Living with a fixed mindset often leads to disappointment and hardship. When we cling to rigid thinking, perspectives, and expectations, we end up feeling like victims and limit ourselves in both action and being. We react to our feelings rather than choosing how to respond because we don’t feel we have a choice in the matter and this is a lie.

We frequently overlook the choices we have to shape the life we want and find joy regardless of any situation. We miss these opportunities because we do not value the daily actions required to live with intention.

Living your life on purpose – to live for a purpose/cause and to live intentionally – is intertwined with physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Aligning your daily actions with your values and passions enhances your overall fulfillment and peace. This checklist outlines key practices to help you live on purpose.  

1. Self-Reflection: It’s essential to step away from distractions to engage in self-reflection; otherwise, we risk living out of alignment with our core values and suffering from unregulated emotions. Without this practice, we face subconscious mental chaos that disrupts our sense of inner peace and clarity.

• Regular Journaling: Engage in daily or weekly journaling to explore your feelings, thoughts, and experiences. This practice helps you gain insight into your emotional state and identify patterns, which you can then address.
• Explore Values: Regularly assess your core values and consider how they influence your decisions and actions. And vice versa, consider if your decisions and actions line up with what you claim as your core values. If they do not line up, values need to be reexamined or a deeper cause for your decisions and actions needs exploring.

2. Goal Setting and Achievement: Well-defined goals generate a healthy form of stress that drives us to pursue meaningful purposes and causes. Healthy stress motivates us and helps maintain our focus by providing clear, actionable objectives. 

• SMART Goals: Set goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-Bound to ensure they are achievable. While goals should meet these parameters, they should also present some level of challenge to help you grow beyond your current comfort zone.
• Action Plan: Start with small, simple goals if needed. For larger goals, break them into smaller, doable tasks to avoid feeling overwhelmed and to track progress more effectively. Keep a calendar of personal deadlines for each step. If you work better with accountability, find a trusted person who can check in with you and ask questions about your goals.

3. Daily Practices: Daily routines are important because they provide structure and stability to your day, helping to manage time effectively and reduce stress. Routines help your mind recognize where it should focus and create an atmosphere for success.

• Morning Routine: Establish a morning routine that promotes healthy eating and mental wellness, such as meditation or exercise.
• Gratitude Practice: Cultivate a habit of noting things you are grateful for each day to shift focus to positive aspects of your life. What you focus on is what you will find.

4. Healthy Boundaries: Boundaries are rules you set for yourself to protect your energy and peace. Contrary to how society operates, you are not required to live up to everyone’s expectations. It is important to prioritize your tasks and rest by setting boundaries, whether that means ignoring calls and texts, saying no to social events you’re not up for, or lessening time spent with emotionally draining people, etc.

• Identify Limits: Recognize areas where you feel overwhelmed or need help focusing. Create boundaries in these areas to maintain balance and protect your physical, emotional, and/or mental energy. 
• Communication: Most boundaries are enacted without a word – they are simply how you operate your life. However, if needed, clearly and respectfully communicate your boundaries to others to prevent burnout and maintain healthy relationships.

5. Handling Challenges: Life is rife with challenges, big and small. You need to expect both success and failure, knowing that both are needed to help you build a healthy and fulfilling life.

• Embrace Failure: View setbacks as learning opportunities rather than as reflections of your worth. Analyze what can be improved and apply those lessons moving forward.
• Develop Resilience: Build resilience by maintaining a positive outlook and trying again. Seek support from a counselor, friends, family, or support groups to help process failure healthily.

6. Adaptability: Life can change on a whim, from plans with friends being canceled to a life goal completely shifting. In the big and small, you need to learn adaptability to avoid feeling stuck in disappointment or failure.

• Flexibility: Be open to revising your goals and plans as needed. Life changes and growth may necessitate adjustments to your purpose and objectives.
• Creative Problem-Solving: Approach challenges with a problem-solving mindset and explore creative solutions to overcome obstacles.

7. Self-Care: Contrary to popular belief, self-care is not selfish. You cannot care for others and your responsibilities if you are living a less-than-life yourself. 

• Prioritize Well-Being: Engage in activities that support your physical, emotional, and mental health, such as regular exercise, healthy eating, and adequate sleep. You also need downtime, so have moments of rest and fun intertwined in your schedule regularly.
• Seek Support: Don’t hesitate to reach out to a counselor or your support systems when facing difficulties or feeling overwhelmed.

8. Continuous Learning: As John Dewey once said, “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” Without continuous learning, personal growth stagnates, and life can lose its meaning and fulfillment.

• Commit to Growth: Schooling is not the only growth component, just the most obvious. Pursuing personal interests and personal development activities to stay engaged and motivated works as well as – if not better than – formal schooling. This can include reading, attending workshops, or exploring new interests.
• Feedback: Regularly seek constructive feedback from trusted individuals to gain new perspectives about yourself and cultivate personal growth.

9. Embrace Change: Life is synonymous with change, but you are allowed to change too. Change your purpose, thoughts, beliefs, opinions, likes and dislikes, friends, clothes, hair, music, hobbies, etc. 

• Embrace Change: Be open to developing your sense of self as you experience new life stages and personal developments.
• Revisit Your Purpose: As life shifts, so might your purpose. Reevaluate your purpose (overall or for specific things) to ensure it continues to reflect your current values and aspirations.

10. Awareness and Presence: Without awareness of your surroundings and inner self, you will live continually stressed. Being present in the moment is a state of being that keeps you steady and grounded.

• Digital Detox: Set time limits to disconnect from digital devices and social media. This break helps reduce overstimulation and allows you to focus on the present moment, allowing for greater mental clarity and presence.
• Intentional Pauses: Incorporate short, intentional pauses throughout your day to reset your focus and reconnect with the present moment. Practice deep breathing exercises to help you clear your mind and reset your nervous system.

Incorporating these mental health practices into your daily life can help you live on purpose. Staying aware and evaluating your well-being can foster a deeper sense of fulfillment and peace. Remember, living intentionally is an ongoing process. Trust the process—embrace it with curiosity and compassion for yourself.