Purpose isn’t found; it’s built through experiences that spark curiosity and joy.

'Purpose anchors' help identify what activities give life meaning and energy.

Mini experiments reveal new interests when traditional methods of finding purpose fail.

After writing my first book, Taking Stock, I spent months speaking at conferences about what the dying can teach us about money and life. The book was based on two main ideas: First, we need to define our sense of purpose, identity, and connections. Then, we can use these concepts to build a path toward financial independence.

I intended my talks to be inspirational, to shed light on financial struggles with hope and clarity. Yet time and again, after a presentation, someone would approach me, not inspired, but frustrated, and sometimes, even angry.

The first time it happened, I chalked it up to an anomaly. Surely, my talks were uplifting. But as it kept happening, I realized I had stumbled upon a difficult and universal problem: Finding purpose is harder than anyone admits.

People believed purpose was important, but most had spent years trying to define it and felt blocked at every turn. They had no idea what purpose looked like in their own lives, and the frustration was palpable. Some would say........

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