Purpose Resources

The Purpose Journal by Bradley Wright and Andy Best. A 21-week guided journal with daily prompts and weekly themes. It takes readers on a tour of their life from the perspective of purpose, seeking to increase it in various, research-based ways.

The Great Work of Your Life by Stephen Cope. A rich, thoughtful book about many aspects of finding purpose. Each chapter draws on the life of a (usually famous) purposeful person to illustrate a key aspect of purpose.

Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett and Dave Evans. This book applies design thinking to finding purpose in life. Very engaging presentation with powerful ideas. Prototyping and creating an Odyssey Plan are key ideas for finding purpose.

Let Your Life Speak by Parker Palmer. An inspirational encouragement to embrace our true selves, listen to our inner voice, and pursue a vocation aligned with our authentic identity, fostering fulfillment and purpose.

What Should I Do With My Life by Po Bronson. A thoughtful ethnography of how people struggle in finding careers. Bronson interviews dozens of people struggling with their careers and follows them as they make changes. Purpose in the real world.  

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. A short but memorable book. It describes the journey of finding purpose, with all of its twists, turns, and revelations. Let's us know what to expect so that we know better how to move forward. Great read.

The Cafe on the Edge of the World by John Strelecky. A somewhat cheesy analogy filled with powerful lessons. It describes values and decisions related to purpose in a format of people talking at a cafe.

Essays by Mark Manson. Manson does counter-intuitive thinking very well. In several of his blog posts, he applies this thinking to purpose. His unexpected way of framing issues gives insight into finding purpose. Essay Essay Essay  

Essays by Paul Graham. Graham is a big wig in Silicon Valley and a very clear thinker. He publishes essays on many aspects of business and, sometimes, finding purpose--to which he gives a thoughtful perspective. Essay  Essay

Commencement speech by Steven Jobs. Jobs tells three stories about following your dreams in a difficult life. It explores his meandering path and many failures as he pursued his dream. Emphases following curiosity and intuition.

Commencement speech by Admiral McRaven. The famous "make-your-bed" speech isn't about purpose, per se, but it addresses how to enact what matters most to you. Practical lessons from a very successful life.

The Three Meanings of Meaning in Life by Martela and Steger. There is a lot of confusion about how to define meaning and purpose. This article gives a sensible approach to defining both. It's the definition that we use in our training.

The Psychology of Purpose by Bronk and colleagues. A wide-ranging, insightful review of the purpose literature. It hits the major topics studied with an accessible presentation. A good place to start with academic research on purpose.

Origins of Purpose in Life by McKnight and Kashdan. Countless explanations are giving to finding purpose. This article suggests three general pathways into purpose. It's been influential in our thinking about finding purpose.