Gen Z Literally Has No Purpose and It's Scary
Gen Z is the most purposeless generation and it’s actually scary.
A Harvard Graduate School of Education did a survey on mental health in America. They surveyed 396 teens (14-17 years old) and 709 young adults (18-25 years old), and a survey with 748 parents or caregivers living in the United States. According to the survey, half of young people reported that their mental health was negatively influenced by “not knowing what to do with my life” and more than half (58%) reported experiencing little or no “purpose or meaning” in life in the previous month.
This is a major reason why anxiety, depression, and self-deleting is rising.
Most people think that purpose is something that they need to spend years trying to find so they get discouraged.
But luckily that isn’t the case.
In the past, I used to walk around aimless, with no purpose. Bad habits dominated my life because of that. Then i realized that purpose is not something you find, and went from being purposeless to purpose-driven. I went from spending my days in degeneracy to spending my days in meaningful tasks.
I’ve simplified adding purpose to my life without turning it into a complicated puzzle.
By the end of this newsletter, you’ll know why purpose matters and how to add it to your life right now. with 6 simple ways so you can stop wasting years treating purpose like a mystery you must solve.
How to know if you’re a drifter
Napoleon Hill called the person who walks with no purpose a drifter.
This is his definition from his book Outwitting The Devil which is one of my favorites and i recommend you read.
I can best define the word ‘drift’ by saying that people who think for themselves never drift, while those who do little or no thinking for themselves are drifters. A drifter is one who permits himself to be influenced and controlled by circumstances outside of his own mind. A drifter is one who accepts whatever life throws in his way without making a protest or putting up a fight. He doesn’t know what he wants from life and spends all of his time getting just that.
The best way to know if you’re drifting in life is to describe a non-drifter—a purpose-driven person.
Here is a description of a non-drifter from the book Outwitting The Devil:
He is always engaged in doing something definite, through some well-organized plan which is definite. He has a major goal in life to which he is always working, and many minor goals, all of which lead toward his central scheme.
The tone of his voice, the quickness of his step, the sparkle in his eyes, the quickness of his decisions clearly mark him as a person who knows exactly what he wants and is determined to get it, no matter how long it may take or what price he must pay.
If you ask him questions, he gives you direct answers and never falls back on evasions or resorts to subterfuge.
He extends many favors to others, but accepts favors sparingly or not at all.
He will be found up front whether he is playing a game, or fighting a war.
If he does not know the answers he will say so frankly.
He has a good memory; never offers an alibi for his shortcomings.
He never blames others for his mistakes, no matter if they deserve the blame.
He used to be known as a go-getter, but in modern times he is called a go-giver. You will find him running the biggest business in town, living on the best street, driving the best automobile, and making his presence felt wherever he happens to be.
He is an inspiration to all who come into contact with his mind.
The major distinguishing feature of the non-drifter is this: He has a mind of his own and uses it for all purposes.
If most of these, but especially the first and last one, do not apply to you, you are a drifter.
Why a purposeless life is a depressed life
You have to understand a huge principle about us humans:
We are goal-striving human beings.
We are not meant to be still.
We must look forward to something and move in that direction.
The moment we stay still and work towards nothing, we suffer entropy - we decay.
In life, we are never not moving. Even when we are still and purposeless, we are moving, but in the wrong direction. We are decaying.
This is why most depressed people are people who have no definite goal in their life. They have nothing to look forward to and work on. They stand still, without purpose. Over time, entropy takes over and depression and anxiety start to show up.
Living an aimless life is like rowing a boat in the middle of the ocean without a destination. Without a clear goal, you drift with the current, wasting energy and getting nowhere. But with a clear destination, every stroke moves you forward. Without purpose, you’re at the mercy of the tides, lost and unbalanced. This leaves you frustrated, depressed, and hopeless.
Why you must be purpose-driven or suffer entropy
We humans stand out compared to other species because we have something they don’t:
A creative, imaginative mind.
Animals are preset with goals the moment they are born - to self-preserve and multiply.
We humans are lucky. Our creative minds let us set as many different goals as we want. This is one of the ways we add purpose to our life.
It’s like a self-aiming torpedo. It has a destination to go towards and will make its way towards it. If anything gets in its way, it will adjust and continue moving towards its target.
The self-aiming torpedo has purpose because it’s moving towards something. It loses its purpose when it is not used.
Us humans work in the same way as the self-aiming torpedo. When we have a definite aim in life, a target to work towards, we make our way towards it with a plan and a set of actions. If anything goes wrong or we make a wrong move, we self-correct and continue moving forward.
I’m not saying that doing nothing means we have no purpose in being here. But we will feel like we have no purpose. That’s why depression and, in some worst cases, self-deletion can result from a purposeless life.
Becoming purpose-driven is essential to living a happy and fulfilling life.
Not only that, but when hard times come, you’ll look at it a different way.
A purposeless person will look at hard circumstances as the final nail in the coffin. They believe it’s the end of the world and blame others. This only results in more hopelessness and misery.
A purpose-driven person will look a hard circumstances as it having meaning. They don’t view setbacks as defeats or as the end of the world but they see it as an opportunity to grow and learn from it. Every struggle has meaning because it serves a higher purpose.
A perfect example of this is Viktor Frankl. He survived the worst treatment imaginable in the concentration camp during the Holocaust. He saw things that would haunt any human for the rest of their life. But because he had purpose, he found meaning. He looked forward to finishing his book and seeing his family again. He says that those who had no sense of purpose were the first ones to die.
How to become purpose-driven NOW
One thing is for sure, there is no purposeless person who is happy and fulfilled.
If you are that person, don’t worry because the good news is that you don’t have to stay that way.
I went from feeling like I had no purpose to being purpose-driven and looking forward to my days.
You can become a non-drifter, a purpose-driven person now too and here is how to do it.
1) You are here for a reason
First, we have to lay the foundation. You can act on many of the other steps I have laid out for you in this newsletter. But if you don’t accept this fact you will have hard moments and fall to believing there is no purpose.
Look, you are here for a reason.
The very fact that you are here is already a one-in-a-billion miracle.
Out of all the sperm that come out of your dad’s nutsacks, there was only one who made it to the end - that was you. You succeeded and received life. This isn’t random, it’s proof that you came here for a reason.
This alone should give your life meaning and purpose, that your existence wasn’t an accident. Even if your mom and dad didn’t plan on having you and he had a weak pull out game, it still happened for a reason. For you to be here.
But to go even further, I want you to go back to a time or many times in your life when you almost didn’t make it. When you were close to dying but never did.
How are you still here?
Why are you still here?
It’s for a reason.
I remember when I was a young kid and I almost died choking. Like I was seconds away from not existing anymore. I remember slowly losing consciousness because I couldn’t breathe. Luckily with the help of my dad, I survived, but that was the first time I almost died.
Then I remember when I was also a young little kid and I got hit with a bat straight at my dome. I was bleeding like crazy. I remember getting hit and everything went black. Next thing you know I am in a car with my parents and my aunt holding my head with a bunch of paper towels full of blood. I was losing a ton of blood and losing consciousness. Luckily I survived that as well!
There is a moment or a few moments in our life where we come close to death but survive.
It’s for a reason.
2) Embrace boredom for a while
Now, what if the key to being to purpose-driven is to first embrace boredom?
You see, most of us don’t like the idea of boredom.
In the bathroom, we grab our phones.
While waiting in line, we check our phones.
While waiting for the bus or for our food to come, we scroll through our phones.
Most of us do whatever to avoid boredom.
Doing that now is easier than ever before.
How does this relate to purpose?
Most people without purpose try to feel better by chasing constant dopamine.
Social media
Video games
Endless scrolling
Movies and tv shows
and more
The problem with this is that it numbs the pain of a purposeless life. You never find the motivation to become purpose-driven because the constant cheap dopamine is making you feel good.
They distract you from taking time to reflect and ask yourself:
“What do I want out of life?”
If you’re constant distracted, it’s hard to find direction or a sense of purpose.
The solution is simple - embrace boredom.
When you stop drowning in constant dopamine, your mind has the chance to slow down and focus. This helps you connect with your thoughts and figure out what actually matters to you.
Spend a period of time alone in silence.
No phones, no tv, no distractions whatsoever.
While bored, you will face thoughts you have been escaping for a long time. This is when you should whip out your journal and write them down and go deep with them. As you go deep and answer the questions that pop up, you’ll find the answers you’re looking for.
With all the social media and entertainment sources that we can access in a matter of seconds, more and more people are getting distracted and are avoiding facing their problems.
3) Solve a problem in your life
This is something you can do right now to create purpose in your life. It’s not something you need to spend years trying to do, you can start as soon as you’re done reading this newsletter.
Purpose can come from solving problems.
To be honest, the most fulfilled people are always solving a problem.
Writers write books to solve problems. Some solve personal development issues like self-help books. Others solve entertainment problems like interesting novels.
Entrepreneurs build businesses to solve problems. Some create software to make doing things more easier. Some create supplement companies to help gym bros and girls meet their goals.
Without a focus on a meaningful problem, it’s easy to feel aimless.
There are 4 pillars to what i call The Fulfilled Life:
Health
Wealth
Connections
Happiness
Focusing on solving a problem you currently have in one or more of these areas. It will give you direction and motivation everyday.
So point out a problem you currently have in one of these 4 areas and make it your priority from here on out to solve it.
It could be your health and getting in better shape.
It could be your wealth and learning skills to increase your income.
It could be your connections with family, friends, romance, and strengthening them.
It could be your happiness and finding meaningful work or strengthening your relationship with God.
Focusing on a meaningful challenge gives you purpose now, hoy, today.
Start by reflecting on each of the 4 pillars of The Fulfilled Life. See which one you are the least satisfied with then create a plan with a set of actions to improve that area.
If you are not satisfied with your health, you are in horrible shape and wish you could not only look better but feel better everyday, set a fitness goal. Break it down into small steps you can start taking right now to solve that problem. Track your progress by weighing yourself everyday or weekly. Track your macros either on an app or in a journal.
Now, you are focusing on a meaningful problem. By doing this, you are giving your life meaning and purpose. You’ll wake up not dreading the day but looking forward to it.
4) Wake up before the sun is up
Monks and high achievers follow a habit that's backed by neuroscience and even the bible. God followed this habit as well.
It’s a powerful habit that can change your life like it changed mine.
It's waking up early before the sun rises.
Waking up early makes you feel like you have purpose.
Think about it, what is the reason most people wake up early?
Either to go to work or an appointment or for something important.
Most people would rather sleep and wake up late but since they have important things to do, they wake up early.
Back when I used to be a drifter, I would wake up very late - around 12pm and 1pm. I would have no sleep schedule and no night or morning routine.
Now that I wake up 6 hours earlier, I am more purposeful and even accomplished.
Even if you don’t have very important things to do early, it’s still beneficial to wake up early. You’ll feel like a purpose-driven person. You’ll do what most purpose-driven people do which is waking up before the sun is up.
If you suffer from aimlessness, you’ll make yourself feel even worse waking up late. By the time you wake up, a quarter or half of your day is gone.
Start slow instead of going fast.
Instead of going from waking up at 11am to waking up at 6am the next day, start by waking up 15-30 minutes early one week. Then the next week, wake up 15-30 minutes earlier than the previous time. Do this until you get to your desired wake up time.
Now that you’re up early, use that time to do something with it.
Get an important task done.
Read a book.
Meditate.
Journal.
That’s how I did it and was able to remain consistent with my wake up time and it’s been years since I woke up late.
5) Make self-improvement is purposeful
Now, let’s talk about self-improvement.
Self-improvement is sometimes looked as selfish and even as a project to some people.
There are people who don’t agree with the idea of self-improving. They believe you should “accept yourself the way you are”.
The brutal reality is that if we were to follow that advice, most of us would be:
Fat
Broke
Lonely
Unhappy and unfulfilled
You'll be stuck…
Now, I am not saying to never accept yourself the way you are. You should accept yourself BUT there should be more context to it. You were born with certain qualities you cannot change that you should accept. But there is always room for improvement.
If you have bad social skills, following the “accept yourself the way you are” advice will leave you stuck.
If you are in bad shape, this advice will keep you the same - out of shape and unhealthy.
Reframe the way you think about self-improvement - make it purposeful.
Instead of seeing it as selfish, realize that improving yourself can not only help you live a better life but can help you help others as well.
Now only will you inspire others when they see you change, but you can help others change by what you have learned so far from improving.
You can get ripped and in shape not only to look and feel good but to some day help others do the same.
You can build stronger friendships and improve your love life not only to have friends and a relationship but to help others make friends and find love.
You can start a YouTube channel and give your tips and unique insights on both niches.
To help someone else you need to first help yourself. You can’t help someone who is fat lose weight if you haven’t lost any weight yourself.
When you improve yourself not only to live a better life but to help others live better lives, it becomes more purpose-driven.
6) Ask yourself this question
Now, this is a question that you can answer right now that will help add purpose to your life if you answer it and implement the answer.
Many people feel lost and aimless, not realizing they have something within them that can bring purpose to their life.
The question is this:
What skills, abilities, or knowledge do you have that can help others?
When you identify and use what you already have to serve others, you create purpose.
I knew a girl who is very good at doing makeup. She would do her makeup with ease. She is so good that women would ask her to do their makeup for special events like a birthday. One day she thought of doing YouTube. She thought of showing other women how to do makeup and reviewing products and more. She had her camera ready and everything.
She never did it.
I guess she was too shy or she had limiting beliefs and it stopped her.
She continues working at a job that she hates.
If she would’ve asked herself this question, her answer would be makeup.
It’s a form of art and a skill. Not everyone can do someone’s makeup flawless with ease and great detail.
She could’ve done YouTube and gained followers and do that for a living.
She could’ve started her at home business doing makeup.
She would be doing something she enjoys and is good at while helping others feel and look good. She would be more fulfilled.
If you answer this question, you can find what you can do to help someone else.
If you struggle with purpose, start helping someone else.
The best way to do it is to help someone solve a problem with the solution you have.
We all havecertain attributes, skills, abilities, or information that others don’t.
Start by reflecting on what you’re good at or what people often ask you for help with.
You might be great at socializing. You can help others become great socializers as well, especially now that there is a growing epidemic of loneliness.
You might be a great artist. Teach others how to be great at art too.
Nowadays there is a niche for everything full of people wanting to learn more about it.
At the end of the day, one of the most fulfilling and purposeful things you can do is be in service of others.
These are ways you can start implementing right now that will give you a sense of purpose and meaning in your life. Stop trying to find a sense of purpose and start creating it. There is no way that you implement all 6 of these and not come away with purpose, that’s how much I know they will help you.
But there is one more important thing that I didn’t mention in this newsletter.
You can act on all these things but if you are not consistent, you’ll fail every time. To be purpose-driven, you also need to be consistent.
Check out the newsletter below where explain why you struggle with consistency and how you can start to be consistent to achieve your goals and purpose.
Have a great week!
❗️ Life Update
I am back!
I was gone for about 2 months but I am now back like I never left. I did a lot of reflecting these past 2 months. I definitely needed that.
I am going to crush all my 2025 goals and I hope you do as well.
This newsletter will be back every weekend so check your inbox to read something that can change your life every week!
See you on the next one!
📚 Books I am reading right now
“The 7 Habits Of Highly Effective people” - By Stephen R. Covey
I’ve heard about this book but never got to reading it. I got it because it has a ton of good reviews and some of the highest achievers recommends to read it.
I am halfway through and I regret not getting it sooner. I am on habit 4 - Think win/win.
💭 Quote of the week:
“Life is never made unbearable by circumstances, but only by lack of meaning and purpose.” - Victor Frankl
Thanks for reading my newsletter! I hope you gained value from this.