When something has meaning, it is significant.A life that has meaning feels important.Depression and hopelessness can be caused by feeling like your life is meaningless.It is possible to add meaning to life if you put some time and consideration into the process.
Step 1: Discover what you want to do.
Your life can be infused with meaning if you feel like you have an impact and you are making the most of your time.You may have to try many different things.Take a class or borrow a camera if you like photography.Try tutoring to see if teaching helps you feel fulfilled, or if you are interested in helping others and are good at communicating.Picture yourself in old age and reflect on your life to find your purpose.What kind of life would you like to live?Would you be satisfied with a life spent traveling all over the world, but not raising a family?Would you be proud and content if you had a large family?Write down your strengths and talents.What ways could you use them?Do you work in your job?Are you a volunteer or a friend?Take a moment each night to write down the events and activities that gave you energy, pleasure, and a sense of purpose.Go over the list at the end of the week and think of ways to make your life better.
Step 2: You have to figure out what is most important to you.
Living a life that is meaningful is dependent on figuring out what is important to you.Make a list of five things that are important to you, then consider whether the way you are currently living meshes with these things.How could you better incorporate the things that are important to you?You can list things like family or health.You can list things like creativity, growth, helping others, freedom, and curiosity.If "creativity" is at the top of your list, but you work as an accountant, you may want to think about a job change, or find ways to incorporate creativity into your life, like taking a painting class, writing in your free time, acting in a community play).
Step 3: Write down the reasons why you want to make a difference in the world.
Why do you think you need to do this?Have you ever had a big life event?Maybe you are stuck in a rut.Write down your reasons for wanting to add meaning to your life.They can be written on paper or typed on a computer.This will help you organize your thoughts and understand why it's important to you.Understand how important it is to live with purpose.Quality of life can be increased by having a sense of purpose.There is a difference between meaning and happiness.It is possible to be happy, but not live a meaningful life.Living a meaningful life doesn't mean you will be happy.Being happy is important, but you should not expect it to mean finding happiness.
Step 4: You can set a goal for yourself.
Have you always wanted to do something?Maybe you want to start jogging or write a novel.Setting a goal to complete this dream will make you feel good.If you want to run a marathon, you can set that as your ultimate goal.It is important to break that goal down into manageable goals.There is a lot of evidence that says breaking a big goal down into smaller, actionable steps makes you more likely to achieve it.You should keep a journal of your progress.It gives you an opportunity to re-motivate yourself, and to see how far you have come, when you are feeling less motivated.
Step 5: You should think about your career differently.
Martin Luther King Jr. said, "whatever your life's work, do it well."It requires you to go to work each day with a goal in mind.You can look for small ways that your job can help you.If you work at a day care, you are helping not only the children you care for, but the families as well, by allowing them time to go to work or take care of personal things.If you are a teacher, you learn a lot about many topics too.
Step 6: Be aware of the things you are grateful for.
It may sound silly, but if you notice things you are grateful for, you can feel like your life is more meaningful.It is possible to refocus and connect with the world around you if you express gratitude for what you have.It is possible to bring meaning to your life by connecting with nature, other people or a higher power.Maybe you are grateful for the fact that you don't have to get up early in the morning, or you have a friend you can call at any time of the day or night.It is possible to become aware of the great things you have on a regular basis.You feel grateful for a few extra seconds each day if you notice something that makes you happy.Even when bad things happen, there are still good things in our lives.It's possible to see what is meaningful in your life if you eliminate the feeling that you should always have more.
Step 7: Ask for help.
It can be difficult to find solutions when we get caught up in our own thoughts.If you are having a hard time, you can talk to a mental health professional.It is possible to talk with a trusted friend or family member who may have had similar experiences.The stigma surrounding therapy discourages people from trying it.Everyone can benefit from having an unbiased person talk to them about their fears and worries.
Step 8: Building close relationships is important.
It can be with family or friends, but also with new people.Take the time to build a close relationship.These relationships are deep and provide benefit to you as well in the form of love and support, so this is a great way to add meaning to your life.Become a great listener is one of the ways to strengthen your relationships.Instead of looking at your phone or waiting for your turn to speak, focus on that person and what he is saying.Show you are listening by nodding, asking follow-up questions, and repeating things back to them.You can learn how to express your emotions.It is possible to prevent yelling, snapping, or engaging in abusive behavior with others if you know how to manage your anger.Show that you are trustworthy.Follow through when you say you are going to do something.If you're wrong, own up to it.
Step 9: Problems in your current relationships need to be worked on.
It can be difficult to have close relationships with people.One reason they are difficult is that people who are close to you often challenge you to open up or reflect on your beliefs.Research shows that unless they are physically or emotionally abusive, these relationships are important for developing a sense of meaning.Family or couples therapy can help you deal with problems with family or significant others.A therapist can help you communicate in productive ways.You can learn to set boundaries.Setting healthy boundaries improves your sense of self.Speak assertively.Being assertive doesn't mean aggressive, it means you are respecting the needs of others.
Step 10: Be understanding.
Compassion is what makes our lives meaningful according to the Dalai Lama.Sometimes this is easy, but other times it is a challenge.Try to put yourself in the shoes of someone you don't like.If you were facing the same situation, what would you do?If you do this, you will be encouraged to help the suffering person or show understanding.This applies to you as well.There will be times when you will make mistakes.If you really care about someone, try to be as compassionate to yourself as you would be to them.The pleasure center of your brain is activated when you help someone else.Showing compassion can help improve your relationships.
Step 11: Make contributions.
If you want to demonstrate that you appreciate what you have, you can donate time, money, or goods to support an organization or give canned food to a soup kitchen.There are many ways in which you can be charitable.You can give your time, money, talents, or both to a friend in need.It is not possible to donate an hour of your time once a year.You need to be charitable on a regular basis to get the benefits of doing so.Do something you enjoy as a volunteer activity.If you volunteer with people, animals, or situations that are worse off than you are, this will help you put your own life in perspective.If you love animals, you should always volunteer at the local shelter.If you love children, consider volunteering at a local foster home or community center.
Step 12: If you want a new career, look for it.
Maybe you've already tried changing your attitude about your job.Maybe it's time for you to look for another job.Take the time to write down the things you value in life and don't end up in a meaningless job.You might value kindness or generosity.It's possible that you value helping people or making people laugh.Write down everything that comes to your mind.You can identify thins by doing this.Do you want to do the activities for free?If you enjoy volunteering in soup kitchens, you could turn it into a career helping the homeless.Many non-profit organizations require people to organize housing, develop advocacy programs, and/or provide counseling.You might be able to do an internship in a position that interests you.This will help you decide if the job is right for you.
Step 13: Be brave.
It's scary to reflect on your daily habits.You have to be honest with yourself about how you live your life.It is a journey that you will spend your whole life on, and you may have to make big changes to get to that sense of purpose.If you decide that what you really want to be doing with your life is something that requires big life changes, then you should do it.You have to try and look past your fear if you are moving around the world, investing a lot of your savings, or shaking up your daily routine.Fear can keep us from doing what we really want to do.Building confidence and acknowledging your fears can help build courage.