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Purpose Definition | What Is Purpose This article — and everything on this site — is funded by readers like you. Become a subscribing member today. Help us continue to bring “the science of a meaningful life” to you and to millions around the globe. Give Now Scroll To Top To psychologists, purpose is an abiding intention to achieve a long-term goal that is both personally meaningful and makes a positive mark on the world. The goals that foster a sense of purpose are ones that can potentially change the lives of other people, like launching an organization, researching a disease, or teaching kids to read. Our sense of purpose will change over the course of our lifetime . As we grapple with our identity as teens, settle into the responsibilities of adulthood, and make the shift to retirement, the research finds that our sense of purpose will naturally wax and wane. Like happiness, purpose is not a destination, but a journey and a practice . That means it’s accessible at any age, if we’re willing to explore what matters to us and what kind of person we want to be—and act to become that person. If we’re able to revisit and renew our sense of purpose as we navigate milestones and transitions, suggests this research, then we can look forward to more satisfying, meaningful lives. What are the Limitations? Can the Science of Purpose Help Explain White Supremacy? By Jeremy Adam Smith | August 22, 2017 A sense of purpose makes us physically and psychologically stronger. But what if your… How Purpose Changes Across Your Lifetime By Kira M. Newman | July 14, 2020 Purpose is not a destination, suggests research, but a journey and a practice. How to Choose Goals That Make You Come Alive By Caroline Benner | December 28, 2017 Research on the components of well-being can help us choose goals that we'll stick to. Featured Articles What Is Education For in the Age of Artificial Intelligence? By Aran Levasseur | April 20, 2026 As AI becomes ubiquitous, students are asking what matters most right now. Educators need to respond. How Volunteering Could Help Us Feel Connected Again By Vickery Prongay , Carolyn Thayer-Azoff , Aaron Hurst | February 3, 2026 Everyday acts of service can help rebuild American belonging and well-being. The Hidden Power of Mattering to Others–And to Yourself By Jennifer Breheny Wallace , Katherine Reynolds Lewis | January 12, 2026 A new book explains the importance of feeling valued and seeing the impact of your actions. The Top 10 Insights from the “Science of a Meaningful Life” in 2025 By Kira M. Newman , Jill Suttie , Katherine Reynolds Lewis , Elizabeth Hopper , Emiliana R. Simon-Thomas , Jeremy Adam Smith | December 17, 2025 Our team names the most provocative and influential findings published during this past year. Ten Movies That Can Make Your Holiday More Meaningful By Jill Suttie , Jeremy Adam Smith , Steven Barnes , Shanna B. Tiayon | December 9, 2025 Here are movies that tackle some of the tough stuff behind the holidays with intelligence and wit. Can You Learn to Love the Questions of Your Life? By Jeremy Adam Smith , Elizabeth Weingarten | November 12, 2025 A new book explores ways to thrive in the face of uncertainty. Researchers have discovered that a sense of purpose is linked to a number of good outcomes, across the lifespan, for both individuals and organizations. Youth who have a sense of purpose also report higher levels of happiness and life satisfaction—which seems associated with better educational outcomes . One study looked at college students who wanted to help others, create art, or achieve financial success. The researchers didn’t find significant differences in positive outcomes among the groups. For young people, it was just good to have a goal, no matter what it was. For young and old alike, the physical benefits of a sense of purpose are well-documented. For example, Eric Kim and his colleagues at Harvard’s School of Public Health have found that people who report higher levels of purpose at one point in time have objectively better physical agility four years later than those who report less purpose. Patrick Hill and his Washington University colleagues have found important advantages for more purposeful adults, including better cognitive functioning and greater longevity . They’re more likely to floss their teeth, exercise, and get to the doctor. Why? Researchers suggest that people take better care of themselves when they feel like they have something to live for. Having a purpose also seems to be associated with lower stress levels , overall, which contributes to better health. Do some purposes confer more benefits than others? The answer so far is yes—if you are older. One study found that young adults with a more “prosocial” purpose—one aimed at helping others—experienced greater personal growth, integrity, and health later in adulthood. This result was echoed by a 2019 study by Anne Colby and colleagues at Stanford University. They surveyed almost 1,200 Americans in their midlife about their well-being and what goals were important to them. The researchers found significantly higher well-being among people who were involved in pursuing beyond-the-self goals, compared to those who were pursuing other types of goals. In other words, engaging in prosocial goals had more impact on well-being than engaging in non-prosocial goals. Indeed, looking beyond individual lives, a sense of purpose appears to have evolved in humans so that we can cooperate and accomplish big things together. A 2007 study suggests that managers can effectively boost the work experience and well-being of their employees by helping them connect to a job-related higher purpose. The 2013 Core Beliefs and Culture Survey revealed that 91 percent of respondents who believe that their company has a strong sense of purpose also say it has a history of strong financial performance. Purpose is adaptive, in an evolutionary sense. It helps both individuals and the species to survive and thrive. Purpose often grows from our connection to others, which is why a crisis of purpose is often a symptom of isolation. Once you find your path, you’ll almost certainly find others traveling along with you, hoping to reach the same destination—a community. Featured Articles What Is Education For in the Age of Artificial Intelligence? By Aran Levasseur | April 20, 2026 As AI becomes ubiquitous, students are asking what matters most right now. Educators need to respond. How Volunteering Could Help Us Feel Connected Again By Vickery Prongay , Carolyn Thayer-Azoff , Aaron Hurst | February 3, 2026 Everyday acts of service can help rebuild American belonging and well-being. The Hidden Power of Mattering to Others–And to Yourself By Jennifer Breheny Wallace , Katherine Reynolds Lewis | January 12, 2026 A new book explains the importance of feeling valued and seeing the impact of your actions. The Top 10 Insights from the “Science of a Meaningful Life” in 2025 By Kira M. Newman , Jill Suttie , Katherine Reynolds Lewis , Elizabeth Hopper , Emiliana R. Simon-Thomas , Jeremy Adam Smith | December 17, 2025 Our team names the most provocative and influential findings published during this past year. Ten Movies That Can Make Your Holiday More Meaningful By Jill Suttie , Jeremy Adam Smith , Steven Barnes , Shanna B. Tiayon | December 9, 2025 Here are movies that tackle some of the tough stuff behind the holidays with intelligence and wit. Can You Learn to Love the Questions of Your Life? By Jeremy Adam Smith , Elizabeth Weingarten | November 12, 2025 A new book explores ways to thrive in the face of uncertainty. According to research by Kendall Cotton Bronk , finding one’s purpose requires four key components: dedicated commitment, personal meaningfulness, goal directedness, and a vision larger than one’s self. Often, finding our purpose involves a combination of finding meaning in the experiences we’ve had, while assessing our values, skills, and hopes for a better world. It means taking time for personal reflection while imagining our ideal future. Here are some exercises purpose researchers recommend for finding your purpose in life: The Magic Wand: Think about the world around you — your home, community, the world at large—and visualize what you would change if you had a magic wand and could change anything. Then ask yourself, why you chose what you did and consider concrete steps you might take to move the world a little closer to that ideal. This exercise has been used to foster purpose in youth and young adults, in particular. Best Possible Self: Imagine yourself at some future age — like 10 or 20 years down the road—and think about what your life would be like if everything went as well as possible. Then ask yourself these questions: What are you doing? What is important to you? What do you really care about, and why? Focusing on an ideal self can increase optimism for the future, which researchers believe is tied to purpose Clarify your values: If it’s hard to figure out what matters most to you, affirming your values can help . Three values surveys—the Valued Living Questionnaire , the Portrait Values Questionnaire , and the Personal Values Questionnaire —ask you to rank the importance of different values, something that can help you get clearer about your purpose. Recognize your strengths: To get a handle on your particular skills , try the VIA Character Strengths Survey to see what it reveals about you. Or, you can contact people who know you—teachers, friends, family, colleagues, and mentors—and ask them what you’re good at, what you seem to like to do, and how you might make your mark on the world. Sometimes an outsider’s opinion can help clarify your personal strengths and help you figure out how best to apply them. Volunteer: Finding purpose is aided by having a broad set of meaningful experiences that can point you in the right direction. Volunteering expands your experience, while also improving your well-being and help