World-renowned psychologists Todd Kashdan and Michael Steger have teamed up for ON PURPOSE: A Guide to Building a Meaningful Life in an Uncertain World, a practical guide that will be the first evidenced-based method for discovering and animating your purpose.

ON PURPOSE:
A Guide to Building a Meaningful Life in an Uncertain World
by Michael Steger and Todd Kashdan
Ten Speed, August 2027
(via DeFiore and Company)

The research is clear: There is no better way to promote psychological and physical well-being and ward off threats than by building a strong sense of purpose.

Based on more than two decades of the authors’ research and packed with fresh, actionable advice, ON PURPOSE equips readers to identify and sustain a life purpose that will make them happier, healthier, and more successful—and leave a lasting legacy. It starts by clearing barriers to your purpose and unlocking your values to fine-tune what matters most to you.

It continues with crafting work that serves your purpose (no, that doesn’t mean quitting your job) and finding purpose partners who support you. And it’s sustained by learning to embrace the inevitable struggles and staying flexible on your path.

ON PURPOSE is designed to reach today’s readers who are seeking direction in their lives—from Gen Z-ers grappling with life choices in chaotic times and adults seeking direction when it comes to work, partners, and parenting, to seniors looking to enrich their twilight years.

Classics such as Rick Warren’s The Purpose Driven Life and Dan Millman’s The Life you Were Born to Live are perennial sellers that have sold millions of copies, but they don’t offer a plan based on the latest, extensive scientific research. This book will be the first.

Michael “Mike” Steger, PhD, is founder and director of the Center for Meaning and Purpose at Colorado State University, and his TEDx talk, “What Makes Life Meaningful,” has more than a half million views.
Todd Kashdan, PhD, is the founder of The Well-Being Laboratory at George Mason University, and he and his research were featured in the 2023 award-winning documentary The Hidden Power of Purpose. Their groundbreaking work has been widely cited by scholars as the definitive source on purpose, and their combined network is far-reaching. This is their first book together.