Make room for what matters to you
A clear sense of purpose guides daily choices and tracks with lower mortality and fewer cardiac events.
The number, drawn
Why it matters
Purpose can come from relationships, creativity, learning or contributing to something beyond yourself. Across 10 prospective studies with 136 265 participants, a stronger sense of purpose was associated with 17% lower all cause mortality and 17% fewer cardiovascular events. That association is not proof that setting goals extends life. WHO's stress guide suggests picking small actions that match your values, especially when circumstances are hard.
How to do it
- Write down what matters to you and how you want to treat yourself and other people.
- Choose one small action this week that expresses one of those values.
- Give it a real slot in your week, and change the goal when life changes.
Do it
Pick the time you have. Anything beats nothing.
Start with the time you have
1 minute
Name one value that matters to you, such as being caring, and one tiny action today that shows it. Even tiny actions count.
5 minutes
Write down three or four values that matter most to you, then pick one small action for this week and decide when you will do it.
15 minutes
Give ten minutes to that action, such as listening to someone you care about, then consider whether it fits what matters to you.
30 minutes
Make room for a meaningful activity, relationship or creative task; choose something possible with your current energy and circumstances.
A plan
Turn a value into a repeatable action
- Choose one way you want to treat yourself or other people.
- Pick a small action that expresses it and give it a realistic place in your week.
- Review whether the action is feasible and meaningful, and make it smaller or change it as life changes.
In real life
- If caring matters to you, set aside ten minutes to give someone your full attention.
- If kindness matters to you, offer yourself the same patient words you would offer a friend.
Watch out for
- Common mistakeA huge life mission can make starting harder: choose one value and one small action you can actually take.
- Common mistakeMeasuring purpose only through paid work can narrow your options: include relationships, learning, creativity or care.
Trusted guides
Check usSources
- Evidence grade
- B Consistent large cohort studies, with some trial evidence.
- Basis
- Meta analysis of 10 prospective studies, 136 265 participants, adjusted pooled relative risk 0.83
- The number
- A stronger sense of purpose was associated with 17% lower mortality (Psychosomatic Medicine, via PubMed, 2016)
- Outcome
- all-cause mortality, observational association
- Comparison
- Stronger vs weaker sense of purpose in prospective studies
- Tier 2 studyPurpose in Life and Its Relationship to All Cause Mortality and Cardiovascular Events: A Meta AnalysisPsychosomatic Medicine, via PubMed, 2016
- Tier 1 guidelineDoing What Matters in Times of Stress: An Illustrated GuideWHO, 2020
General health information, not a diagnosis or an individual treatment plan. Personalization changes the order of suggestions; it does not assess your medical risks. Follow the cautions and consult a qualified clinician when needed.