Finding Your Purpose with AI - A 20-Minute Process to Discover Your North Star

Do you feel lost, not knowing what the next step in your life should be? For 20 years, I’ve been bouncing between molecular biology, SaaS founding, digital marketing, and AI. And through all of it, I never felt like I was coming home. I always felt scattered, sad, and uncertain about the overarching theme of my life.

Why Finding Your Purpose Matters

You might think “purpose” is just another buzzword. Find your purpose and suddenly everything becomes easier, right? In some sense, that’s true. But purpose alone doesn’t change anything—you have to live it.

The most important thing about finding your purpose is that it gives you a North Star, an inner compass to help you make decisions:

• Should you work abroad?
• Should you marry that person?
• Should you have children?
• Which job should you take?

All these questions become easier to answer when you have an inner compass guiding you toward what’s right for you.

My Disconnected Journey

All the things I did in my career felt awkwardly disconnected from each other:

• Molecular biology
• Software as a service founder
• Digital marketing
• AI

How did these fit together? I had seriously no clue.

For 25 years, I felt trapped by the idea that I needed to find “one niche.” I struggled with imposter syndrome after my SaaS company tanked. Even after successfully scaling events to 5,000 attendees, I still thought it was just luck. And I delayed starting my YouTube channel for years because I felt like a fraud.

What I didn’t realize was that my polymath nature—coding since age 13, exploring personal development, playing piano, working with AI at Histack, and diving into philosophy—wasn’t a weakness. It was actually the key to my purpose.

The AI Breakthrough Moment

Luckily, I started using AI as an interactive journaling tool where I could input my thoughts and receive crystal clear feedback on things I had never considered before.

After entering my data, I got a perspective on my life I’d never had before: I’m someone who decodes systems.

The second I read this from the AI, it felt natural. I suddenly realized that this was my overarching theme all along. Whether I was studying molecular biology or building software, I was always decoding systems.

I had told ChatGPT, “I want to start a YouTube channel about personal wealth, but I feel like an imposter—help me overcome it.” This simple prompt unlocked insights that led me to my purpose as a system decoder for polymaths and people feeling lost.

Niching Up, Not Down

What also helped me—and might help you—is realizing that I don’t fit into one box. For me, trying to niche down and put myself in smaller boxes was exactly the wrong approach.

It made me unhappy to think I had to do the same thing for the next 5-10 years. Instead of niching down, I niched up. This is what ChatGPT and other AI tools can do for us—help us see new perspectives and discover what’s really important on a level that wasn’t visible before.

Now my purpose—“I decode systems”—isn’t just a nice idea. It’s something I can use to make my business even better. I’ve refined this into a clear mission: “I decode systems—personal growth, money, marketing, AI—to help polymaths, lost souls, and entrepreneurs find clarity, purpose, and profit, drawing from my 25-year journey.”

The 20-Minute AI Purpose-Finding Process

I’m going to share my simple process that you can do with any large language model like ChatGPT, Claude, or Grok. Here’s how it works:

Step 1: State Your Problem

Open your AI tool of choice and start by clearly stating your problem. Explain who you are, where you are in life, and what’s troubling you.

For example, I mentioned that one of my problems was not being able to stick with anything for more than 3-6 months.

Take 15-20 minutes to identify your pain points and passions:

• Write down 3-5 moments where you felt lost, unfulfilled, or like an imposter
• List 3-5 passions or skills you’ve pursued, even briefly

Example AI Prompts

Try these prompts, inspired by my process:

• For career transitions: “I feel unfulfilled after [X years] of [roles/passions, e.g., coding, teaching]. Help me find my purpose—ask 3 questions, evaluate, and suggest a purpose tying my fears (e.g., imposter syndrome) and passions (e.g., music, tech).”

• For multi-passionates: “I’m a multi-passionate feeling scattered—coding, writing, entrepreneurship. Ask 4 questions to uncover my purpose, focusing on overcoming my fear of not fitting one niche, and suggest a mission to help others like me.”

• For new projects: “I want to launch [project, e.g., a YouTube channel] but feel like an imposter. Ask 3 questions, evaluate my answers, and suggest a purpose that uses my skills (e.g., AI, growth) to help [audience, e.g., lost folks].”

Step 2: Ask for Expert Guidance

Ask the AI what type of professionals could help you solve your problem:

• “Which professional consultant could help me?”
• “What type of coach do you think could solve this riddle?”

Step 3: Reframe Your Question

Ask the AI to rewrite your prompt from the perspective of the experts that resonated with you. In my case, I asked it to include the existential coach and systems consultant perspectives.

Try a prompt like this: “I’m feeling lost after [X years] of [your roles/passions]. I want to find my purpose—ask me 3-5 questions, evaluate my answers, and suggest a purpose tying my fears (e.g., imposter syndrome) and passions together.”

Step 4: Share Your Backstory

Give the AI your complete background—all the things you’ve done in your life that seem disconnected. The more details you provide, the better the AI can identify patterns.

Be vulnerable here. Share both your failures (like my SaaS company tanking) and your wins (like scaling events). Authenticity is key to getting meaningful insights.

Step 5: Ask for Patterns

Ask directly: “What patterns can you see that I’ve overlooked? What’s the overarching theme in my life?”

For me, the AI described me as a polymath who thrives at intersections. This resonated deeply.

Step 6: Request Different Perspectives

Ask the AI to describe your purpose from different perspectives. I asked it to describe my purpose as a CEO might, and that’s when it came up with “systems decoder”—which instantly clicked.

Step 7: Refine Your Purpose

Take 15-20 minutes to use your AI insights to craft a personal purpose statement:

1. Review your AI responses and notes—highlight recurring themes
2. Write a purpose statement: “I [verb] [systems or areas] to help [audience] [benefit]”
3. Test it—does it feel true, like my “I decode systems to help polymaths live free”?

Your Purpose as a North Star

Your purpose serves as your North Star, helping you make better decisions. Not knowing what you want can actually be a superpower because you’re aware of it and free to explore what should come next.

Remember that feeling lost is often just your subconscious mind telling you that you aren’t where you belong. That awareness is the first step toward finding your true path.

The Power of AI for Self-Discovery

I use ChatGPT and similar tools every day for self-reflection and exploration. They provide an external perspective that can reveal patterns we’re too close to see ourselves.

Your Turn to Find Your Purpose

Now it’s up to you. Take 20 minutes to try this process:

1. State your problem clearly
2. Ask which experts could help you
3. Reframe your question from their perspective
4. Share your complete backstory
5. Ask for patterns you’ve missed
6. Request different perspectives on your purpose
7. Refine your purpose into a clear statement

I’ve created a framework document with prompts you can use (check the description below the video).

Here are some additional AI prompts you can try, inspired by my process:

• “I feel unfulfilled after [X years] of [roles/passions]. Help me find my purpose—ask 3 questions, evaluate, and suggest a purpose tying my fears and passions together.”
• “I’m a polymath feeling scattered—[list your interests]. Ask 4 questions to uncover my purpose, focusing on overcoming my fear of not fitting one niche, and suggest a mission to help others like me.”
• “I want to launch [project] but feel like an imposter. Ask 3 questions, evaluate my answers, and suggest a purpose that uses my skills to help [audience].”

What’s Next After Finding Your Purpose?

Finding your purpose is just the beginning. Once you have your North Star, you can:

1. Evaluate current projects against your purpose
2. Make decisions with greater confidence
3. Find connections between seemingly unrelated interests
4. Explain your unique value to others more clearly

Take action to test your purpose:

• Start a small project tied to your purpose (like I did with “I Decode Systems” on YouTube)
• Share your purpose with 3-5 people and ask for feedback
• Track responses and adjust as needed

Final Thoughts

Your purpose isn’t set in stone. It may evolve as you grow and gain new experiences. The important thing is having that North Star to guide your decisions today.

Remember these tips from my journey:

• Be vulnerable: Share both failures and successes
• Stay curious: Keep exploring your passions
• Use AI as a mirror: It’s a tool to unlock your own insights
• Test locally: Start with friends to validate your purpose

Take the time to discover yours. Watch this video again if needed, use my prompts, and see what insights emerge. Your future self will thank you for the clarity this process brings.

Have you discovered your purpose or North Star? How has it helped you make decisions? Share your experiences in the comments below!