health
March 12, 2026
Try small steps and set the bar low: how to find the meaning of life
Don’t treat it as a lofty quest, experts say. You can make each day feel more meaningful with humbler methods
TL;DR
- Many people are experiencing a 'meaning crisis' due to the decline of traditional sources of meaning and recent global events.
- Finding meaning can be approached with pragmatic 'design thinking', focusing on improving everyday experiences rather than drastic life changes.
- Key components to 'meaning-making' include wonder (self-transcendence), flow (total absorption in the present), coherence (aligning actions with values), and community (formative connections).
- Setting the bar low, cultivating curiosity, embracing boredom, and aligning actions with values are practical ways to increase daily meaning.
- Formative communities, people focused on getting more out of life, offer transformative support for living more authentic and meaningful lives.
- Meaning is best viewed as a moment-by-moment process of becoming, rather than a final achievement, and often starts with simply aiming for a better day.
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