What if you’re already living your purpose (without realising it)? And what The Sims has to do with it.

Your purpose isn’t out there somewhere. It starts with how you show up today.

I probably wrote it 99 times into my travel diary:

“I want to do my own thing.”

“I know I’m dedicated, I know I’m clever, I know I can if I want to.”

But the what, the actual direction, filled my brain with fog.

In one of my latest YouTube videos (and if you haven’t checked them out yet, it’s about time), I shared the story of how I almost burned out in corporate life. At just 25, I felt trapped in the hamster wheel. I knew I wanted my own thing and made it my mission to figure out what that was.

Let me save you some time and share two big things I’ve learned:

1. Your “one thing” shouldn’t be limited to your career.

Yes, work takes up a lot of space in our lives. But don’t fall into the trap of thinking that the perfect job will magically fix everything. It works the other way around. Start with the life you want, then find a job that fits into that.

2. Purpose is a decision.

It’s not one aligned action you take once. It’s more like peeling an onion. With every layer you shed (and the occasional tears that come with it), you move closer to your centre.

After I left corporate, bought a one-way ticket across the world, and fit my life into one backpack, I unknowingly started building my purpose. Not by having a plan. But by living, trying, failing, getting up, and trying again.

We all want meaning. And honestly, the fact that we get to ask those big questions shows how far we’ve come. If you look at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, self-actualisation only becomes possible when the foundations are in place. That means safety, connection, stability. So if you’re reflecting on your purpose, it’s already a sign of how much you’ve built.

Still, there’s this pressure. We want to know our purpose to feel like we’re doing life right. Sometimes we just want to control it all. If I know my purpose, then I’ll stop wasting time. Then everything will fall into place. But trying to force it never helps.

What I know now is this:

If I had understood back then that purpose starts with presence, I would have enjoyed the moment more. I wouldn’t have sat in that Yoga Shala wondering if I was wasting time. I would’ve let myself listen. I would’ve watched the wind move the grass. I would’ve smiled at the sound of the wind chime behind me and known that this, too, was part of it.

If I had known that your purpose unfolds through listening and living, I would’ve stopped trying so hard to figure it all out in one go.

And if I had known that purpose isn’t one specific job or label, I would’ve given myself more freedom to explore and mess up along the way.

Now I know:

Everything I did brought me closer to the kind of life I wanted.

And that’s what it means to live with purpose.

What The Sims taught me about purpose

When I was younger, I could spend hours playing The Sims. I loved designing their homes, building their careers, and even choosing who they should marry (and where to go on vacation) . But surely (if you played the game yourself) you remember, you can get the big things right but they don’t matter if you’re not looking after the little green diamond above their heads.

That diamond glowed bright when their needs were met: food, sleep, socialising, movement, fun. And it dimmed when they neglected themselves and their needs.

Funny how life is exactly like that.

Back then, I thought purpose was about finding the perfect thing to do. Now I see it’s about looking after the “Sim” you’ve been given: your body, your mind, your life. When you eat well, rest enough, learn, grow, connect with people you love, and allow yourself some play, your own diamond glows.

And from that space, it becomes easier to see which actions, jobs, or projects align with you.

Purpose isn’t hidden in a grand title. It’s built in the way you care for your own needs, in the way you show up day to day - and maybe your purpose is exactly that: to look after yourself with compassion.

I also believe there are many things you can do that align with your purpose. But we often confuse it with what we want to do for a living.

Which brings me to this: I actually love the phrase what do you want to do for a living?

Because I want to live for my living.

To me, the core of purpose is a fulfilled life. One where you care for yourself the way you used to care for your Sims — make sure you sleep enough, eat well, socialise, move, learn new things, and yes, take holidays (I definitely bought the holiday extension pack for real life).

Purpose is deeply personal. It changes. It’s not a job title. But your work can absolutely be one way you express it.

And if you’re ready to start making aligned choices and shift your own diamond from half-empty to glowing green, I’d love to support you in that.

Have a great day!

x Mimi