would talk about death a lot: "Levi, I am not sure I can schedule an appointment with you for next week." When I asked why, he would simply say he was not sure he would still be alive.

Brad and I started meeting weekly. We discussed the idea that all things have a purpose and I began coaching him to find his. It turned out that Brad was a very creative thinker who loved stories. He also wanted to help raise awareness about kids in foster care. Eventually, Brad found his purpose in filmmaking and enrolled in the Colorado Film School.

The change was dramatic. His talk about dying stopped. He stopped being aggressive. He became an overall positive person. When asked about himself, he began to talk about the future — about becoming a filmmaker and his latest projects.

Purpose and Positive Psychology

Our purpose-finding process is within the tradition of Positive Psychology, which tries to help you live a meaningful life so you can thrive and flourish. Martin Seligman's research shows that one of the key components of human flourishing is having a sense of meaning — "belonging to and serving something bigger than yourself."

Studies confirm that psychological health, happiness, life satisfaction, and resiliency are all associated with having a sense of purpose in life.

Our PhD Research Confirms This

Our research with 1,288+ participants found significant increases in purpose for both youth and adults. In adults, purpose gains were accompanied by gains in happiness, life satisfaction, sense of achievement, and positive emotion. And these effects persisted at least 3 months after completing the program.

Perhaps most importantly, those who needed it most benefited most — people who started with lower levels of purpose showed the greatest gains from the intervention.