Here’s What Your Life Path Number Is, And How It Will Affect Your Relationships This Year

In numerology, your life path number is the most important one in your chart. It is found by adding up the month, date and year of your birth, and then adding the individual digits in that number to arrive at one that falls between 1-9. Your life path number can give insight as to what you’re here to learn in this life, and how you can really find fulfillment. Here’s how to do it:

1. If your birthday is July 15, 1986, you would add together the numbers 07 + 15 + 1986. This would give you a grand total of 2008.
2. You would then take the single digits in that number and add them together. 2 + 8 = 10.
3. You would then do that again, 1 + 0 = 1. Your life path number is 1.

There are other ways to go about this, too. For example, you can add up the single digits in the month, day and year. Using the above example, it would look like this: 7 + 6 + 24. If you add those together, you get 37. If you add 3 + 7 together, you get 10. 1 + 0 = 1. Basically, there are a few different ways to do it, but you will still get the same answer.

Life Path 1

If you have a life path 1, you are a natural leader. You are individualistic, independent, and desire personal achievement. You are a quintessential “alpha,” and naturally take control of things. You are a creative, and you’re at your best under pressure. When there’s a problem to be solved, you thrive. You’re completely original and authentic, and may work as an inventor or innovator of sorts. You tire of routine quickly, however, and highly detailed tasks are exhausting to you. You’re ambitious and assertive, and though you are coy about your successes, people truly take to you. You’re an amazing conversationalist, and can fit into various social settings with ease. On the negative side, while you’re a great leader, you’re sometimes a poor follower. This means that you can struggle to take direction, or truly learn. You have to be able to do both.

Your relationships this year:

If you’re already in a relationship, this will be your year to soften. You need to learn to listen better, to value someone else’s ideas, or express love more frequently. You may be challenged in this area, and find that you are presented with multiple opportunities to be kinder to those you love. Rather than taking the “lead” when things get tough in your personal life, learn to listen, and adapt.

If you’re not in a relationship, this will be your year to define your professional life *and* your romantic life… all at the same time. It sounds like a lot to take on, but consider this: sure, you may want a few years to establish yourself on your own. However, if you do want to be in a relationship someday, becoming too comfortable being autonomous will not help you. You need to remember that success is achieving balance, too.

Life Path 2

If you have a life path 2, you entered this life a peacemaker. Your strengths are listening, and absorbing. You are by all accounts a “fixer,” and a healer. You are a mediator, and are very diplomatic. You see both sides of a situation easily, and have the incredible ability to reason with people and persuade them to see a different perspective. If you choose to embrace your spiritual side, you are highly intuitive, idealistic, and visionary. Because of your love for balance and perfection, you prefer habit and routine. Your path will be familiar. You are a leader in a spiritual sense, but when it comes to handling workplace politics, drama and major decisions in which one party benefits over another, you will not thrive. You have too much empathy for that. You can also express a lot of nervous energy, often seeming like an extremist – or at least, indecisive – in your preferences. You will have to be careful to not be so hard on yourself, and not to let your emotionality get the best of you.

Your relationships this year:

If you’re already in a relationship, this year will be about building. Once your foundation is stable, you will be exploring every part of your current love life. You’ll see new opportunities to try new things to together, challenge and question one another (therefore, learn about each other) and become a stronger and more united front. Things are good when they’re good, but there’s always room to bond more deeply, explore more thoroughly and fall in love more completely. Don’t sell your partnership short. There’s more to be seen.

If you’re not in a relationship, the same will be true, except it’s more about you than your partner. Even if it seems like you’ve been waiting forever for your life partner, and you feel as though you’re completely ready, remember that if they aren’t coming right now, there is something more important that you need to learn. You are not being punished for not being well-developed enough if your partner isn’t here yet. You’re simply on a different part of the journey, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Remember that there is more to life than love, and you need to be sure to explore that for yourself now, before love comes and distracts you too much. Do not forget that you do not know when the love of your life will come knocking at the door. Every day matters.

Life Path 3

If you have a life path 3, you’re a very creative person, and a natural born communicator. You’re going to see the most success in your life merging these two fields, perhaps doing something like writing, speaking, acting, art or journalism. If you aren’t a particularly “artistic” person, that doesn’t mean your creativity will go to waste. You’re highly optimistic, and an exceptional problem-solver. You are focused on harmony, beauty and living life to it’s fullest potential. You are an expert at connecting with people. You’re known as being warm and friendly, even if you’re introverted. You have an amazing ability to see both sides of a situation, and mediate well. You know how to make others feel at home. On the flip side, you can often become reclusive, and appreciate alone time. If you’re feeling hurt, you may hide yourself away from others. It’s difficult for you to admit to your own problems sometimes (though you’re great at solving other people’s). This is because you can’t acknowledge them without letting them bring you down a bit, and it’s something you dislike. You’re an extremely loyal partner, and your big test in this life will mostly be controlling your ups and downs. You need to be working in a place where there’s a lot of cooperation, and give yourself enough space to indulge in your escapist fantasies (travel as much as you can, spend time outdoors). You need to reach for balance in this life – being too optimistic or too critical can both hold you back.

Your relationships this year:

If you’re already in a relationship, you’re going to need to learn how to move forward despite the ups and downs. You either want a fairy tale or a complete ending to your current romance, and when things get tough you can err toward being too polarized. You need to realize that love is not something that exists to miraculously meet your every need and desire. It’s a give and take, and with the right partner, it shouldn’t be impossible to achieve. Sure, relationship challenges are inevitable. But look at the bigger picture. Are you really compatible? Do you love this person *and* like them, too? Do you want to spend every day with them? These are questions you need to answer, and then respond accordingly. Accept the reality, or move on.

If you’re single, this year is going to be about putting aside your unrealistic expectations, and welcoming love in whatever form it comes in. Additionally, you’re going to need to build a tougher skin. It’s not that this year will be particularly painful, just that to really have the relationship you want, you need to be able to balance the good and the bad without freaking out. Use all of that creativity to come up with solutions and practices that will assist you in doing so. Your future partners will thank you.

Life Path 4

If you have a life path 4, you’re a builder at heart. You have a natural inclination for planning, fixing, and practically applying information. You’re one of the most trustworthy, honest, down-to-Earth people around, and you’re a pro at smoothing out even the most difficult situations. You’re idealistic as much as you are practical, and the marriage of those two things is what really sets you apart from the rest: you have a vision, and you know how to see it through. If you commit to your vision, you’ll be able to achieve things beyond your wildest dreams. Sometimes your willpower can hurt you, though: you need to be certain that your strength isn’t translating into stubbornness. On the downside, you can also come across as narrow-minded, or repressive, even. You need to be mindful of your social tact. Don’t miss the big picture, and remember that not everybody thinks the way you do.

Your relationships this year:

If you’re already in a relationship, this year will be about romance. You have the foundation of your partnership as solid as anything, but now you need to work on the embellishments. You must be careful not to confuse contentment for complacency. They are two different things.

If you’re single, this year will be about getting creative with love. Checking out new spots to find people, dating outside of your “type,” and when you do go on dates, trying new things and stepping out of your comfort zone. Love is in itself a step out of the familiar, and the best way you can help facilitate it happening is placing yourself where it’s most likely to find you.

Life Path 5

If you have a life path 5, you are a progressive. You want to see the world evolve into its full potential. You’re big on freedom, justice, humanitarianism, and so on. You’re very skeptical of how ego has taken hold in society, and want to do whatever you can to help dismantle it. You’re adventurous, relaxed, eccentric and advanced in your thinking. You are the most compassionate of all the life path numbers, and the welfare of all others is your ultimate priority. You’re a great communicator and motivator, and you will need these traits to mobilize people to take action. Your work in this life will not be traditional – you deplore agonizing monotony. You will travel often, and have many amazing experiences in your life. On the flip side, you will need to be careful about irresponsibility. You an err toward disregarding your obligations, and that will not fare well for you (or anyone) in life.

Your relationships this year:

If you’re already in a relationship, you’re going to have to learn to get comfortable with being “tied down,” or rather, re-think that term entirely. Partnership may seem like a limitation for you at times, but it’s really not. You need to get past that to really thrive in love. If a relationship is what you really want, you need to realize that you’re not sacrificing your freedom to experience love. If anything, you’re compromising, which is a healthy thing to learn.

If you’re single (and want a relationship) this year will be about finding the person with whom you don’t “settle down,” but “take off.” You need your partner in crime, your travel and adventure buddy, your best friend. Traditional romance is not the path for you, and you’re going to have to travel down a different road to find it.

Life Path 6

If you have a life path 6, you’re a mother/father figure by nature. You are a beacon of truth, righteousness, kindness, personal growth and domesticity. You have strong parental instincts, and this bleeds out through your entire life. You’re happiest when you’re working to help others, and cultivating a comfortable, friendly space. You are big on health, happiness and wellness, and like things to be routine, but fun. You’re idealistic, and tend to be a great advice-giver. You are an incredible partner, and when paired with someone who shares and appreciates your natural skills, you can truly thrive. You have an almost supernatural wisdom about you, and will have near psychical levels of insight even at an early age. You are the epitome of an “old soul,” and will be happiest when you have children of your own.

Your relationships this year:

If you’re already in a relationship, this year will be about commitment. It’s not that you’re not already devoted to one another, but it’s time to take the next steps in continuing to build your life, or family, together. This will require you stepping into a new role, taking on more responsibilities, and learning to really thrive in cohabitation. You’re absolutely capable, it’s just an (exciting!) transition.

If you’re single, this year will be about becoming completely comfortable on your own. Your life is not as bad as you think it is (far from it!) and you need to find your inner peace. Because of how inclined you are toward family and partnership, it feels unnatural to be alone. But remember that this is a season of your life, and for the majority of it, you will be with someone (or many other people). Use this unique time to take care of yourself now. You’re becoming the person who is going to show up for your partner and kids. Are you happy with who that is?

Life Path 7

If you have a life path 7, you’re a perfectionist and a healer. You have the gifts of both analysis and spiritual insight, and that combination makes you a great counselor and guide. You’re emotional, but you’re a thinker, too. You’re a leader, through and through. You prefer to be away from the chaos of modern life, taking to a lot of ritualistic, spiritual practices and lifestyles. You’re a very loyal friend, and you’re super social. The number 7 itself has a lot of spiritual importance, and this will be reflected throughout your life. You use a combination of your experiences and your intuition to guide you, and your biggest challenge will be navigating your emotional extremes.

Your relationships this year:

If you’re already in a relationship, this year will be about grounding. You need to strip the unrealistic expectations you have from your partnership, as it is not doing either of you any good. You need to reset your idea of what a relationship should and will look like, and separate your wants from your needs. This year will be about learning to love authentically.

If you’re single, this year will be about taking time to understand why you want a relationship so badly. You will also need to be honest about your intentions. Do you want a connection, or are you just lonely and looking for a distraction? Chances are, there’s a lot of work you need to do in your life, and you already know what it is. Focus on that, and the need for a partner to validate you in superficial ways will dissolve. This will subsequently open you up to real love, because you will be looking for true compatibility, not just an idea of what you think you want.

Life Path 8

If you have a life path 8, you are a great worker. In fact, you’re prone to developing a little bit of workaholism. You’re an excellent leader, as you’re practical, grounded, and driven. You’re the most career-driven of all the life paths. But you’re biggest struggle is that you look for your success in the material world. The more you focus on earning love and validation in places that won’t give it to you (the office, for example) the more your personal life will suffer. You are most concerned with status, even if you don’t realize it. You want to fit into a picture you think is desirable, attractive, etc. This works against you because deep down, you are still a sensitive being. You need to make sure you balance your drive with love and connection. Emotional suppression may be an issue for you, too.

Your relationships this year:

If you’re in a relationship, this year will be about learning how to really connect. Sure, you get along, and sure, you’re attracted to each other, but you can sense that there’s a lot more to be discovered in your relationship, and you’re right. This year is about learning the true depths of your emotions.

If you’re single, this year will be about addressing the things that are holding you back from really stepping out into the dating world. You claim to be disappointed in how your romantic life isn’t working out, but are you really trying? Are you really making space for it in your life?

Life Path 9

If you are a life path 9, you are the most emotional of all the paths – even if you aren’t always aware of this. You’re extremely humanitarian in nature, and deeply care about the welfare of others. You have a true compassion about you. Many people with a life path of 9 end up in some kind of philosophical field, as teachers, philosophers, or writers. This makes sense, as you have a commanding presence, but an emotional and intellectual depth as well. It’s very likely that you’ll see a good degree of material success in your life, but that doesn’t matter anywhere near as much as the purpose you feel toward your work. Your only downfall could potentially be a bit of selfishness. Make sure your needs are genuinely being met – you’ll feel less of a need to take.

Your relationships this year:

If you’re in a relationship, this year will be about compromise. You’re going to have to rethink the way you see partnerships, especially if you’ve been with someone for a while. You need to have a constantly evolving relationship – it’s good for your spirit. But to do this, you need to keep romancing one another, and smoothing over petty conflicts by retiring your ego, and fusing more love into your relationship as often as you can.

If you’re single, this year will be about finding the depths of yourself. The best thing to do while you’re “waiting” for your partner to come along is to find out who you really are. You think you know – but there’s always so much to be discovered. Work on being the person you want to show up when your soulmate comes around. Thought Catalog Logo Mark

January Nelson is a writer, editor, and dreamer. She writes about astrology, games, love, relationships, and entertainment. January graduated with an English and Literature degree from Columbia University.