The Power of Purpose: Why It Matters and How to Find More

Why Purpose Actually Matters.

Let’s get something straight—purpose isn’t some fluffy, self-help nonsense. It’s not reserved for monks, billionaires, or people who somehow “just knew” what they were meant to do at age 10. It’s science.

Research shows that people with a sense of purpose live longer, make better decisions, and handle life’s inevitable dumpster fires with way more resilience. A study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) found that folks with a clear sense of purpose had a 15% lower risk of dying over a given period. Meanwhile, Stanford researchers found that purpose boosts motivation, focus, and overall life satisfaction.

Translation? If you’re wandering through life without a sense of direction, it’s not just bad for your career—it’s screwing with your brain and body.

But here’s the thing: purpose isn’t something you find. It’s something you build. So, let’s stop expecting college students to get struck by the lightning bolt of clarity and, instead, nudge them to start putting in the reps.

How to Cultivate Purpose (Without Overthinking It to Death)

Before we jump into the suggestions and actionable stuff, I want to give you the science behind purpose (or more accurately, the science behind motivation).

Research has found there is an intricate relationship between motivation and the dopaminergic system, highlighting dopamine’s pivotal role in modulating motivational states. This is not an insignificant area of research since motivation affects every human (and animal).

Dopamine’s Role in Motivation

I’m sure you’ve heard of dopamine but do you know what it actually does? Well, it’s kind of a big deal neurotransmitter, and is integral to the brain’s reward system, influencing both the anticipation (“I’m dreaming of having an ice cream cone!”) and pursuit (“Sorry, can’t talk, I’m on my way to get an ice cream cone!”) of rewards. It assigns “incentive salience” (aka “wanting”) to stimuli, effectively marking them as desirable and motivating individuals to engage in goal-directed behaviors. This process is primarily mediated by the mesolimbic pathway, where dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens enhances the motivational significance of rewarding stimuli. I know, too much neuroscience here but it’s good for you.

Differentiating ‘Wanting’ and ‘Liking’

Researchers distinguish between the concepts of “wanting” (the desire for a reward) and “liking” (the pleasure derived from the reward). Dopamine is closely associated with “wanting”, driving the motivation to obtain rewards, whereas “liking” is linked to the actual pleasure experienced, involving other neurotransmitter systems such as opioids and endocannabinoids (uh-oh, sounds like we might talk about weed at some point). This distinction highlights dopamine’s critical role in motivational drive rather than the hedonic experience itself.

Dopamine and Behavioral Adaptation

Animal studies have demonstrated dopamine’s influence on adaptive behaviors. For instance, research involving fruit flies revealed that dopamine levels reflect mating drive states in male flies, guiding appropriate reproductive behaviors. Increased dopaminergic activity was observed during copulation, correlating with a subsequent decrease in mating drive, suggesting dopamine’s role in balancing motivational states based on internal needs. “My son is NOT a fruit fly!” I know. But fruit flys and humans actually have a lot of similarities in how we synthesize and use dopamine.

Implications for Human Behavior

Understanding the dopaminergic system’s role in motivation has significant implications for addressing motivational deficits in various neurological and psychiatric conditions. For example, conditions like apathy, often observed in disorders such as Parkinson’s disease, have been linked to disruptions in dopamine-mediated reward processing. Therapeutic strategies targeting dopamine receptors have shown promise in ameliorating such motivational impairments, highlighting the potential for dopamine-centric interventions.

Here comes the part about marijuana. The THC in weed binds to those cannabinoid receptors we talked about earlier which leads to an increase in increase activation of the reward pathway. But, this also changes dopamine sensitivity and balance in the brain leading to, wait for it…problems with attention, memory, mood, and….motivation.

Dopamine serves as a fundamental modulator of motivation, influencing the desire to pursue rewards and adapt behaviors according to internal states and environmental cues.

1. Forget Passion—Focus on Contribution

Everybody’s out here trying to “find their passion” like it’s hidden under a rock somewhere. That’s a trap. Passion comes and goes. Purpose? That sticks because it’s about what you contribute, not just what makes you feel good in the moment.

What do you do that actually helps people?
When do you feel useful, not just entertained?
What pisses you off about the world that you’re willing to fix?

Purpose isn’t about making yourself feel warm and fuzzy—it’s about making yourself useful.

2. Stop Waiting for Some Grand Revelation

College students think purpose has to be this big, dramatic thing—like they’ll wake up one day with the perfect business idea or a divine mission to save the planet. Nope. Purpose is built through small, intentional actions that compound over time.

If teaching fires you up, mentor one person—don’t wait to launch a school.
If you want to create, write one page or make one sketch—don’t wait for “the perfect idea.”
If leadership drives you, start by stepping up at work or in your community—don’t wait for a title.

Purpose isn’t found in some grand moment. It’s built in the trenches of doing things that matter, over and over.

3. Surround Yourself With Purpose-Driven People

You are the average of the people you spend the most time with. If your circle is full of people who are drifting through life with zero direction, guess what? That’s gonna be you, too.

Hang out with people who are building, creating, and pushing themselves.
Join groups, masterminds, or communities that align with what you care about.
If your real-life friends are uninspiring, learn from people you admire (even if they’re dead or fictional).

Seriously, if Batman’s discipline or Marcus Aurelius’ wisdom inspires you, channel that. If your friend group consists of people who just complain about their jobs, it might be time to shake things up.

4. Follow Your Curiosity (And See Where It Leads)

Instead of stressing about “finding your purpose,” start paying attention to what makes you curious. Curiosity is like a trail of breadcrumbs leading you to things that could become meaningful.

What topics or activities make you lose track of time?
What kind of challenges do you actually enjoy solving?
If you had to spend the next year getting really good at something, what would it be?

Chase your curiosity, experiment, and see where it takes you. Purpose is built through action, not analysis paralysis.

5. Accept That Purpose Evolves (So Stop Freaking Out About It)

Newsflash: Your purpose today is not the same as it’ll be in 10 years. And that’s fine. The goal isn’t to lock in one permanent purpose—it’s to keep evolving as you grow.

Check in with yourself: What feels meaningful to you right now?
Be willing to pivot: If something no longer excites you, move on without guilt.
Don’t force it: If you’re in a phase where nothing feels super purposeful, keep exploring instead of forcing yourself into a box.

The worst thing you can do? Sit around waiting for purpose to “arrive.” It doesn’t work like that.

Final Thought: Start Now, Not Someday

Purpose isn’t waiting for you in some big, magical moment. It’s built through action, experimentation, and contribution—one step at a time.

So, stop obsessing over the perfect purpose and start doing something today that moves you in the right direction. Small wins stack up. And before you know it, you’ll wake up one day and realize—holy shit, I’m actually living a meaningful life.

Now go make yourself useful.