How to Analyze Your Life

Looking back on the past 30 years of my life, I feel like I have actually witnessed a full circle journey. As a child, I obsessed over school. No one loved school more than me! I loved playing school, going to school, and preparing for school. I salivated at the anticipation of new notebooks and binders and was anally neat and organized with everything I owned. From there, I pushed myself to get involved in every aspect of education which thrusted me into peer leadership programs in high school, a sorority and internships in college, and graduate school.

Looking back, I noticed that there has always been a consistent level of congruence in my love for education and to be socially immersed in each community I belonged to. There was also always a consistent insatiable drive to get to the next level that I can still taste today. I think that the same is true for everyone. How often have you analyzed your life for all of the positive or life-changing experiences you have had? Most of the time, we look back at all of the people we shouldn’t have dated or things we probably wouldn’t do again. What about the parts of you that have always brought you joy and why? What about the parts of you that made you want to try more or do more?

Take out a piece a paper. Yes, literally a piece of paper. Don’t do this on your phone. Think of the top 5 most impactful moments of your life. These moments are not limited to sports you have played or jobs you have held. It can also include relationships with certain people, specific experiences within your identity, and many other things. Try and see what patterns you can connect from moment to moment. Then, weigh it against where you are right now. Themes may not jump out at you at first but, as you marinate on it, more than likely you will notice ways you may have held yourself back, developed more quickly in some areas over others, or discover what has been most important to you this entire time.

Try it. If you knew that your life’s purpose could be staring you right in the face, would you look for it?