How to build purpose in life.
I talk about this a lot, but…
We are what we consume.
The food we eat fuels our body.
The things we watch, read, and listen to fuel our thoughts, ideas, and actions.
Seeking the Good
We continue consuming more and more as a culture.
And even WHAT we’re consuming is typically decided by the platform’s algorithm, rather than purposefully seeking out the good.
It’s more intriguing to endlessly scroll random videos rather than focus on what we can do to do improve.
It’s easier to escape in the short-term, yet suffer in the long-term.
We must learn to “suffer” in the short-term, to find freedom in the long-term.
And the way to do that is to regain control of your mind through intentional input.
We must consume consciously.
Until you make this transition – you will continue to be clouded by the things that are fed to you on social media and TV.
I’ve Been There Too
For years I was caught in this cycle.
I think everyone who owns a smartphone has at some point.
It’s not easy to overcome, but the freedom beyond this constant consumption is extremely liberating. It’s a continuous battle that we must face in this digital age.
After years of this cycle, I was feeling defeated.
A couple years ago, I had reached a low point with my job and was wondering what I was supposed to “do with my life.”
I didn’t know what my purpose was.
I didn’t know what I wanted my life to look like.
I didn’t know what my “next steps” were.
I didn’t know what excited me.
I had lost my “stoke” for the things I once loved.
Yet, I had no idea why I felt this way.
I just felt numb to my purpose, passions, and pursuits.
The free time that I once used to create new projects, enjoy outdoor hobbies, or meet with friends was being filled with “glorified digital distraction.”
Each social media guru claimed they had the answer to the problems I was feeling.
Yet, they each had a different avenue and method for getting there.
I had no idea which one was right for me.
This left me feeling more lost than before.
One Simple Solve
The first step that anyone can take — is to consume consciously.
You must take charge of what you allow into your mind. This includes:
- What you watch
- What you listen to
- What you read
I’ve found the easiest way to limit this consumption is this one simple action:
- I deleted social media apps off of my phone.
I didn’t even need to delete them entirely.
I didn’t delete my accounts.
I didn’t abandon everything and disappear from the digital world.
I can still access these accounts on my laptop whenever I want.
But once these apps were no longer present on my phone, it seemed so much less enticing to use it at all.
Once you’ve mastered this step of breaking the chain between your phone and a second of free time…
You free yourself to consume in a controlled and conscious manner.
The time that was once spent scrolling, can now be used for intentional input:
- Educate yourself.
- Watch long-form videos, listen to podcasts, and take courses to learn new skills.
- Read books.
- Spend time in prayer.
- Spend time in thought.
- Wrestle with ideas and beliefs.
- Build new projects, or maintain existing ones.
This educational content, real world experience, and purposeful time will shape your present and future life.
Instead of losing it to scrolling through information that you might not have cared about anyway.
Creating Purpose Through Projects
Input = output.
Most people consume, but don’t create.
They have the input with no output.
But with good input and good output, you create flow.
This is where you feel purpose, because you have a reason to think about, digest, and practice the things you consume.
These things are fuel for what comes out of you – in the form of art, words, videos, projects, business, service, and more.
You can then begin sharing this information with others — adding value to their lives while learning it on a deeper level as you teach it.
This can be done in the form of:
- Words (blog, newsletter)
- Audio (podcast)
- Video (videos, courses, etc)
- Creativity in general
All while building a community and providing others with value that they’ve been desperately seeking.
This is exactly the process that has led to me creating content you’re reading right now, and finally feeling clarity about how I can use my gifts to encourage and equip others.
If you follow this process — your life will look different in 6-12 months.
It takes commitment.
But it will provide you with passion, purpose, and pursuit in your daily living.
Takeaways For You
We must continually seek solitude and silence to regain our sanity.
What steps can you take to do this? –
- Recognize how much time you might spend in a given day using your phone for unintentional purposes.
- Delete social media (and other frequently distracting apps) off of your phone. You don’t have to delete them entirely, just off your mobile device.
- Use your new-found free time to consume consciously. Seek out long-form videos, podcasts, and courses to learn new skills or hobbies.
- Learn, practice, and create. Watch a video about something new, write about how it applies to your life, and then share how it impacted you. Journal to document your journey.
- Do this continuously to improve any and all aspects of life. Level up with each new skill and life category. And most importantly – regain control of your time and attention.
Thanks for following along with this longer newsletter! This is one I feel very strongly about and am confident in this process as it has personally changed my life.
Feel free to reply to this email if you have comments or questions.