Dr. Maymunah Yusuf Kadiri 
If life is a ship, purpose is the compass. Without it, you may still move, but you drift, pushed by tides you don’t control. With it, even in storms, you know which way to steer.
Purpose-driven living is not a motivational slogan; it is a daily practice. It means structuring your life so your actions, however small, consistently point toward the deeper calling you believe you were put on earth to fulfill. It’s about bridging the gap between what matters most to you and how you spend your days.
Why Purpose Matters
Research in psychology and neuroscience shows that people who live with a clear sense of purpose experience better mental health, lower stress, and even greater longevity. A study from the University of Michigan found that having a strong purpose can reduce the risk of early death by up to 43%.
Purpose acts as a filter. Without it, every demand feels urgent. With it, you can say “yes” to what aligns and “no” to what distracts. In a noisy world, especially in fast-moving cities like Lagos or New York—this clarity is the difference between burnout and fulfillment.
The Nigerian Context – Why Purpose Feels Urgent Now
Many Nigerians are hustling hard but still feel empty. Economic pressure drives people to chase income without considering whether their work feeds their deeper values. Social media makes it worse, pushing comparison and the fear of being “left behind.”
But purpose-driven living is not about quitting your job to “follow your passion” blindly. It’s about integrating meaning into your current reality, that is, finding ways for your daily actions to serve something larger than yourself.
Step 1 – Clarify Your Deeper Calling
Your deeper calling is not always loud; sometimes it whispers. To hear it, ask:
• What makes me lose track of time?
• What do people often come to me for advice about?
• If I had unlimited resources, what problem would I solve in the world?
For some, it’s raising a healthy family. For others, it’s building a business that creates jobs or advocating for social change. Whatever it is, naming it is the first step.
Step 2 – Audit Your Daily Habits
Your habits are the building blocks of your life. If they don’t align with your purpose, you will live in constant friction.
If your purpose involves health, are you moving your body daily?
If your purpose involves leadership, are you studying and practicing the skills that make leaders effective?
If your purpose involves creativity, do you have a daily time block to create?
Habits don’t have to be dramatic—consistent, small actions compound over time into a purpose-driven life.
Step 3 – Create Purpose Rituals
Rituals anchor you to your “why.” This could be:
• Starting each morning with 10 minutes of journaling about your goals.
• Ending each week by reviewing progress toward your purpose.
• Scheduling non-negotiable time for activities aligned with your calling.
These rituals create an invisible structure that keeps you from drifting.
Step 4 – Protect Your Energy
Purpose cannot thrive in constant distraction. Limit the noise—whether that’s excessive news, toxic relationships, or endless social media scrolling. Your attention is your life’s currency; spend it where it multiplies your mission.
Step 5 – Embrace the Long Game
Purpose is not fulfilled in a single day or a single year. Think of it as farming: daily planting, watering, and weeding before the harvest comes. Some days will feel like progress; others will feel like maintenance. Both matters.
Purpose Is Also About Service
One truth across cultures, from Yoruba proverbs to Asian philosophy—is that purpose expands when it serves others. A life lived only for self-satisfaction eventually feels hollow. True purpose often involves leaving the world or at least one person better than you found it.
Purpose-driven living is not about perfection; it’s about direction. You will have detours, delays, and even doubts. But as long as your habits keep pointing toward your deeper calling, you are on the right path.
Every day, you make choices that either align with your purpose or drift you away from it. Your job, your relationships, your morning routine, your evening thoughts—all are either anchors or sails.
The question is: will you let life push you around like a boat without a rudder, or will you steer toward what truly matters?
Dr. MAYMUNAH YUSUF KADIRI (aka DR. MAY) popularly referred to as “The Celebrity Shrink,” is a multiple award winning Mental Health Physician, Advocate & Coach. She is the convener of “The Mental Health Conference” and the Medical Director and Psychiatrist-In-Chief at Pinnacle Medical Services, Dr. Kadiri is a dynamic Consultant Neuro-Psychiatrist and a Fellow of the National Post Graduate Medical College of Nigeria (FMCPsych) with almost 20 years’ experience as a practicing Physician.