Leo Babauta Commentary: One Little Trick To Find Purpose And Motivation

The blogger over at Zen Habits writes: "If you feel stuck in your life, or confused, because you don’t have a clear direction and have no way of finding that direction....shift your focus from yourself. Instead of thinking, 'What should I be doing?' or 'What could I do to give my life purpose?'....try asking:

• What could I do to help people in need?
• What pain are other people feeling that I could help with?
• Who do I care most about, and what problems do they have?
• Who are my current customers, and what can I do to help them more?
• What problems are out there that strangers might have, that my particular skillset could solve?

When you start asking these kinds of questions, your focus shifts from your confusion and problems, to the confusion and problems of others. And when you start solving them, you have purpose. It’s gratifying to help others. It fills you with a sense of meaning and appreciation."