This is an excerpt from a post I helped with recently on a blog I am part of for the Business Vision Network, a purpose-driven networking community for business professionals and entrepreneurs. You can read the entire article here.

We all have had moments that have shaped us into the people we are today. These life-changing events can be interpreted as both good and/or bad. No one is removed from the most amazing things and horrific things life can offer.

Many times we don’t realize the impact that “milestones” have until we look back on them weeks, months, and even years later to fully grasp past situations.

Life milestones help you discover your life purpose. A practical exercise that can help you is to think through the different seasons of your life.

Begin with the early years and move through your life as this will help complete the exercise in “bit-size pieces”. (i.e.: early childhood season, adolescent season, college-age season, young professional season, early-marriage season, starting a family season, career season, etc.).

As you go through each season, ask yourself this question, “What life-changing moment occurred in this season to help shape me into the person I am today?”

These life-changing moments should be things that were extremely good in nature, or extremely difficult, painful, or extraordinary in a life-changing way.

An exercise like this allows you to further contemplate the impact that life-changing events have on you. Examining these milestones let’s you better understand your purpose in life.