The path to a meaningful life is clearer than you might think.

When I was at university, we had many long, late-night, conversations about the meaning of life. We didn’t have many clues about what the meaning of life was, or how to achieve it, but we had an ongoing curiosity. I don’t recall much consensus, but it was certainly very enjoyable.

In the decades since then, I remained fascinated by the concept of meaning, but struggled with talking to others about how we get more meaning in our lives. I knew it was important, but I found the nuts and bolts difficult to articulate. Then, earlier this year I came across an article in New Scientist that piqued my interest. I tracked down some of the underlying research by following a few rabbit holes and I explored some serious studies that say a meaningful life rests on four foundations or pillars – coherence, purpose, significance and positive impact.

It’s worth having a look at each of these 4 pillars in turn, because together they form a pathway we can follow in seeking a meaningful life, especially as we age.

Coherence (my life makes sense to me)

You have coherence in your life when you’re aware that your past, present, and future hangs together to form a story you can understand. This doesn’t mean that everything has gone well in your life with no rough patches, but rather that you have a narrative that helps you understand how you got to where you are today and who you’ve become along the way.

Psychologists see this as a critical part of meaning, because if you look back over your life and all you can see are random or chaotic episodes, then coherent narrative and meaning are hard to find. Almost literally, it’s that feeling that your own life doesn’t make sense to you.

But when you can join the dots between major life events and choices, you can extract meaning even when some of the parts of the story are difficult or sad. This process doesn’t have to be perfect, your story will never be a neat package tied up with ribbon, but if you can find some threads to link the bits of your life together, you will be well on the way.

For someone in later life, developing a sense of coherence might come through recording family stories or writing a short memoir, if the fancy takes you. But maybe you can just share stories of your life with friends or family. And it’s a bonus that these activities can be pleasurable as well as useful.

Purpose (I’m heading in a direction that matters to me)

Purpose comes when you have the sense of an ongoing valued aim or direction that pulls you forward. People sometimes think that purpose has to be grand or important or easy to explain to other people, but in fact, if you have something that gives shape to your days, a reason to get out of bed, then this is plenty.

We can also get the impression from our culture and the people around us that purpose is quite a narrow concept, related to things like success in your career or big bucket-list achievements. But in fact, you might get all the purpose you need from caring for family or friends. In my case, I feel a real sense of direction through reading or doing creative things. Others get satisfaction from caring for a garden or a pet, and of course for many people, particularly in the later years, volunteering or having a cause that you support can be really important. In later life, purpose often shifts from being about the things you plan to achieve, and more to a sense of how you want to live, or what you want to stand for.

And as I’ve said, simple purposes can be surprisingly powerful. You might start by just going for a walk with a friend a few mornings a week or joining a local book club. That’s an easy place to start and it may well be all you need.

Significance (the sense that my life matters)

This is the third of the established pillars of meaning. The understanding that your existence is worthwhile is related to self-worth, but it goes beyond that – it includes the feeling that you’re able to make a difference, be part of something bigger than yourself, and have that valued by other people. And it’s important in a negative sense too, because if it’s missing, your life can feel quite empty no matter how exciting it looks on paper.

If you do feel your life matters, then it’s directly helpful in building resilience and weathering difficult patches. Like many aspects of meaning, what significance looks like for you is shaped by your cultural background, your relationships, and your roles in life. For one person, it might be about being needed by grandchildren or friends, for another it might be having a trusted role as a mentor or elder in your community. And it’s a real bonus if you can see concrete results, be that a successful protest rally or a garden full of flowers in spring.

Positive impact on others (My life is useful)

This new pillar comes from recent research which argues that a meaningful life includes having a positive impact on other people. This expands ‘meaning’ way beyond your personal story. Your life could satisfy the first three pillars (by being understandable, purposeful, and worthwhile to you), but it only becomes deeply meaningful when it also helps someone else.

Useful activities don’t have to be huge or grand. You might visit a housebound friend, or help out with a social cause.

The research is very clear that these fourth pillar activities are not just another way to feel good about yourself. they make their own distinct contribution to your sense of meaning. This is particularly resonant as we age, because many later life roles, like grandparenting, caregiving or community leadership, are inherently focused on other people. As well as being satisfying in themselves, they contribute powerfully to a meaningful life.

How the four aspects work together

We have looked at these four aspects separately because it’s useful to tease out what each adds to the picture, but in practice they all overlap and a meaningful life usually includes some of each.

The good news is that you can work on each element and choose to bring more of it into your life. Why not pick one thing to try this week, perhaps thinking about your life story or checking out local opportunities to volunteer?

Meaning in later life isn’t about recapturing youth or trying to ignore or postpone all decline. It’s about weaving these four pillars, these four threads, into the fabric of your everyday living. If you can do that, your life can remain fully meaningful even as your capacities change.

And that might make all the difference to flourishing as you age.