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Hope D. LaVine -- Uncertain about your major, career,or life direction? Achieving goals that do not amount to anything? Stop. Pause. It's time to (re)evaluate and understand what really motivates you.

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All of my life while in school, I heard teachers and professors rambling on about setting goals. "Always be setting goals. Make sure your goals are SMART. Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely." While I agree with part of the acronym in use (attainable? Not all goals are meant to be attainable... OR realistic for that matter), I think setting goals comes after something bigger. You can set all of the goals you want, achieve eight small ones, fail at three large ones, have fifteen written down in a journal, but is it for anything? Why did you set that goal? What is the bigger picture? Most people do not have the answer to that question.

The word purpose is a noun, and it means the reason for which something is done or created or for which something exists. Example: "Why did you set that goal?" "It is part of my plan to fulfill my purpose." That one little word contains a lot of value and I'm about to tell you just why.

Now I cannot tell you what your purpose is. I cannot tell you how you will find your purpose-maybe you will find it while traveling, in changing career paths, following an old dream, or helping others. Finding your purpose in this crazy, huge, and chaotic world is the challenging part. Pursuing it is the easy part. The vast majority of this world today is living life day by day in a mundane, boring routine... without purpose. Working for a company whose values you do not believe in and you do not see a future with? In a relationship and you are not sure why anymore? Achieving goals that do not amount to anything? Stop. Pause. It is time to reevaluate what you are doing.

Find a purpose and then set goals that align with that purpose and you will achieve so much more and overall have a greater sense of fulfillment and accomplishment. Live for you, and live for a reason. I guarantee once you know why you are doing what you are doing, the drive and motivation will be completely ignited in you and you will be a force to be reckoned with.

Here are ten questions to jump-start your thinking process:

1. What do I enjoy doing in my free time?

2. If I could have any job at all (non-money related), what would it be?

3. What subjects did I excel at in school, but not pursue career-wise?

4. Am I managing my free time to where I can try new things and be open to new opportunities?

5. Am I an extrovert? Or am I an introvert?

6. Am I happy in my current place at life?

7. Do I enjoy learning new things? When was the last time I sought out new knowledge of something for enjoyment?

8. As a kid, what were the top 5 things I wanted to be?

9. Would younger me consider me at my current age a role model?

10. What advice would a younger me give current me now?

Source: Ezinearticles.com.

Hope is an experienced Sales Associate with a demonstrated history of working in the customer service industry. Skilled in Microsoft Word, Public Speaking, event planning, and Social Media, she is a strong sales professional pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Marketing & Sales Management with a minor in management and a certificate in digital marketing from the University of West Florida..

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