Your Quest for Midlife Meaning Starts Here.

Week 1:  Purpose: What is It and Why is it so Important?

Overview:

During our first week together, we’ll explore the role that purpose plays in giving your life meaning, clarity, and direction – particularly as this pertains to the transitional stage of midlife, when parents become “empty nesters” or grandparents… professionals moving out of lifelong careers… and all of us ask, “What’s next?”

We’ll explore why having a strong sense of purpose makes it so much easier for you to maintain your motivation and enthusiasm for life and make big decisions with clarity and confidence.

You’ll also discover what effective purpose cultivation really looks like (spoiler: it’s not one big “North Star” goal or quest that you focus all your time and effort into achieving. Purpose doesn’t require you to achieve Oprah-level success! This is what most people believe and this is why they fail).

Outcome:

Through journaling, reflection, and open dialogue, you’ll gain deeper understanding about what living your life “on purpose” really looks like. You’ll discard outmoded ideas around “finding your one true life purpose” and instead start thinking about how you can become more purposeful in everything you do.

You’ll also gain practical strategies and insights from our incredible faculty of global experts and thought leaders to help you reframe your personal definition of purpose in a way that works for you. Plus, you gain a deeper appreciation for the science-backed impacts that purpose can have on your health, longevity, and long-term happiness – and be powerfully inspired to go further in deepening your own sense of purpose!

Week 2: Our Relationship with Our Career: A Crisis or a Calling?

Overview:

During Week 2, we dive into your purpose cultivation journey with a comprehensive self-assessment exploring your current relationship with purpose. You’ll evaluate your responsibilities and commitments, where you’re allocating your time and energy, and how these align with the things that actually give your life meaning.

You’ll also get clear on where you’re craving more peace, harmony, and fulfillment in your life – and start identifying small shifts can you start making to bring these experiences into your life in a bigger and more impactful way.

Outcome:

By the end of the week, you will have completed a comprehensive deep-dive self-assessment on where you’re currently at in relation to purpose – and how your time and energy allocations match up with the things you actually WANT to be spending your time and energy on.

You’ll find yourself paying more attention to your priorities and how you’re choosing to spend your time – and may already be self-correcting in the moment to make better decisions that are more in alignment with the things that actually fill your life with meaning.

Week 3: “Success Scripts:” the Evolution and Revolution of your Journey

Overview:

All of us have certain stories or “success scripts” that were instilled in us when we were younger and have played a huge role in defining what we think our lives are supposed to look like. For example:

In Week 3, you’re going to explore the success scripts that have influenced you throughout your life – and determine which ones helped you find joy and meaning, which ones didn’t, and how to write new scripts that will work better for you at this stage of your life.

Outcome:

By the end of the week, you will have deeper understanding of the stories that have shaped your life to this point and will have written some new success scripts designed to empower you to pursue goals and make decisions that will imbue your life with more joy and meaning. And you’ll be naturally motivated to start embodying those stories more fully in your life right away!

Week 4: Ikigai: Finding Passion & Joy While Doing Good in the World

Overview:

In Week 4, we explore the Japanese concept of “Ikigai,” which means “reason to live” and offers a powerful self-assessment framework that encourages people to discover what’s genuinely important to them and create a life that fills them with a sense of joy and purpose.

You’ll go through a series of activities and self-exploration exercises that will help you identify where your passions and talents converge with opportunities and needs so you can live a life of positive impact that brings you happiness and fulfillment.

Outcome:

By the end of the week, you’ll understand how to use the Ikigai four-fold framework to create a personalized map that outlines potential pathways you can follow to cultivate more purpose and meaning in everything you do.

You’ll have a deeper understanding of what makes you excited to get out of bed and dive into your day and how to align what you love and what you’re good at with what the world needs now – as well as what people are willing to pay for, if you’re thinking about adding a purpose-driven stream of income to your life!

Week 5: Various Paths to Purpose - You Have More Options Than You Think

Overview:

In Week 5, you’ll discover the surprising truth about purpose: it is so much wider and more diverse than most personal growth experts would have you believe. Purpose isn’t about your accomplishments or impact, it’s about how you feel inside. And there are many different pathways and activities that can give you a deep sense of purpose – not just your “life’s work” but your hobbies, your relationships, even activities such as grabbing coffee with a friend or taking a walk in nature!

Outcome:

By the end of the week you will have identified a wide range of activities and experiences that help you feel more consciously purpose-full – and the many positive impacts that this deep sense of purpose can have on all aspects of your life. You will gain powerful insight into the many pathways to meaning and joy that are available to you right now and find simple ways to incorporate them into your life in a more fulfilling way.

Week 6: “Successism:” The Hidden Cost of Success & the Value of Significance

Overview:

The idea of purpose has long been equated with the idea of “success” – particularly when it comes to career achievement. But once you’ve achieved all you can in your chosen profession and your career is starting to wind down or your sense of fulfillment in the work has gone stale – how do you find your purpose when the “big thing” that’s defined your life for so long no longer applies?

In Week 6, we’ll explore how to free yourself from your “ego identity” and evolve from a life focused on externalized definitions of success to a life of deep inner significance, where your sense of purpose comes from the soulful moments that bring joy and meaning to your life. If you have spent the last few decades as a driven success-seeker, you are especially going to love this week’s lessons.

Outcome:

By the end of the week, you will know and appreciate the difference between a life of success versus a life of significance and will have a comprehensive understanding of what gives your life deeper joy and meaning. You will feel liberated from external, socially imposed concepts of what your purpose “should” be and feel free to focus on the things that fill your life with true significance.

Week 7: Generativity: The Role of the Modern Elder in Leadership

Overview:

Most of us want to feel like our lives have made an impact that will last long after we have left the world behind. The way to fulfill that goal is to ensure your purpose is “generative” and self-sustaining, extending beyond your own individual efforts to something that inspires other people to embody and fulfill that purpose in their lives as well.

In Week 7, we will explore the idea of “generativity” and look at how you can create a purpose-filled legacy that helps to build the kind of world you want future generations to experience for many years to come.

Outcome:

By the end of the week, you will have identified ways to cultivate a more generative embodiment of purpose, so the impact of your efforts extend far beyond yourself and inspire others to take more purposeful action in their own lives as well.

You will develop strategies for transforming your purpose into the lasting legacy you want to create and will take meaningful action toward expanding your positive impact on the world.

Week 8:  Your Great Purpose Reframe: An Action Plan for Your Flourishing Future

Overview:

Here’s the grand finale where we bring it all together! This week, you will create your detailed action plan outlining the steps you’ll take to continue cultivating a deep sense of purpose in your life in the years to come. You’ll also clarify the different resources and support systems you’ll need to fully live your purpose and embody it in the world in an profoundly impactful way.

Plus, you’ll explore how to bring your purpose forward into your community and start planting the seeds for generative growth that extends beyond your circle of influence to create the legacy you want to leave for future generations.

Outcome:

By the end of the week, you’ll have your detailed Midlife Purpose Action Plan in hand and will be eager to start implementing it in your daily life in a much bigger way.

You will feel clear, confident, and enthusiastic about your long-term vision for your life and what your next steps must be to continue cultivating deeper purpose in everything you do. And you will be excited for all the profoundly meaningful experiences your life will bring you in the months and years to come!