Live an Intentional Life

By: Jamie Martin

What’s your why? What’s your purpose in life?

You get up every morning and start your day. You go about your day just like you do every day. Work. Entertain kids. Eat. Unwind. You put yourself to bed, just to repeat it all over again tomorrow. You may find that getting up is hard to do…

So, what makes you repeat each day? What drives you to get up?

[Related: Be Greater Than Your Environment]

It took me a long time to understand what purpose meant to me. I always associated it with my career choices.

Was I meant to be a product manager? An astronaut? (Yes, I considered it for a week in college before I realized that they probably don’t take asthmatics. LOL.) An environmentalist focused on saving the plant? A physical therapist? A mom? Or the crazy aunt who brings home stories from around the world?

Over the course of the last few years, it landed for me. Purpose is not about one piece of our overall lives, but rather our intention each day and every day, with each interaction and with all that we do.

Funny enough, the definition of purpose according to Oxford Languages is:

(v) have as one’s intention or objective.

Great, but now what?!? What is my purpose? Intention for my life? How do I figure that out?

[Related: Leadership Begins with Love]

There are many exercises and articles out there to assist with this, but for me it was through my coach training program that I found my life purpose.

One single word: HOME.

That one word is how I embody life, my work, and my dreams. The word “home” is so much bigger to me than the house that I grew up in or the house that I live in with my husband.

For me, it embodies the ability for each of us to be present, know we are more than enough, and allow ourselves to fully express ourselves without the worry of being judged. Connecting to this as my purpose and intention for my life has given me a different lens to look at my world through.

Take time this week to reflect on your definition of purpose:

• What have you made purpose to mean to you?
• What has your view of purpose limited in your life?
• What has your view of purpose expanded in your life?
• What decisions have been impacted because of your definition?
• Has this definition served you? Or do you need to re-look at it?

Enjoy reflecting on your purpose and your why!

[Related: The Prepared Mind: The Importance of Going Fallow]

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Jamie Martin is a life and leadership coach who helps women who have been going and going and going for so long that they feel like they’ve lost themselves. She helps her clients give themselves permission to put themselves first, create a plan, and go after their dreams.

Originally published at https://www.ellevatenetwork.com.