As we ring in a new year, it’s time to reboot and think about your intentions for 2023. That’s why January is National Be On-Purpose Month! But what does it mean to be “on-purpose?”
Simply put, it means that you live with clarity about who you want to be, what you want to accomplish, and how you want to impact the people around you. Once you know your intentions, you set goals that will help you achieve them.
If the idea of purposeful living intrigues you but you are unsure where to start, Seniors Helping Seniors® in-home care services can help! Our caregivers are thrilled to see those we serve working to better themselves and are happy to become a partner on your journey. With their help and the tips below, you can make the changes needed to live your life for a better, more meaningful tomorrow!
How To Discover Your Purpose
First things first, what’s your intent? Living with purpose can mean different things throughout each stage of our lives. Re-evaluating our interests, beliefs, and motivations each year gives us a chance to discover a new set of priorities.
If you already know where your intentions for the new year lie, great! If not, let’s start digging…
What’s your passion?
Thinking about your interests, hobbies, and talents can provide insight into your purpose. The activities that bring you joy are an excellent place to begin forming purpose-driven goals.
If you aren’t sure what you’re passionate about, explore a variety of activities with your Seniors Helping Seniors® caregiver in the year ahead. After all, continuing to learn new things and improve upon your skills is an excellent intention for 2023 too!
What do friends and family say about you?
It can be difficult to look at ourselves objectively so paying attention to what others notice regarding your skills and positive attributes can provide additional insight into your purpose. For example, do people compliment your patience or ability to talk to anyone? Or perhaps they make it a point to tell you how your homemade desserts and beautiful garden brighten their day. Use this feedback to dive deeper into uncovering the person you want to be, how you hope to make people feel, and what attributes can help you get there.
What do you want to accomplish by living “on-purpose?”
Understanding your strengths and interests is the first piece of the puzzle. Once you’ve got that down, think about your reasons for pursuing it. For instance, do you want to improve your own skills or learn something new? Would you like to get others interested in your passion? Do you want to give back to your community?
Here are several examples of how you can make your passion purpose-driven:
- If you love the theater, make it a goal to organize group trips throughout the year. This is a great way to see more shows, support your local arts scene, and share your passion with a group of like-minded friends.
- Explore your love for painting by taking classes. Feeling adventurous? Commit to entering your work in a local art show or maker’s market by the year’s end!
- Use your sewing skills to help others by making scarves that you can donate to area shelters during the winter season.
Knowing exactly what you hope to accomplish will help you set S.M.A.R.T goals (which we discuss below) and make it easier to stay focused on your overall intentions.
Get S.M.A.R.T!
Charting a purposeful path is only effective when you have a clear route to success. Now that you know what your intentions are for 2023, it’s time to set some objectives!
You’ve probably heard of the acronym “S.M.A.R.T” in terms of goal setting. Remember, those letters stand for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and timely. Every goal you set should meet these five criteria for the best chance at success. For even better odds, the Seniors Helping Seniors® team added a few more helpful tips below:
- Write your goals down
- Share objectives with friends and family
- Split long-term or large goals up into smaller, more manageable objectives
- Celebrate victories (even small ones)!
Keep in mind, sometimes deadlines won’t be met. That’s OK! Unsuccessful attempts aren’t failures, they’re simply part of the learning process.
No matter what your purpose is in 2023, your Seniors Helping Seniors® caregiver will be by your side every step of the way! And, while National Be On-Purpose Month ends January 31st, your mission to live more meaningfully doesn’t have to. Once you have an established system for defining your intentions and setting goals to help you reach them, you can live with purpose each and every day!