How to Find Your Life's Purpose in 4 Easy Steps (and Under 10 Minutes)

You’re overwhelmed. There’s too much noise and too many distractions competing for your attention. Every time things get hard, your mind looks for an escape—a quick hit of dopamine from social media, Netflix, or anything easier than facing the bigger questions.

Deep down, you want more. You don’t want to waste your prime years chasing fleeting highs or meaningless goals, only to look back with regret. Yet, you find yourself stuck in a cycle:

• Jealous of others who seem to have it all figured out—like that 13-year-old on YouTube making $30K/month.

• Paralyzed by fear of missing out on opportunities while simultaneously unsure of where to start.

• Distracted by shiny objects and cheap thrills instead of focusing on what truly matters.

Does this sound familiar? You wake up every day determined to make a change but end up feeling like a failure by nightfall. Ten years pass, and you’re still lost—distracted, chasing things that don’t fulfill you, and wondering why peace feels so far away.

You’re tired of being stuck in this loop. You want clarity, focus, and a sense of purpose—a reason to get up in the morning that excites you. Imagine living a life where work feels effortless and joyful because it aligns with who you are at your core. That’s not some distant dream—it’s possible for you to achieve this in less than 10 minutes a day.

It’s time to find your Ikigai

Ikigai means —your "reason for being." It’s a Japanese philosophy that encourages finding purpose and joy by aligning your life with four key elements:

1. What you love

2. What you’re good at

3. What the world needs

4. What you can be paid for

Here’s how to find your Ikigai in just 4 easy steps:

Step 1: What You Love
Ask yourself: What brings me joy? What activities make me lose track of time? Think about hobbies or moments when life feels like play. Write them down.

For me, it’s hiking, biking, swimming, playing soccer, thinking about my vision, solving problems, helping others, and continuously learning and improving. These activities make me feel alive and engaged.

Step 2: What You’re Good At
What skills do you excel at? What do others come to you for advice about? Ask friends or colleagues if needed—they often see strengths you overlook.

Personally, I’ve found that I’m skilled at building businesses, writing, teaching, paying attention to details, sales, recruiting and hiring, problem-solving, programming, software design, and systems architecture. These skills have been recognized by others and have helped me in various roles.

Step 3: What the World Needs
What problems frustrate you? Look around—what do people complain about that you could help solve? Consider unmet needs in your workplace or industry.

In my experience, many businesses struggle with lead generation, creating detailed customer journeys, and building effective funnels. The world also needs more systems thinking, wellness, focus, fulfillment, coaching, teaching, mentoring, convenience, better quality products, and faster delivery.

Step 4: What You Can Be Paid For
Which of the needs from Step 3 align with your skills and passions? If someone offered to pay you for solving these problems, would you say yes?

For me, coaching, delivering results quickly, well-being, systems, business advice, lead generation, customer operations (marketing, sales, tech, customer support), culture, setting clear goals and objectives, and implementing them (not just theory) are areas where I can add value and get paid for it. I implement these in my own business and help other companies with them daily.

Finally, start small, draw four overlapping circles representing these categories, and jot down your answers inside each one. Where they overlap is your Ikigai. Spend just 10 minutes doing this today—it doesn’t need to be perfect. Revisit it daily for the next 30 days as new ideas surface (activate your brain’s pattern recognition).

A life spent chasing distractions or instant gratification isn’t worth living. Don’t wait until it’s too late to figure this out—your purpose is waiting for you right now. Done is better than perfect, so take the first step today.

If this resonated with you and you'd like more insights on building a calm, profitable business while staying true to yourself, subscribe to my newsletter. And if you're stuck on something specific, DM me @itsbialy on X—I’d love to help.