How to Live on Purpose: Five Life-Changing Choices to Break Free from Autopilot and Find True Fulfillment

At the start of every new year, millions of people make resolutions to lose weight, get a new job, or finally change careers. Yet within weeks, many feel defeated, frustrated, or stuck in the same patterns as before. Why? Because most people are living on autopilot. In this exclusive interview on the Work Unscripted podcast, executive coach and author Amy Wong shares how to stop living by default and start living with purpose. Drawing from her book, Living on Purpose, Amy outlines five transformational mindset shifts that anyone can use to create fulfillment and clarity in their work and life.

Why Success Without Fulfillment Feels Hollow

The first major insight Amy shares is that most people are not chasing goals for the goals themselves. They are chasing the feelings they believe those goals will bring. We do not actually want the promotion, the big house, or the perfect relationship. We want what we think we will feel when we get them. That might be peace, joy, security, or significance. When people ignore those deeper emotional desires, they may succeed on paper but feel hollow and unfulfilled. This is the trap of default living, where external achievements fail to deliver internal satisfaction.

Choice 1: Feel It, Don't Figure It Out

Instead of figuring everything out logically, Amy urges people to feel it out. Most people overanalyze decisions, create endless pro and con lists, and try to mentally control their outcomes. But real fulfillment starts with pausing, dropping into the body, and noticing whether a decision feels expansive or contracted. If it brings a sense of relief, peace, or clarity, that is often the direction to move toward. Feeling it out means listening to your internal compass rather than relying on external validation.

Choice 2: Stop “Shoulding” on Yourself

The second key choice is to stop using the word should. Amy explains that the word should implies there is one right way to do life and that we are failing if we do not follow it. This creates resistance, guilt, and a sense of inadequacy. When people say, “I should work out,” “I should apply to jobs,” or “I should be further along by now,” they are resisting reality and punishing themselves into action. Instead, Amy encourages asking, “What do I want to feel?” That opens up creativity and motivation from a place of desire, not obligation.

Choice 3: Trust That It’s Always Working Out for You

This mindset shift is especially difficult when facing setbacks like getting fired or going through personal hardship. But Amy explains that just like plants need both light and dark soil to grow, humans also grow in difficult seasons. Reflecting on past failures or challenges often reveals that they were pivotal turning points. When we assume everything is working for our benefit, even if we cannot see it yet, we reduce resistance and increase resilience.

Choice 4: Know You Are Already Complete

The fourth choice is to know your completeness. This means choosing to accept that you are already whole, resourceful, and enough. Amy makes a powerful distinction between knowing and believing. Belief requires proof and external validation. Knowing is unconditional. When people rely on achievements or praise to feel worthy, they end up stuck in a cycle of constantly needing more. But when people choose to know they are complete, they free themselves from the exhausting hamster wheel of proving their worth. This creates a foundation for authentic confidence and sustainable joy.

Choice 5: Know Your Worth Instead of Believing in It

Believing in your worth is fragile because it depends on evidence that can be taken away. Knowing your worth is stable, unconditional, and empowering. It allows people to take risks, create, lead, and contribute without fear of rejection. It removes imposter syndrome because there is nothing left to prove. When you know your worth, feedback becomes information, not a threat. You are free to act from a place of passion and service rather than fear and approval-seeking.

Why These Choices Matter More Than Goals

These five choices—feel it, reject "shoulds", trust that it is working out, know your completeness, and know your worth—are not about what to do but how to think. They are shifts in mindset and perception that unlock creativity, ambition, clarity, and joy. Amy Wong’s philosophy is rooted in neuroscience, emotional intelligence, and deep personal experience. Her coaching is a call to action for professionals who are tired of burnout, unfulfillment, and fear-based decision-making.

Your Next Step Toward Living on Purpose

If you are ready to stop living on autopilot and start creating a life aligned with your values, purpose, and desires, Amy Wong’s work offers a powerful framework. Her book Living on Purpose: Five Deliberate Choices to Realize Fulfillment and Joy is available wherever books are sold. 

Learn more at AlwaysOnPurpose.com or connect with Amy on LinkedIn for coaching and resources.

Stop chasing things and start choosing how you want to feel. Because when you know you are already enough, everything becomes possible.

If you want to listen to this podcast for more inspiration, click here.