How the Life Quest Compass Helps You Discover Your True North
- Design & Grow Catalyst
- Jul 23, 2025
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 29, 2025
An insightful tool for defining purpose in the Designing Your Life journey
In the world of life design, clarity about what truly matters is often the hardest part to find. The Life Quest Compass offers an elegant solution for anyone navigating this challenge, especially during the critical Define stage of the Designing Your Life (DYL) framework.
What Is the Life Quest Compass?
Inspired by the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Life Quest Compass is a digital card sort tool that helps users identify which global issues and causes resonate most with their personal values and passions.
Unlike typical quizzes or personality tests, this tool invites deep reflection by presenting users with detailed cards that explain each SDG’s goals, impact areas, and related skills or career roles.
Why It Works So Well
Users sort these cards into three categories:
💖 I Care Deeply
🤔 Somewhat Interested
🚫 Not My Focus Right Now
From there, they rank their top passions within the “I Care Deeply” group, gaining clarity on the issues that spark their curiosity and motivation most strongly.
This simple yet thoughtful process often helps users move from vague interest to clear, actionable purpose.
What People Are Saying
Feedback from those who’ve used the Life Quest Compass highlights several key benefits:
Greater self-awareness: Users find themselves articulating values and motivations they hadn’t fully recognized before.
Focused direction: The tool helps people form guiding questions like, “How might I contribute to climate action or education equity?”
Inspired action: Many report feeling empowered to prototype career options, volunteer roles, or learning experiences aligned with their top themes.
A Powerful Tool for the Define Stage
The Define stage in Designing Your Life is about framing your “True North”—not deciding your entire future, but anchoring your journey in what matters most.
The Life Quest Compass fits perfectly here. It’s not about prescribing a path, but providing a compass to point you toward meaningful possibilities.
By reflecting on which global causes ignite your passion and how your strengths align with them, you begin designing a life that feels authentic and purpose-driven.
Who Should Try It?
Whether you’re a student exploring career options, a professional considering a change, or anyone wanting a clearer sense of purpose, the Life Quest Compass is an excellent starting point.
It’s an accessible, engaging, and insightful way to connect your personal values with real-world impact.
If you’re ready to gain clarity and begin designing a life aligned with your deepest motivations, the Life Quest Compass is well worth exploring.
References
Burnett, B., & Evans, D. (2016). Designing your life: How to build a well-lived, joyful life. Knopf.
Léon, C. T. (2025). Life sprint: Designing your life with agile momentum, from https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0FP2RTB4J
Ryff, C. D., & Singer, B. (1998). The contours of positive human health. Psychological Inquiry, 9(1), 1–28. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15327965pli0901_1
Schön, D. A. (1983). The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. Basic Books.
Steger, M. F., & Dik, B. J. (2010). Work as meaning: Individual and organizational benefits of meaningful work. In S. J. Lopez (Ed.), The encyclopedia of positive psychology (pp. 823–829). Wiley-Blackwell.
Spencer, D. (2009). Card sorting: Designing usable categories. Rosenfeld Media.
United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development. https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda
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