7 Sustainable Ways to Cultivate Meaning in Your Life

Did you know that 60% of young adults in the U.S. say their lives feel purposeless—and half say it’s harming their mental health?

That’s from Harvard’s On Edge report, a nationally representative survey of 18–25-year-olds. It’s a wake-up call for clarity, hope, and real change.

I don’t want you to feel lost. So in this week’s episode of The Grateful Podcast, I shared 7 psychology-backed practices you can use to build more meaning and purpose into your life—starting today.

Here’s a quick guide you can carry with you:

1. 

Lean Into Deep Relationships

Meaning comes through people. Social bonds literally keep us alive—they lower stress, improve immunity, and increase lifespan. Depth matters more than breadth. Call someone just to listen. Tell a friend they matter. The small deposits of connection compound into a lifetime of purpose.

2. 

Serve Others—Even in Small Ways

We’re wired for contribution. Helping a friend, encouraging a classmate, or simply noticing someone at the checkout counter sparks what psychologists call the “helper’s high.” Service doesn’t drain us—it sustains us.

3. 

Craft Your Narrative Identity

Your story shapes your meaning. Are you living your ideal story, your ought story, or avoiding your lost roads? Reframe struggles as stepping stones, and every day becomes another line in a purposeful narrative.

4. 

Set Other-Focused Goals

Goals that serve others create lasting motivation. Instead of “I want to grow my podcast,” I reframe it as: I want to share ideas that help people live more grateful lives. That shift keeps me energized when self-focus would burn me out.

5. 

Practice Active Listening & Mentorship

Purpose often comes not from finding answers, but from being heard. Active listening—being present without rushing to fix—creates belonging. And belonging builds meaning. Listen deeply. Seek those who listen to you.

6. 

Explore Identity & Values

Ask yourself: Who am I? What do I care about? What would I fight for, even if it cost me? Living in alignment with those values—even imperfectly—creates a compass that points you toward purpose.

7. 

Embrace Transcendent Practices

Whether through meditation, nature, music, or prayer, transcendent practices remind us we’re part of a bigger story. They quiet the ego, reduce anxiety, and give perspective. Sometimes the most powerful way to find yourself is to lose yourself in something greater.

✨ Final Thought

Purpose isn’t fluff—it’s essential.

Young adults who lack it face nearly double the rates of anxiety and depression.

So don’t overthink this. Pick one practice. Start small.

• What relationship could you nurture?

• What story will you write?

• What cause could you serve?

Even one spark of meaning can change everything.

🎙 The Grateful Podcast

I host a podcast where I sit down with incredible thinkers, creators, and change-makers to explore how to live with more gratitude, purpose, and ambition.

• Monday → A solo episode where I share the raw lessons I’m learning in real-time.

• Wednesday & Saturday → Conversations with guests who are chasing meaningful lives and doing what they love.

Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

🌱 1-on-1 Gratitude Coaching

If you’re chasing a dream and feel stuck, burnt out, or unsure of your next move—this is for you.

I work with two different client profiles:

1. I guide ambitious young people to help them find clarity, take action, and live with more gratitude along the way.

2. I help burnt out, established CEOs, founders, and entrepreneurs ground in presence so can start optimizing for a life that feels good on the inside and doesn’t just look good from afar.

It’s not therapy. It’s not life coaching.

It’s a real conversation about who you want to become—grounded in purpose and built on action.

🔗 Book a free 15-minute call

Email me at [email protected] to get scheduled.

Thank you for reading.

Keep showing up. Keep dreaming big.

I’ll see you next week.

With gratitude,

Jack