In a Substack post, Dutch author Darius Foroux admits that he never wants to be on his deathbed having “zero evidence he ever existed.” 🛏

It’s dramatic, sure... Nevertheless, many of us share this fear, so we search for purpose and meaning in life. ⭐ The North Star that will give our lives shape and direction. 

But fixating on finding ‘purpose’ can counterintuitively make you feel less fulfilled and increase anxiety and depression, which can contribute to a sense of burnout and dissatisfaction with life.

😄 There’s little doubt that sense of purpose contributes to long-term health and happiness—yet, for the purpose-paralyzed, it may be worth considering how you can be useful first.

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A sense of purpose (in this case, I’m referring to life purpose) is what you think gives life meaning. Purpose can change as we go through our lives, but sometimes it remains a throughline. 

Purpose can reduce your risk of dying by an incredible 46%. That’s even greater than exercise. It also lowers dementia risk by 28% 🧠 and makes life better. These benefits make it a reliable and actionable tool for healthy aging.

While usefulness is intrinsic in purpose, you don’t have to have a life purpose to be useful. Usefulness instead asks, “What can I do?” 

By definition, useful means being advantageously used for others’ purposes. 🤝 That suggests it’s an outward action to serve others, and it could have various mental health and emotional benefits.

As doctor and author of Eat Your Ice Cream, Ezekiel J. Emanuel, MD, says, "Not contributing to society is not good for the soul. You have to be useful. You have to try to make the world a better place. That's key to wellness, too." 🗝

Why? Feeling useful may deliver similar longevity benefits to purpose (usefullness is part of purpose), without the pressure to find your own – that can feel reductionist and overwhelming.

"Unless people have many explicit plans to stay useful, they tend to spiral," writes INC. This can be especially relevant with aging, which can create many barriers to feeling useful. 

The most confronting barrier is the increased risk of physical limitations, disease, and chronic health conditions as we age. 😷

Age-related changes can impact independence, abilities, and self-esteem, and make it hard to feel fulfilled in the ways you’re used to.

Ageism can’t be ignored, either. Thinking positively about aging tends to cultivate more years of good health 💗 , but negative social narratives can make it hard to think positively and explore new opportunities.

Then there’s retirement…letting go of routines that traditionally added purpose and value to life. While not inherently bad, retirement can perpetuate inactivity and the paralysis of ‘what next’. 

Retirees tend to:

These aging barriers are real, but they do not have to affect your ability to have an impact.

Whether you are starting a career, a mom of three kids, or well into your golden years, being useful is a way to connect, grow, and be relevant at every stage of life.

🔈 Ask to help. Being open about offering help is vulnerable, but it can invite you to new opportunities. This might look like teaching a neighbor to cook, mentoring a student, or organizing a community garden. Small acts compound into connection and capability.

🖼 Reframe leisure time. In INC, Ben Franklin is said to be the beacon of healthy aging (living to 84 years old, despite retiring in his 40s) because he used his leisure time to make his biggest contributions to this country. Declaration of Independence… need say nothing else.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Volunteer. The deeper meaning of usefulness is leaving the world better than you found it, according to poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. Helping others supports longevity by creating a sense of purpose, gratitude, fulfillment, and belonging.

👐 Be open to trying. If something feels uncomfortable, that doesn't mean you don't try it. Continuing to learn grows new neurons that keep your brain sharp, and it fuels new relationships, ideas, and opportunities to connect.

🚶‍♀ Live a healthy lifestyle: Staying active, eating whole foods, getting rest, staying engaged through socialization and relationships makes you capable of more forms of contribution, and increases your capacity to do more…thus, you feel more useful.

One note: Being useful doesn't mean being available to everyone and spreading yourself too thin. When balanced, it keeps you engaged, supports growth, and builds the health that allows you to contribute to the world.

Purpose and usefulness can overlap, because being useful can be applied to your purpose. But being useful doesn’t need a purpose in order to take action. Besides, it often cultivates a sense of purpose.  

Foroux suggests ‘usefulness’ is a mindset. Like any mindset, it starts with a decision. Decide that you want to age well…

In other words, decide how you want to be useful.

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This week’s episode is exclusively available on the Livelong Podcast^TM.

We asked, you answered: How much does your exercise routine change month to month?

Curious—as emerging research suggests that a varied routine could impact longevity more than what you do and at what intensity—would you be willing to try something new? If not for your body, then for the brain… :)