It’s what we all want: a reason to wake up in the morning.

Not just to celebrate that we’re alive, but to know the reason why.

Having a sense of our reason for being means we are living life with a purpose.

Would you believe that having a sense of purpose for your life provides more benefits than just giving you a sense of fulfillment? It turns out that being driven by the pursuit of life with a purpose makes your life better in several ways. When you know what you want to do with your life, it helps you to live longer. Not only that, you’re even likely to make more money.

A national, longitudinal study called Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) turned up an interesting fact. The respondents who agreed with the survey statement, “Some people wander aimlessly through life, but I am not one of them,” and disagreed with, “I live life one day at a time and don’t really think about the future,” were more likely to outlive their peers who lacked that sense of direction.

Do you know what’s driving you? Here’s why figuring it out can help you to maximize what you do with every day.

What Having a Sense of Purpose Does

What do we mean by life with a purpose? It’s having clearly defined goals that you want to achieve. You have beliefs that give meaning to your life. In short, you’re not just drifting through your days. You have a sense that you’ve got important stuff to do and only a limited time in which to do it.

Another study, the Australian Longitudinal Study of Aging, followed 1,475 adults starting in 1992. This study also found that having a strong sense of purpose correlated with several measures of better health. Those who reported having a strong sense of purpose had fewer episodes of depression, less cognitive decline and lower rates of disability. The results seem clear and are confirmed by more than one study: having a reason to get up every day makes it more likely that you’ll be able to stick around to do so.

How Your Purpose Helps You Make More Money

The MIDUS study followed-up after two years to look at the respondents’ income levels. The findings from this study were similarly remarkable to the previous study correlating life span to sense of purpose. Apparently, the pursuit of life with a purpose also translates into making more money. The theory is that a sense of determination and purpose leads you to work harder and longer. When you keep trying to do something long enough, it’s logical that you would also make more money.

But What if I Don’t Know My Purpose?

In a world of dead-end jobs or careers full of drudgery, it can be difficult to get a sense of your greater purpose. After all, it may not seem like you have much choice in how you spend your days. You may even feel stuck in a rut. In that state of mind, it can be hard to imagine feeling like you have a sense of purpose.

Fortunately, it’s always possible to get unstuck. Find your way out from the things you dislike in your life by thinking about what inspires you and brings you joy instead. Hint: for most of us, we find our sense of purpose in something outside ourselves. Maybe we want to serve others. Or maybe we have a passion for cooking or creating art. The key is to find out what makes you tick, and do more of that. Before you know it, you’ll be doing the things that give you a reason to wake up every day. With luck, you’ll even make more money. It’s a win-win situation, all the way around.