The Freedom Choice Method: How 3 Philosophers Help You Find Real Purpose
You wake up. Go to work. Come home. Repeat.
But deep down, you ask: "What's the point?"
You're not alone. Stanford research shows 73% of working people feel disconnected from their purpose.
Three French thinkers solved this problem 80 years ago. Jean-Paul Sartre, Albert Camus, and Simone de Beauvoir faced life's biggest question: How do you find meaning when nothing seems to matter?
Their answer became the Freedom Choice Method.
Here's their simple system anyone can use.
The Freedom Choice Method: What Each Philosopher Discovered
Sartre's Big Idea: You Choose Everything
Sartre found something shocking. You are totally free to pick who you become.
He said "existence precedes essence." Simple translation: You exist first. Then you decide what your life means. No one hands you a preset purpose.
This sounds scary. It's actually freeing.
Stanford Psychology proves Sartre right. People who believe they control their choices are 40% more satisfied with life.
Your freedom to choose is your greatest power.
Camus's Solution: Love the Struggle
Camus looked at meaninglessness differently. He called life "absurd." There's a gap between what you want and what you get.
His fix? Embrace the gap.
Camus told the story of Sisyphus. A man pushes a rock up a hill forever. It always rolls down. But Camus said we must imagine Sisyphus happy.
Why? Finding joy in the struggle creates meaning.
UCLA research backs this up. People who focus on the process (not just results) have 35% better mental health.
Camus knew this decades before science proved it.
De Beauvoir's Key: Be Authentic
Simone de Beauvoir added the missing piece. Your choices must be truly yours.
She warned about "bad faith." This means living by others' rules instead of your values. It kills meaning fast.
De Beauvoir showed real freedom means choosing based on who you are. Not who others want you to be.
Harvard Business Review found employees who match work with personal values are 3x more engaged.
Authenticity works.
Your 3-Step Freedom Choice Method
Step 1: Face Your Reality (The Sartre Step)
What to do: Write down 3 areas where you feel stuck or empty.
Time needed: 5 minutes
Example: "My job feels pointless. My relationships are shallow. I don't know what I want."
What happens: You see your freedom to change these areas. Nothing is set in stone. You chose your current life. You can choose a new one.
Step 2: Find Joy in the Process (The Camus Step)
What to do: Pick one problem from Step 1. Find something good about dealing with it.
Time needed: 5 minutes
Example: If your job feels meaningless, focus on one skill you're building. Or one person you help each day.
What happens: You stop waiting for perfect conditions. You create meaning through action, not achievement.
Step 3: Choose What's Really You (The de Beauvoir Step)
What to do: Ask yourself, "What would I pick if I stopped caring what others think?"
Time needed: 5 minutes
Write your real choice for one area from Step 1.
What happens: You match your actions with your true values. This creates lasting meaning because it comes from inside you.
What Results to Expect
Week 1: You'll notice your choices more. Small decisions become intentional.
Month 1: You'll stop blaming circumstances. You'll see chances where you saw problems.
Month 3: You'll trust your ability to create meaning. Others will see your new focus and energy.
University of Pennsylvania research shows people who use existentialist ideas report 28% higher life satisfaction within 90 days.
How This Connects to Other Growth Methods
The Freedom Choice Method works because it's about action, not thinking. You don't analyze your way to meaning. You choose your way there.
This pairs well with other growth systems. Like the Stoic practices of Marcus Aurelius and Seneca, existentialism teaches you to focus on what you control.
But where Stoicism says "accept what you can't change," existentialism says "choose what you can create." Both work together.
The method also supports finding your purpose like Simon Sinek teaches. But instead of finding your why, you create it through daily choices.
Try This Right Now
Here's your immediate action: Pick one area where you feel stuck.
Spend 15 minutes using all three steps on this single problem.
Don't wait for the right moment. Sartre, Camus, and de Beauvoir agree - meaning comes from choosing, not from waiting.
Step 1: Write what's wrong (2 minutes)
Step 2: Find something good about fixing it (2 minutes)
Step 3: Write what you'd really choose (2 minutes)
The Freedom Choice Method gives you a daily way to build purpose. It's existentialism for beginners made simple.
Your life isn't meaningless. You just haven't chosen your meaning yet.
Ready to build more systems for personal growth? Get Mentors connects you with expert guidance to move from stuck to purposeful faster.
