Journalling Prompts to Refine and Design Purpose

Days with meaning: is it time to design and refine your purpose?

Day Crafting examines the flow of energy from your maintenance (energy in) through your physical and mental work (energy out), and it also emphasises how purpose helps focus your energy and build meaningful progress. Clear purpose is just one aspect of your self-care, but it can be disproportionately significant for some.

How is purpose a self-care component?

Individuals with a strong sense of purpose experience physical and mental health benefits attributed to various factors. Purpose can help us manage stress and adversity, and promote resilience, allowing us to recover from negative events more quickly. It can motivate us to take better care of ourselves and engage in healthy behaviours. It can give us a reason to get up in the morning, set and achieve goals, and provide a sense of belonging and connection, which can make us feel less isolated and more supported. Purpose often involves contributing to something larger than ourselves, which can bring a sense of connection, fulfilment and joy.

Understanding the Five Components of Purpose

I believe purpose has five interrelated components. Our values underpin our sense of purpose. Purposeful circumstances are the shape and structure that support the right projects and days. How we sustain our purpose comes next, and our actions and behaviours are the practice of our purpose at the working surface. Finally, the objectives of any task or project help hold it all together. Some of these elements can be more or less important, and some may be critical to something feeling purposeful to you or not and you can refine and design each of them.

What defines your purpose can change throughout your life, just as your self-care needs evolve with age and circumstances. What was purposeful for someone in their 20s will most likely change through subsequent decades. In the context of Day Crafting, purpose is relevant at the scale of a day, project and to your identity.

Purpose is explored in depth in the Productivity Workbook.

The Practice

15 journaling prompts to refine and design purpose

Values

• What are the core values that guide your decisions and actions?

• How would you rank your values in order of importance to you?

• When were you most proud of yourself, and how did that relate to your values?

Purposeful Circumstances

• Can you recall a time in your life where you felt truly fulfilled? What were the circumstances surrounding this period?

• How does your current life align with the circumstances you desire? What changes might you need to make?

• If you could design your ideal day from morning to night, what would it look like?

Sustaining Purpose

• How do you usually maintain your focus and motivation when working towards your goals?

• Can you identify any habits or routines that make you feel more connected to your purpose?

• How do you cope when you face obstacles or setbacks? What strategies could help you remain connected to your purpose during challenging times?

Practice

• What strengths do you use that align with your sense of purpose and lead to meaningful progress?

• How does your behaviour change when you’re engaged in a task or project that feels purposeful to you?

• Can you think of any changes you could make in your actions or behaviours that would better align with your purpose?

Objectives

• What specific objectives do you have that guide your actions? How do these tie into your broader sense of purpose?

• Can you think of a time when achieving a specific objective felt especially meaningful? Why was that?

• Looking ahead, what objectives might guide your actions as you seek to live more purposefully?