Life Purpose Lab

A New Approach

The Life Purpose Lab researches how people find purpose in their life, and it offers workshops to guide people in finding their own purpose.

We have developed the Possibility Management Model. This model explains purpose in terms of possibilities. We manage the meaningful possibilities in our lives in three steps--creating possibilities, learning about possibilities, and enacting possibilities.

Creating Possibilities

Possibilities are the things that we could do in life that would matter to us. They are who we could become. The research literature calls these “possible selves.” We create the possibilities of our life in different ways.

Sometimes, possibilities for purposeful living show up in our lives even though we're not looking for them. They might be new opportunities. They might be someone else's need. They can feel like serendipity or a calling. It's as if purpose finds us. We choose how to respond to it. We call this “accepting” possibilities.

Sometimes, we create possibilities by changing how we live our everyday lives. We do more of what matters. We do less of what doesn’t matter. We change how we do things to make them more meaningful. In this way, we are reworking how we live to make it more meaningful. We call this “building” possibilities.

Sometimes, we create possibilities by looking to the future and imagining what could be. How could we add great purpose to our careers, our relationships, our health and spirituality, even our recreational activities. We dream big. We call this “envisioning” possibilities.

Learning About Possibilities

Once we've created possibilities, we have to figure out what to do with them. Typically, we have far more possibilities for our life then we can actually live out. So, what do we do with them?
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Here's what not to do. We don't want to not do anything until we know exactly what to do, and then we do it completely. This is binary, all-or-nothing approach to purpose usually leads us astray.

Instead, we want to start learning about our possibilities. We can research them online. We can talk to people who are already doing them. We can do mini-versions of them and see how they feel. The more that we know about a possibility, the clearer we will be about what to do with it. Information sharpens intuition.

Enacting Possibilities

After learning about possibilities, we want to do them. The key here is to think in terms of combinations of purposes. The possibilities in our lives come in different sizes and they span different areas of our life. Our goal is not to do just one of them but rather to combine those that will give us the most purposeful life. In this way, “what is my purpose in life?” is not a good question. The better question is “what are my purposes in life?”

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Workshops

The Audience

Once we created this model of finding purpose, we had to figure out what to do with it. Academic researchers typically publish their work in professional journals, and then talk to other each other about it. We wanted to try something more practical. We created an eight-hour workshop--offered over two days--for small groups (up to about 35 people).

Initially, we offered these workshops one for students and staff at the University of Connecticut. Over time, however, groups outside of the university heard them and started inquiring about their availability. When possible, we conduct these workshops for outside groups on a consulting basis.

When possible, we prefer to work with existing groups and teams, e.g., organizational units, small companies. Going through the training develops cohesion in the group, and it enhances future follow-up with each other.

What Happens

In the workshop, participants identify existing possibilities in their lives an then they create new ones. They end up with 15 possible selves. From there, they explore how these possibilities might be translated into their lives. This involves learning more about each possibility and experimenting with how to combine them. By the end of the workshop, participants have sketched out three, highly-purposeful lives that they could lead.

In the workshop, participants learn core principles about purpose formation. They also engage in various group exercises and projects with their fellow participants. Finally, they do a lot of reflective writing to both examine what their life is like now and what they want it to be.

The Results

We've offered this workshop several dozen times, to about 650 people, and the results have been remarkable. Eighty-five percent of the participants report a significant increase in life purpose. On a 1-10 scale, our participants start out, on average, at x.x. In just eight hours, we take them to an x.x. (For the statistical types, this is a 1.1 standard deviation increase). When we reinterview the participants six months later, this increase remains in effect.

In addition, participants report becoming both happier and more satisfied with their lives.

Scheduling a Workshop

Our focus remains UConn students and staff; however, we're usually able to do one or two outside workshops a month. If you're interested in one, email us and we'll schedule a Zoom call. We'll talk about whether the workshop would be a good fit for you, and if we have availability.

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Testimonials

This workshop provided a focused time for our team to come together as a group, think deeply about what gives their life meaning, and to share their dreams and passions with each other. If you’re a business leader in Connecticut and beyond, I cannot recommend Dr. Wright’s workshop more highly for your team. The experience was truly life changing.

Andrew Garza

Claggett, Sykes & Garza Trial Lawyers

Working with Dr. Wright and the team helped me learn so much about myself and my priorities, and going forward I feel very well equipped to navigate the world around me with clarity of purpose. I am so grateful to have had this experience, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to live a more fulfilling and meaningful life.

Irene Soteriou

Strategic Communications

Dr. Wright’s work on purpose helped me make this abstract idea concrete, and provided me with actionable information. I’ve come to understand what purpose is, where I find it in my life, and how I can obtain more of it. His work has proved to be a foundational pillar upon which I have decided to shape my life around moving forward.”

Brady Noniewicz

Sports Psychology

This training event was exactly what I needed during an important time of soul-searching. It showed me how to set aside my self-imposed barriers and deeply explore new ways to move forward with my life and career—ways that align with my deep values and support what I want most out of life. The path forward may not be easy, but I’ve never felt more motivated to pursue it.”

Bryan Dik

University Professor

The Life Purpose Lab not only helped me embrace a newfound direction but also showed me how to channel my passions effectively. I learned that purpose isn't confined to a single mission or goal, but rather a continuous commitment to meaningful pursuits.

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Paige Long

Medical

The absence of a clear life goal had kept me from experiencing true happiness. However, during a moment in the "Purpose of Life" course, I suddenly grasped what a happy and meaningful life looks like for me. For the first time, I felt as if my life had immense value, and every cell in my body felt relieved. The "Purpose of Life" workshop has been a gift.

Gaofei Zhang

PhD Student

The seminar on finding life purpose has offered me opportunities to acquire a new perspective on my life and enhance my skills on handling the situation. I really enjoyed writing about other possible selves and exploring each one for a week. All in all this class is a great class that honestly didn't feel like a class but felt like a chill place to self improve.

Al-Ameen

University Student

I am endlessly appreciative for the role that you played in putting my future in the right direction.

Nick Copenhaver

Health Care Professional

People

Team

Bradley Wright, PhD, Director‍

Professor of Sociology at the University of Connecticut. Research on purpose & meaning, well-being, and spirituality.

Wendy Kopp‍

Corporate Partner Relationships Coordinator at the Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills where she oversees the University's Career Fairs. She also owns the the Over AndOver Barntique. Located in Andover, CT it is filled with locally made gifts, jewelry, soaps, candles, décor and furniture. She finds much purpose in creating art and crafting events that bring people together fostering collaboration and positive connection.

Jordan Ochs, PhD
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Director, First Year Experience Program & Assistant Director of FYP, LC, AAC, & IZ at the University of Connecticut.

Emily Pagano
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Assistant Director, Health Promotion and Community Impact, Student Health and Wellness.

Eran Peterson
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Associate Director for Work+ at UConn helps students connect their on-campus work experiences to long-term career and life goals. With a focus on career exploration, professional skill-building, and reflective learning, Eran collaborates with students, supervisors, and campus partners to develop meaningful employment experiences. Passionate about experiential learning and holistic career development, he is committed to helping students design fulfilling futures by fostering a sense of purpose, agency, and career readiness

Students

2025: Kara Borkowski, Ella Brenneman, Jennifer Gearin, Harthik Parankusham, Swapna Subramanian, Jordan Zarabet

2024: Parker Ayoub, Taylor Bryan, Kayanna Clarke, Madeleine Croiger, Kevshav Desibhatia, Jamie DiDato, Riley Fallon, Jennifer Gearin, Kushi Kalyan, Alysia Ma, Lourdes Mollica
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2023: Taylor Bryan, Jennifer Dean, Kevshav Desibhatia, Riley Fallon, Alysia Ma, Lourdes Mollica, Brady Noniewicz, Shannon O'Connor, Tiago Rossetto, Samuel Voghell

2022: Brynley Allen, Sheylian Berrios, Dylan Champagne, Kylie Desorbo, Tiera Everitt, Musa Hussain, Jessica Lockwood, Katherine Mccrohan, Sara Oba, Venkat Paruchuru, Monika Rydzewski, Grace Smith, Rylee Thomas
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2021: Brynley Allen, Anthony D'Andrea, Kylie Desorbo, Lily Forand, Katherine Jimenez, Paige Long, Nidhi Nair, Sara Oba, Nicholas Parent, Venkat Paruchuru, Irene Soteriou, Rylee Thomas

2020: Morgan Beck, Nicholas Copenhaver, Anthony D'Andrea, Sheroz Din, Lily Forand, Paige Long, Nidhi Nair, Irene Soteriou, Nicole Zatserkovniy