Looking for a new sense of direction
Alexandre Morin Laprise / Alamy
With the turning of the calendar, many of us may have started reappraising our lives. As one Dear David reader reports, however, our soul-searching can often yield confusion rather than insight. “My New Year’s Resolution is to feel more fulfilled – but I don’t know how to start,” he tells me. “What can I do to find a new sense of direction?”
A little frustration is par for the course. Contrary to what most self-help gurus tell you, there is no shortcut to happiness that will work for all. That said, a few reflective exercises should help to realign your priorities, vastly increasing the chances that you will find a better path. Michaéla C. Schippers and Niklas Ziegler at Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands describe this process as “life crafting” – and in their review of the available psychological research on finding meaning and purpose, they suggest that it involves the following action points:
First, consider your values and passions. What do you enjoy doing, and what do you want to be remembered for? Second, look at your competencies and habits – what you have now, and what you would like to develop in the future. Third, think about your present and future social life. For example, who gives you energy, and who leaves you exhausted? Then, consider your career, your ideal future, your goals and, finally, your commitment. How can you be held accountable for your actions?
As you can see, the list encompasses both our personal and professional lives, including our sense of social connection, which is recognised as a core driver of emotional well-being. Recognising our current competencies should boost our confidence in our capacity for change, while identifying areas for growth will help us to articulate what we wish to achieve in the future and how to get there.
When setting your goals, Schippers and Ziegler suggest using a process known as implementation intentions, which involves creating a series of “if-then” plans to overcome the obstacles ahead. Suppose you recognise that creativity is a core value and your dream is to write a novel. You might set yourself the following objective: “If I get home before 7pm, I will write for an hour before dinner.”
Finally, in the last step, which focuses on commitment, you look for ways to enhance your accountability by sharing your plans with others. In one experiment, the researchers asked students to take a selfie with a written statement outlining their goal, which they then posted on social media.
Don’t expect to come up with all the answers at once; you may need to return to this exercise multiple times. Like any “craft”, living a better life will involve constant learning. Here’s to giving it a try in 2026.
Further reading
Michaéla C. Schippers and Niklas Ziegler’s highly readable paper is freely available at doi.org/ghpv8q
These articles are posted each week at
newscientist.com/maker
David Robson is an award-winning science writer and author of The Laws of Connection: 13 social strategies that will transform your life
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