How I Found Clarity and Happiness

A winding path through colorful autumn trees, symbolizing a journey of self-discovery and clarity.

From a young age, I believed I was destined for greatness. My goal was very clear: Engineering graduation then do a fancy MBA and then climb up the corporate ladder and become a hotshot or maybe start a multi-million dollar venture of my own. In the initial phase of my career I had a slow start but good things kept on happening. Ofcourse I worked hard for it. Yet after about a decade in the workforce I found myself restless with a question whether I was on the right track in life.

Was I meant to do this and that and feel happy about it? Was I supposed to be happy with just being a good employee in one organization after the other? These were the kind of questions that often hit me hard. However instead of facing these questions, I though changing jobs and roles might fix the problem. But as you would imagine it didn’t help, in fact it made things worse. Soon my mental health began to suffer and I slipped into a coma of self-pity.

Eventually I figured that what I was doing did not align with the purpose of my life. However the bigger question I had was — What is the purpose of my life ? I started hustling to find out my purpose. I took tons of self assessment and personality tests and finally I came to the conclusion that creativity is where my calling is. Since I was looking for a quick fix to make my troubles go away, I tried to dabble in various things. I started reading a lot, started working on a podcast, started a blog site, got myself registered for affiliate marketing and many other things. Yet despite of this, I still had no clue about purpose of my life. This fundamental question of “What is the purpose of my life” just keep me anxious distracting me from aspects that really mattered in my life.

The anxiety of an open question lingered in my head for a long time but the turning point came in a deep conversation with one of my close friend. I vented my frustrations and he just simply asked what I wanted from my life. I responded with the usual : career aspiration, climbing higher, to leading bigger departments. He then pushed me with follow-up questions that once I archived them will I be happy or there will always be more. I again responded with another higher career aspiration. He then countered with the same follow-up question. That question now hit me hard. I realized that I was just running in circles and I have constantly chasing a career to define my identity and self worth. It was a cycle that kept me moving, but it didn’t lead anywhere meaningful. But now what ? I was back at square one.

But then by sheer luck I got in possession of 2 books that shifted my perspective and helped me reframe my journey (I will mention the links of the books at the end of the story). These books helped me reframe my journey, not as a search for some grand, elusive “purpose,” but as a quest for something simpler and more tangible — happiness. Why was I so obsessed with finding a purpose when what I really wanted was to feel happy and fulfilled? With this realization, I asked myself “What will it take for me to be happy and fulfilled ?”. And many things came to my mind — physical and mental health, family, financial freedom, etc.. I essentially got a huge list of themes in my mind. But It will be humanly impossible for me focus on all at the same time, hence it was important for me find the most important 4–5 things that will help in my journey of happiness.

When I reflected back on the questions — do I really need to chase for the purpose of my life? Is it ok not having an answer ? What if I just have goals that I can focus on? This is where one of the two books I was referring to came to my aid — “It’s Okay Not to Look for the Meaning of Life by Zen monk Jikisai Minami”. My interpretation of the book combined with my own realization was this: instead of worrying about discovering some grand purpose, I should focus on what I should be doing right now to live a meaningful, goal-driven life. Some people may find their life’s purpose, but for those still searching, it’s okay to let go of that pressure. Instead, focus on well-defined goals that bring you joy, and let that guide your actions.

Armed with this clarity I set out to identify my top 5 goals. I found that writing them down and placing it where they are visible to me everyday helped me be on track and not get overwhelmed by other derailing thoughts about what should I do with my life. A few of my goals were — Family happiness, Financial success, Personal development. Against each goal, I defined specific actions that I need to take everyday. The actions included playing with my cat, actively listening to my family, investing a set amount each week and many more like these against respective goals.

As I focussed on these gaols, something incredible happened. The anxiety that had haunted me for so long started to fade. I felt more in control, knowing exactly what I needed to do. My actions became more meaningful, as they were directly tied to my happiness. And, over time, I noticed the compound effect of these small, deliberate steps. Not only did they bring me closer to my goals, but they helped me live more fully in the present, free from the weight of the past and the fear of an uncertain future.

Shifting my focus from the elusive “purpose of life” to concrete life goals brought a sense of clarity and peace I had been missing. While discovering your life’s purpose might lead to a more fulfilling existence, I’ve realized that it’s perfectly okay if you don’t have one. Instead, focus on the gap between where you are and where you want to be, define your goals, and work towards them. Writing things down and making them visible has an amazing power — it keeps you accountable and keeps those goals from getting lost in the noise.

As I reflect on this journey, I realize that chasing after a singular “purpose” was an exhausting, often fruitless endeavor. It kept me trapped in a cycle of self-doubt and frustration. But when I shifted my focus to setting clear, actionable goals, everything changed. Goals gave me direction, structure, and, most importantly, a sense of control over my life. They allowed me to create tangible progress toward the things that truly matter — my happiness, my relationships, my well-being.

It’s okay not to have all the answers. We don’t need a neatly packaged life purpose to feel fulfilled. Sometimes, the key is simply figuring out what will make you happy right now and aligning your actions to that. Life is a dynamic, evolving journey, and our goals can grow and change with us.

In the end, it’s not the destination or the grand purpose that defines our success, but the small, consistent steps we take toward building a life that feels meaningful to us. So, if you’re still searching for your purpose, maybe try this: focus on your goals, and let the rest fall into place.

And that is how I Found Clarity and Happiness

Here is the amazon link to the book I was referring in this post. Happy Reading!

It's Okay Not to Look for the Meaning of Life : A Zen Monk's Guide to Living Stress