Feeling stuck in a loop, unsure of what direction to take?

Sometimes, you just know something’s missing, but pinpointing what that is — your “why” — can feel daunting.

If that sounds like you, you’re in good company.

Many of us hit a point in life where we’re surrounded by expectations (from family, friends, or society), and we end up questioning if any of it truly resonates with who we are.

Below are 6 questions that can open your eyes to possible blind spots and help you reconnect with that elusive sense of purpose.

01 Are you living by your own values?

It’s easy to adopt the values of the people around us without realizing it.

You might pick a career because your parents praised that profession or stay in a situation that looks great on social media but doesn’t align with your inner compass.

To figure out whether you’re honoring your real values, ask yourself which qualities you most admire in others.

Is it honesty, creativity, generosity?

Then look at your daily life—are you acting on these values, or are they just aspirations?

If there’s a mismatch, it could be fueling that nagging sense of emptiness.

02 Do your day-to-day choices energize or drain you?

Every single day, we make little decisions that slowly sculpt the direction of our lives.

What are you doing each morning, afternoon, and night?

Are those activities feeding your curiosity and sense of fulfillment, or do they leave you feeling spent?

I used to wake up dreading my commute back when I worked a corporate job that looked impressive on paper but didn’t light me up.

On the weekends, I’d read psychology or self-help books, basically anything I could get my hands on that resonated with my real interests.

If you’re constantly feeling drained, it might be a clue that your day-to-day routine runs counter to where you genuinely want to go.

03 Have you questioned your own beliefs?

Limiting beliefs have a sneaky way of filtering what we think is possible for us.

Whether it’s a fear of failure, worry about judgment, or the notion that “I have to do X before I do Y,” these mental barriers can stop us from exploring our true calling.

When I tried Ruda Iande’s “Free Your Mind” masterclass, I was surprised by how many beliefs I took for granted.

I’d been telling myself, “I’m not cut out for anything beyond my comfort zone,” and that narrative kept me stuck.

The course nudged me to trace back where that belief came from (usually old experiences or comments from people in my past).

Once I realized how flimsy the foundation was, it became much easier to rewrite that internal script.

If you haven’t dug into your own beliefs yet, you might be missing a key step.

04 Whose standards are you living by?

We often forget how heavily other people’s opinions can influence our idea of success.

Maybe you believe you need to be married by a certain age, or you’re convinced that a particular job title is the only way to feel accomplished.

As Seneca once said, “If one does not know to which port one is sailing, no wind is favorable.”

In other words, if your life goals are based on someone else’s definition of success, you might keep moving forward yet never feel genuine fulfillment.

It’s worth asking:

Do the metrics you’re using to measure yourself actually belong to you, or did you just inherit them?

At GEE, we’ve worked with authors who initially wrote books just to please a mentor or fit a certain market trend.

They typically found the process soul-crushing until they recalibrated their work toward something that mattered to them personally.

The difference in motivation—and eventual satisfaction—was huge.

05 What impact do you want to leave behind?

Purpose often ties into how you affect others, whether it’s in your family, your community, or the wider world.

Sometimes, clarifying your purpose just means pinpointing a cause or community you genuinely care about.

That doesn’t have to be some massive humanitarian mission — it could be supporting local animal shelters, mentoring a younger coworker, or creating content that makes people’s day a bit brighter.

Have you spent time considering what legacy you’d like to leave, no matter how small?

Even writing a heartfelt blog post that shifts one person’s perspective can be part of a life’s purpose.

Don’t underestimate the ripple effect of seemingly modest contributions.

06 Who are you beyond your roles?

People wear many hats — employee, partner, friend, sibling, parent.

Sometimes, your identity gets so tangled up in those roles that you forget the person underneath it all.

It’s crucial to step back and ask, “Who am I without my resume, relationship status, or social labels?”

A friend once told me she felt utterly lost when her kids moved out. She had spent decades in full-time mom mode, but once that ended, she realized she hadn’t fostered her own aspirations.

Taking up painting, reconnecting with old hobbies, and exploring new interests helped her rediscover a self she’d put on hold.

When you tap into the core of who you are—beyond any particular job or label—you can uncover passions and visions that guide you to a deeper purpose.

Rounding things off

Feeling confused about your “why” is more common than you think.
But clarity doesn’t just appear out of thin air.

You find it by peeling back layers, questioning beliefs, and taking honest stock of the life you’re living right now.

I initially resisted doing any kind of personal development course because I thought I should figure everything out on my own.

But the moment I dipped my toes into Ruda’s masterclass, I realized how a structured approach, especially one that probes your buried assumptions, can fast-track that process.

I liked the free class so much that I ended up enrolling in Ruda’s Out Of The Box course.

It was a game-changer in helping me define (and embrace) my own version of meaning and possibility.

Purpose isn’t a fixed destination. It evolves as you do.

But these six questions can offer signposts along the way, giving you clearer insights on where to invest your time and energy.

Here’s hoping they guide you to a life that feels deeply aligned, fulfilling, and unapologetically yours.