Life Purpose Coaching
It’s funny how we expect life to be consistent and predictable, and then, one day, our straight road leads us to an unexpected crossroads
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Henry spent 50 years in musty courtrooms litigating over one turf war after another.
One day, his rotary phone stopped ringing, and his venerable assistant retired.
Overhead began exceeding revenues.
The handwriting was on the wall.
Henry followed suit (so to speak), and he retired.
But what now?
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Maryanne and Philip were married for 37 years.
Their roles in the marriage were compartmentalized.
Philip took care of legal and financial matters.
Maryanne was the primary parent to their two children and, later, the primary grandparent to their three grandchildren.
One day, Philip died suddenly.
Maryanne was 62.
She had never written a check, reviewed a tax return, made decisions about health insurance, or worked with a lawyer on her estate plan.
Her entire adult life centered around Philip and her children.
What was she going to do with her remaining years?
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Benny was a brilliant young engineer with lucrative job offers, but his first love was philosophy.
He found an ad on LinkedIn for a position teaching philosophy at a local community college. He envisioned that if he accepted it, however, he would need to apply for SNAP benefits.
What should he do?
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Sheila is a CPA.
The firm with which she was affiliated for many years merged with another firm.
She did not like the people at the new firm, and she did not agree with its policies.
For that matter, she was a little tired of being a CPA.
She had a myriad of other interests: art, music, her grandchildren, and travel.
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“Now what do I do?”
How many times a day/week do you say this?
Life without purpose is like sailing without a compass.
You can go around and around and never arrive at a destination.
That can be a confusing voyage to nowhere, fraught with rapids and unforeseen dangers.
When the river forks (and it will), what will you do?
Will you have a plan or balk?
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We can solve many of these problems if we know what our purpose/meaning/calling is[1].
Purpose comes in four varieties.
Your purpose can be a macro question (how do you spend the rest of your life?) or a micro question (what do you do with your free time this evening?).
If you know what your macro purpose is, the micro purpose questions usually answer themselves.
Purpose can also arise in the form of voluntary and involuntary.
Involuntary purposes may present major life challenges, but they require little thought or reflection.
If your doctor tells you that you have cancer, your purpose is to get treatment – not a lot of thought required.
You won’t need a coach for that.
You may need a coach to help you decide on what sort of treatment to select, but the answer to the macro question is obvious.
The ostrich strategy will probably be counterproductive.
Life purpose coaches help with cases of voluntary purposes - when life changes unexpectedly, you have not planned for it, and you do not see a clear path forward.
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Viktor Frankl was the first psychiatrist to point out how important it is to have a purpose, to find meaning in whatever we do.
Frankl’s history as a holocaust survivor is a dramatic story and one that helped Frankl develop what he called “logotherapy.”
Logotherapy asserts that we all have a “will to meaning.”
To live a fulfilling life, we must find meaning.
The absence of meaning leads to depression.
Frankl called that an “existential vacuum.”
If you have an involuntary purpose, you know what to do.
Just get to work doing it.
If you are at a crossroads in search of a voluntary purpose, you will need to do the soul-searching required to find it.
If that’s you, you may find that working with a life-purpose coach is beneficial.
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What Does a Life Purpose Coach Do?
Life Purpose Coaching is … designed to assist individuals in clarifying their life purpose, aligning their life with their core values, and realizing their full potential. It is a process of personal and professional development that focuses on discovering and actualizing the meaning of life.
The main objectives of Life Purpose Coaching are manifold. First, it enables people to gain perspective on their lives and reconnect with their deep aspirations. By exploring their values, talents, and passions, individuals can identify what truly motivates them and gives meaning to their existence.
Next, Life Purpose Coaching aids individuals in clarifying their life vision and defining goals that align with their life mission. This involves transforming insights and realizations into a concrete and inspiring action plan. The coach supports the client in defining clear stages and implementing concrete changes to achieve their vision.
Another key objective of Life Purpose Coaching is enabling individuals to overcome internal and external obstacles preventing them from living in harmony with their life purpose. This may involve tackling limiting beliefs, fears, and resistance to change. The coach aids the client in this transformation process by providing suitable tools and resources.
Life Purpose Coaching offers numerous benefits to those who engage in this process. Here are some of the main advantages:
- Increased clarity about one's life purpose and life priorities.
- A sense of alignment and coherence between one's values, choices, and actions.
- Renewed motivation and commitment in pursuing one's goals.
- Bolstered self-confidence and self-esteem.
- Enhanced personal and professional fulfillment.
- A positive impact on one's surroundings and the world through a unique contribution.
By living in harmony with their life mission, individuals experience more satisfaction, joy, and fulfillment on a daily basis.
They feel in sync with themselves and have a sense of making a difference in the world through their talents and passions.
Life Purpose Coaching is particularly beneficial during periods of transition and existential questioning, such as a career change, personal reassessment or a major life milestone.
It provides a space for reflection and exploration to reassess and realign with one's inner compass.
In summary, Life Purpose Coaching is a powerful approach to assist individuals in giving meaning to their life, realizing their unique potential, and living in alignment with their core values.
By connecting to their life purpose, they can create a more fulfilling life and have a positive impact on the world around them.[2]
Self-Transcendence
The primary objective of clarifying your purpose is to increase your happiness.
The Greeks made a study of happiness.
Aristotle, in particular, distinguished eudaimonic happiness from hedonic happiness.
No one disputes that those who set their internal GPS towards eudaimonic happiness rather than hedonic happiness will find more gold at the end of the rainbow.[3]
Eudaimonic happiness is self-transcendent.
Self-transcendent happiness is based on unselfish purposes.
If your mission is primarily “me, me, me,” any sense of happiness you get from that will be shallow, at best.
Hitler had a mission, but it did not increase his happiness or that of those around him.
Here is a simple test.
When you are at a crossroads, ask yourself:
“Am I doing this because it gives me pleasure?” (hedonic approach), or
“Am I doing this because it is the right thing to do for all involved?” (eudaimonic approach).
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I have been certified as a Life Purpose Coach since 2024. I use it with almost all of my coaching clients and to help me direct and navigate my own life.
Drilling Down
Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl (1959)
A Life of Meaning: Relocating Your Center of Spiritual Gravity by James Hollis (2023)
Life on Purpose: How Living for What Matters Most Changes Everything by Victor J. Stretcher (2016)
The Purpose Code: How to Unlock Meaning, Maximize Happiness, and Leave a Lasting Legacy by Jordan Grumet, MD (2025)
Start Making Sense: How Existential Psychology Can Help Us Build Meaningful Lives in Absurd Times by Steven J. Heine (2025)
HBR Guide to Crafting Your Purpose: Lean into your strengths, Bring meaning to work, Make a difference by John Coleman (2022)
Know Thyself: The Science of Self-Awareness by Stephen M. Fleming (2021).
Looking to find meaning and purpose in your life? Try these simple steps.
https://www.fastcompany.com/91529163/looking-to-find-meaning-and-purpose-in-your-life-try-these-simple-steps?partner=rss&&utm_source=rss&&utm_medium=feed&&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&&utm_content=rss
The contrarian view:
https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/our-devices-our-selves/202501/do-we-really-need-a-purpose-in-life
[1] As far as I am concerned, the words “purpose,” “meaning,” and “calling” are synonymous.
[2] From the Certified Excellence course on life purpose coaching.
[3] The most obvious examples are studies of lottery winners.