7 Steps to Live a More Fulfilling Life

Are you chasing a fulfilling life but can’t seem to get ahead? And do you pursue your own path, but struggle with societal expectations, social comparison, and the complexities of life?

You’re not alone.

I’ve struggled to find fulfillment too. 

In fact, many people struggle to find meaning and happiness. And while we already covered the reasons why you may feel unfulfilled, now it’s time to break free – for good.

In this article, you’ll learn a step-by-step approach to transform yourself and fill your life with joy, meaning, and fulfillment.

Let’s dive in!

9 Key areas for fulfillment in life

Most of us focus on a few areas in life and neglect the others. For example, I’ve been prioritizing my career above all else for several years.

But success in one area doesn’t guarantee happiness.

While it’s okay to prioritize certain aspects for some time, remember that balance is a vital part of living a successful and happy life.

Here’s what a fulfilling life entails:

• Career fulfillment: Doing work that’s meaningful, challenging, and joyful to you is essential to feel fulfilled. After all, your job takes up a large chunk of your time. So, find something you enjoy doing. And avoid sacrificing career fulfillment for slightly better pay.
• Health and well-being: We all know the importance of our physical health and mental well-being. Yet, we often forget the powerful ripple effect that your health has on your life. So, make it one of your priorities.
• Personal relationships: Building and maintaining healthy relationships with family, friends, and partners is a major source of happiness and fulfillment – and I say that as an introvert.
• Personal growth: Continuous self-improvement and professional development provide a sense of progress and keep life interesting. From formal education and self-study to pursuing new activities and adventures, always keep expanding your horizons.
• Financial stability: While money isn’t the secret to happiness, lacking any financial security can limit you from living your best life. Working towards financial independence can alleviate stress and provide the freedom to pursue your dreams.
• Contribution: Being part of something larger than yourself can foster a deep sense of connection and greater purpose. Consider ways to give back to your community to experience even more fulfillment.
• Creative expression: Engaging in creative pursuits, whether artistic, musical, scientific, writing or any form of self-expression is a great way to explore your inner world. And if you’re human, you’re creative!
• Leisure: Engaging in activities, adventures, and hobbies for the sake of joy is vital for relaxation and happiness. So, never feel guilty for taking a well-deserved break for resting and joyful activities.
• Spirituality: For many, engaging in spiritual or religious practices can offer a sense of purpose and connection. While I’m not religious in the traditional sense, I do believe there’s power in spiritual and religious practices that can bring us closer to the nature of our existence.

Each of these aspects contributes to your levels of peace, purpose, and joy. A balanced mix is essential if you want to optimize for fulfillment.

Let’s dig into the steps to live a fulfilling life.

Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.

– Mahatma Gandhi

Step 1: Self-reflection

Discovering who you are is crucial for living your best life. 

Consider aspects like becoming aware of your current state, personality traits, personal strengths, core values, intrinsic motivations, dreams, and aspirations.

After all, there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to personal fulfillment.

Even though we all share the need for good health, fulfilling relationships, and meaningful work, your path to unlocking each of these aspects can vary wildly from mine.

For too long, I didn’t realize this truth.

Rather than figuring out who I was and what truly mattered to me, I adopted other people’s definition of success.

As a result, I chased shiny objects and quick-fix solutions to feel happier. But this outside-in approach only left me feeling more lost and frustrated.

Instead, pursue fulfillment from the inside out.

By getting in touch with your authentic self, you’ll make better decisions and act in alignment with your deepest aspirations.

Here are some of the best starting points for your journey:

• Best personality tests to uncover your personal blueprint
• Find your personal strengths (everyone has some!)
• Clarify your core values in life
• Find your greater purpose
• Craft your personal vision
• Create a personal mission

See self-discovery as a process rather than something you do once because there’s a lot to discover about yourself. Habitual practices include journaling, goal-setting, or simply thinking about your life.

Step 2: Set life-fulfilling goals

Did you reflect on who you are and where you want to go?

If so, you’re ready for the next step.

And that’s to set meaningful life goals.

Goal-setting provides direction, inspires action, and channels your energy.

Start by writing down your vision for each of the 9 key areas. Looking 10 years into the future, what would you like your life to look like in those areas?

Then, set long-term and short-term goals.

While I encourage you to create a compelling vision for each of the areas that contribute to a more fulfilling life, you can prioritize certain goals.

For example, my current goals focus on health, work, finances, and traveling. 

The rest is in “maintenance” mode for now.

And that’s okay.

As long as I remember to not neglect my relationships for too long. In addition, I make the mental note that when I do feel unfulfilled despite achieving my goals, that’s a clear sign that I’m out of balance.

But what if you feel lost or overwhelmed?

What can you do when you struggle to set or prioritize goals?

Step 3: Prioritize your health first

Embrace the airplane rule of the oxygen mask: prioritize yourself first.

It sounds selfish.

But it’s not…

You can contribute much more to the world when you’re in a good physical and mental place. Your health is crucial, especially if you’re at rock bottom.

You see, a consistent workout routine was the one thing that kept me going when I felt utterly lost and frustrated. 

It changed my life.

For starters, it instilled a sense of self-discipline and hope. But I also started eating healthier, developed a better mindset, read helpful books in my 20s, and more…

Working out became the catalyst for success in all other areas of my life.

That’s why I’m such a huge advocate for health habits.

Here are some basic yet fundamental tips for fulfillment:

• Eat healthily: Think about food as fuel for your body. Eat primarily to boost your energy levels, not for short-term pleasure. One simple way is to cook meals yourself with whole foods as much as possible.
• Start exercising: When implementing an exercise routine, prioritize building the habit first. Rather than aiming for high intensity or volume, aim for consistency and frequency.
• Prioritize sleep: I know you’ve heard it before, but how consistent are you with your sleeping habits? One simple but powerful way to improve sleep quality is sticking to the same bedtime and waking time every day.

Never forget these basic yet fundamental habits to feel fulfilled – everything else depends on it.

Step 4: Find meaning in your work

You spend a significant portion of your time working. 

That’s why it’s so important to enjoy what you do, rather than just chasing a larger paycheck. Never quit a fulfilling career for a dreadful job that offers a slightly bigger bag.

It’s why I quit the financial world.

Although it would guarantee independence, the path ahead felt empty and meaningless to me. I’m simply not interested in selling my soul for financial security.

Besides, there are many other benefits of doing meaningful work.

When you connect your career to both a passion and a purpose, not only will it increase your satisfaction and productivity, but your work becomes joyful. 

Plus, it instills good character traits, such as grit, that enable you to unlock your true potential and achieve long-term success and satisfaction.

How to find more fulfillment in your job?

Here are ways to find purpose in your current job or transform yourself for a more fulfilling career:

• Find meaning in your current role: Every job has a purpose, but your attitude matters to find it. Even the most mundane jobs can bring joy and satisfaction. Here’s how: Whatever you do, make it your mission to be the very best person in that role that the world has ever seen.
• Pursue the right career: Discover who you are and find career options that match your unique personality. Take risks and keep exploring new opportunities that might lead you to your dream job. Do this until you find something you enjoy doing.
• Engage in interesting projects: Volunteer for projects that spark your interest. Explore existing projects in your job or be proactive and come forward with opportunities that will enlighten your boss or team.
• Kick-start your own project: Not all meaning has to come from your job. Many people have a side hustle that provides meaning and extra income. Explore different ideas, and you’ll eventually find something interesting that can ignite a new passion.

Since work takes up such a large part of our time, you should find a sense of meaning and purpose in it – at least, if you want to live your most fulfilling life.

Step 5: Cultivate positive relationships

Another element that’s almost needless to say – but must be stressed with a few exclamation marks!!! – are your relationships. 

Society nowadays emphasizes career achievements and material possessions more than relationships. But the quality of your life is influenced by the quality of your connections.

We’re social beings after all.

Trust me, I’m an introvert and enjoy having lots of me-time. However, I can tell you for a fact that relationships do matter – a lot. And that’s also true for all you other introverts out there.

Relationships with family, friends, your partner, or even a greater community, are not just aspects of life; they’re the cornerstone for meaning and happiness.

But what does that mean?

Tips to foster fulfilling relationships

Embracing relationships means more than just spending time together. It involves listening to and supporting each other. It means letting go of past grievances and fostering empathy and compassion.

Here are some quick but useful tips to help you build deeper and more meaningful relationships:

• Be selective: I used to believe that I had to connect with everyone I met. So, I tried to be likable rather than being myself. As a result, I felt inauthentic and struggled to connect with others. Instead, be your unapologetic self and then find people who you can be yourself with. Engage with people who pursue growth and let go of the ones that hold you back from becoming who you aspire to become.
• Connect regularly: Plan time for your partner, lifelong friends, and family. As an introvert, it helps me to set goals to meet with people, set reminders to shoot them a text and keep notes to track important events in their life. 
• Practice empathy and compassion: How many evil babies do you know? None, right? You see, we’re all good by nature – and all negative actions come from a place of frustration and pain. When you adopt this belief, it empowers you to view negative social experiences with a sense of empathy and compassion. It’s a helpful attitude that changed my perspective and benefitted my social interactions.

Remember, a fulfilling life is not measured by success or possessions but by the quality of your relationships.

Step 6: Give back in some way for a truly fulfilled life

Once you meet all of your basics, the fastest way to expand your fulfillment is through the act of giving back. 

It’s not just about donating money or resources; it’s about contributing to the well-being of others. Acting with kindness and generosity fosters a deeper sense of connection and purpose.

It’s okay to set selfish goals.

I’ve got many myself.

But also integrate goals that contribute to something bigger than your personal needs and desires. Magic happens when you do. It’ll also broaden your perspective and increase your joy.

There are 3 ways to contribute:

• Time;
• Money;
• And resources.

Here are two powerful ideas:

• If you run a business or other project, you can make the act of giving back a core part of your business model.
• Not interested in starting your own project? You can always volunteer somewhere or become an advocate for community projects. 

By making giving back a habit, you not only contribute to a better world, but you also contribute to your personal fulfillment in life.

Step 7: Interweave additional elements to enrich your life

There are many other habits to upgrade the quality of your life. I encourage you to experiment with these practices to see what works for you.

And adopt the habits that contribute to your happiness.

Here’s a list of the most important ideas to foster a positive mental attitude, live in the present moment, and be happier:

• Practice gratitude: Spend a few minutes every day to think about recent experiences that you’re grateful for. Rather than wishing you were further ahead, appreciate how far you’ve come. You can enhance this practice by writing your gratitude in a journal or by using one of the best guided journals.
• Don’t sweat the small stuff: Will it matter five years from now? If not, it’s not worth stressing over.
• Actively pursue growth: Growth is essential for life to flourish – and the same counts for your satisfaction. Keep reading and learning, pursue opportunities to step outside your comfort zones, and pursue novel ideas, activities, and adventures.
• Reframe challenges as opportunities: Every setback, challenge, or difficult event is an opportunity for growth. Whether that involves making a change, crawling up from the dirt, or simply sitting with your emotions.
• Consume positive media: Watching the news and mindlessly scrolling through social media can cause a sense of pessimism. Instead, be selective about your mental consumption. Focus on positive media, like non-fiction books, stimulating podcasts, or entertaining comedies.
• Seek a positive environment: Your direct environment and the people you surround yourself with impact your mentality. If you feel like your environment is holding you back, it might be time for a change.
• Focus on solutions: Most people default to blame and complain, making them helpless victims of their circumstances. Instead, take radical responsibility and shift your focus to finding solutions.
• Make time for fun stuff: It’s okay to take a break and do something unproductive. Schedule time for your hobbies. Pursue your passions. And make time for creative self-expression. While you may want to pursue those ideas as a side hustle, it’s also okay to do it just for fun.
• Spend less than you earn: While you can focus on earning more millions, the golden rule for financial freedom is to spend less than you earn. No matter how much you earn, if you spend more, you’ll always remain a slave to your finances.

Adopting practices to put you in a positive frame of mind can transform your mindset and, in turn, your experience of the world.

Bonus step: Seek professional guidance when needed

You may lack supportive people around you. And if you feel alone and misunderstood, then professional help can go a long way.

At least it can serve as your springboard towards fulfillment.

You can get help from a therapist if you’re grappling with mental health issues. If you’re not dealing with past trauma and seek future-oriented guidance, then you can benefit the most from a coach.

• Therapists are qualified to diagnose and treat mental health disorders and mostly focus on healing emotional and psychological issues. They often explore the past and present.
• Coaching focuses more on setting and achieving specific goals to foster personal and professional growth. They mostly focus on the present and the future and are action-oriented.

Remember, reaching out is a sign of strength and can accelerate your journey through life. It’s something I should’ve done when I was younger.

What’s next?

We explored the multifaceted approach to living a more fulfilling life. While you can prioritize a certain area, it’s important to understand that happiness and even success come from a holistic approach to living your life.

Key takeaways:

• Start from the inside out: who are you and what truly matters to you?
• Set meaningful goals that align with your authentic self – not with what’s popular or what you think you should do.
• Feeling lost and don’t know where to start? In my experience, a great idea is to develop a consistent exercise routine first. It was (and still is) my foundational pillar that served as the catalyst for many other positive changes in my life.

Further resources

• Best books to live a more fulfilling life
• Read my Truity review for some of the best free personality and career tests
• Goals on Track: The goal-setting and task management software I use for all my goals. You can read my full review of Goals on Track here.

Challenge: Identify one of the 9 key areas of fulfillment that you’ve neglected. Set one achievable goal in that area. And take the first step today, no matter how small.

Do you want to receive consistent strategies and tips to enrich the quality of your life? Then sign up below to receive my best stuff for living a more joyful and purpose-driven life in your inbox every week!