Think back on a time when you felt truly connected to what you were put on this earth to do. It could have been a moment, a week, or even six months when you woke up every day with a sense of peace, flow, and engagement with what you put your mind to. Remember it.

This is a critical clue — a breadcrumb — on your journey to finding your purpose. At Project X, we define purpose as a sense that you are contributing to others, that your work has a broader meaning. This means you can cultivate purpose through moments of connection and insight.

Your purpose will not be found in your cubicle, dorm room or Instagram feed.

That unnerving feeling in the pit of your stomach is reminding you that your calling is still hidden deep inside you, waiting to be explored. It is a journey and finding it opens up a million questions. It can be overwhelming to acknowledge the effort, time and money you have invested in a degree or that your career has run its course. But more often than not, it is a course that was set by someone else. Whose idea was it to define success as a six-figure income, a mortgage and a soulless job that comes with hollow bragging rights?

"Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" - Mary Oliver

But living your purpose can present as a huge obstacle. It feels overwhelming. We fear we may not find it or we're not worthy of it, or we don't have the time to discover it and earn a living. The truth, however, is that purpose is fundamental. It's the fuel that will keep you fighting the battles that seem impossible to win. When we operate from anger, frustration or fear, we eventually deplete ourselves and those around us. But when we lead from a vision that is greater than ourselves, it is energizing. It is what great teachers, entrepreneurs, civil leaders, and nurses do every day. It is unifying.

Here are five quick actions you can take to get you closer to your purpose:

We get closer to our purpose when we put ourselves out into the world. These activities are designed to help you do that. They'll provide you with breadcrumbs — little clues — about where your purposeful future lies, but they are only a first step.

We dive deep into this exploration in Project X programs. Our January 2019 Purpose Accelerator involves more than 25 experiential activities over the course of a month. Together we make progress on the journey to getting "unstuck" and finding more meaningful work. We commit to action, hold one another accountable, and start seeing progress right away. If we listen well, the seeds of our purpose can be found everywhere. Start collecting yours by signing up to our weekly Top 10 Purposeful Jobs newsletter.