Your Pathways to Well-Being Tip: A New Year of Purpose
Individuals with dementia still understand that helping out, being busy, lending a helping hand, giving to other people, being listened to, and feeling that they belong are important indicators of quality of life. – Catherine Nakonetschny, Cultivating A Sense of Purpose in People with Dementia
The start of a new year is often a time of reflection, a time to refresh purpose and goals. Having a purpose gives life meaning, supports well-being, and builds confidence.
Meaningful activities and contributing roles bring opportunity and relevance. As you look to grow your purpose after diagnosis:
- Reframe and reset your goals and record them as a reminder.
- Remember that the size of individual purpose can vary—from global impact (addressing hunger or other inequities) to something more personal in focus (pursuing a new interest).
- Expect your purpose and goals to change, but not disappear, along your dementia journey and with evolving daily circumstances.
- Consider what is important to you. What are your hopes and dreams for the future? What activities have you enjoyed in the past, and what currently engages your mind and heart?
The new year brings new possibilities. Art and music, advocacy, volunteerism, intergenerational experiences, and more—it’s your purpose, it’s your choice!
You need to have a reason to get out of bed and things to make you smile. –Laurie Scherrer, Manual Guide
For more information about finding your purpose
–visit Pathways Section 1.12
