When you look back over your life, you can see a pattern. We spend lots of time and energy going from person to person trying to find an answer to the central question that drives our lives: What is my purpose?

It’s more than a metaphysical or spiritual question. It’s also a practical one. We spend a pretty good chunk of our lives in a career or vocation, so we might as well be doing something we love, right?

How do we find the answer to this question? The bad news is that other people can’t totally answer it for you. They can give you hints and clues. And, of course, we should consider the input of people we respect. They can help us understand our giftedness and strengths, sometimes far better than we can.

But ultimately, only you can answer the question about your purpose. What do you want to accomplish with your life? As a writer, it probably has something to do with communication and using your words to impact other people.

The central task of our lives is to discover the answer to this question of purpose, then take action on it. Or, as Dolly Parton said, “Figure out who you are and then do it on purpose.”

Do you know your purpose, and are you living it out? If you don’t know the answer to that question, take some time today to think about it so you can move forward with confidence and boldness.