How to Know You’re Living Without Purpose

A 15-Question Assessment to Find Out

Aug 03, 2025

“The greatest tragedy in life is not death but life without a purpose—life with the wrong priorities.” - Dr. Myles Munroe

One of the scariest moments of my life was waking up in my late 30s and realizing I hadn’t done anything that truly mattered.

It felt like a gut punch from my own soul, an undeniable signal that something had to change.

I had bought into the storyline about what makes life important, what the world around me told me I should focus on—Getting a good degree so you can get a good job. Getting a good job so you can buy a house and a car and save for retirement. Getting married young and having kids so you can feel fulfilled.

And I finally realized that I was going through the motions, wasting my life on things that simply did not matter to me.

Have you ever noticed that growing up, nobody taught us what purpose was and how to cultivate a life around it?

There are many reasons for this—one being that older generations were focused on survival and stability. And our modern culture? It still often defines success by productivity and earning potential, not meaning.

How many of us actually wake up feeling connected to a purpose?

What Does Life Without Purpose Look Like?

Realizing you might be living without purpose isn’t easy, especially if this idea is new to you.

The insidious part about American society is you’re taught purpose is to be a good American, a good worker, a parent/spouse, a homeowner. A good neighbor.

That is not what purpose is.

Purpose is your internal sense of direction—a deep, often evolving reason behind why you do what you do.

It connects your strengths, values, and life experiences to something larger than yourself, whether that’s helping others, creating something meaningful, or simply becoming who you’re capable of being.

Purpose comes from inside your soul. It’s buried within you.

When you live with purpose, you wake up (most mornings) understanding your place in the world and what you’re here to do.

You are at peace inside because your actions and intentions are aligned with your values and goals, connected to something larger than yourself.

Here are a few questions you might’ve asked yourself if you’re struggling with living without purpose:

What am I doing with my life?
Is this all there is to life?
Why do I feel like I’m just going through the motions?
Why do other people seem so much more driven than me?
Why am I so unmotivated?
Why don’t I want more for myself?

It took me a long time to admit I was living without purpose and even longer to do something about it.

It’s time for everybody to realize your job is not who you are. You are much more than that. And to enjoy a well-lived life, you need to be able to focus on your purpose.

I put together an assessment that will help you understand if you might be missing purpose in your life. Take 5–10 minutes and walk through the assessment below.

[Assessment] Are You Living Without Purpose?

Instructions:
Grab a piece of paper and a pen. Rate each of the following statements from 1 (Strongly Disagree) to 5 (Strongly Agree). Trust your gut. Don’t overthink it.

Emotional Signals

I often feel like I'm just going through the motions.
I rarely feel deep excitement or meaning in my day.
My days blend together—I can't remember the last time something felt important.
I feel more numb than alive.
I sometimes wonder if this is all there is.

Behavioral Clues

I procrastinate on the things that matter most to me.
I often turn to distractions (scrolling, drinking, TV) to avoid silence.
I don’t have any goals I’m actively working toward.
I dread Mondays and live for weekends—but weekends feel empty too.
I say “I should do that” a lot, but rarely follow through.

Inner Alignment

I don’t know what my values are—or if I’m living by them.
I feel disconnected from who I used to be.
I struggle to make decisions because I’m not sure what I want.
I often compare myself to others and feel like I’m behind.
I can’t remember the last time I felt proud of myself or my accomplishments.

Reflection Prompt:
Take note of any question where you answered 4 or 5.

Now ask yourself:

“Where in my life am I out of alignment?”
“What am I tolerating that deep down, I know isn’t working?”
“What’s one small shift I could make this week to feel more alive?”

Write your responses down.

Prior to this past year, I would’ve answered 4’s and 5’s for just about every single one of these questions. That’s a problem, especially for a man.

Men are purpose-driven. We need to feel like we’re working toward something meaningful. If we’re not, we often feel lost, stuck, and worthless since our value to society is tied up in our productivity, wealth, and success.

Key to Remember: Purpose Evolves Over Time

Your purpose might change and/or evolve over time. You don’t "discover" purpose once and for all—you develop and refine it through lived experiences, struggles, reflection, and shifting priorities. That’s totally normal.

So, if you feel like you had purpose earlier in life, but are lacking purpose now, it could very well mean that your experiences and priorities have changed in life, which is to be expected.

But to live your best life, you still need to connect with your purpose now, in the present time.

Next Week - How Do You Find Your Purpose?

If you’re struggling to score these questions, or you have lots of 4’s and 5’s, that’s an indication that you’re not aligned with purpose. I challenge you to spend more time thinking about what matters most to you.

Next week, I’m going to give you some ideas for how to connect with self and understand what is most important to you. I hope you’ll stick around because it will be really powerful.

It’s your turn. Has anything resonated from this post? Did anything shock you from filling out the assessment? Let me know in the comments!