Abstract: Everyday life and meaning represent two crucial aspects to understand the challenges society is facing towards its transition to a more sustainable future, beyond unrestrained growth. Schütz’ life world theory provides a theoretical framework that takes everyday life and meaning into focus. According to life world theory everyday life is enabled by everyday assumptions, i.e. the categories we use to structure and organize our experience, cognition and communication, which are not subjected to reflection. Change of everyday life to a sustainable path requires reflecting everyday life assumptions but this is inherently difficult. A key category in society and everyday lives is value. Values are tightly linked to economic growth. Today values largely become constituted on anonymous markets where supply and demand meet to create monetary value. In contrast, meaning is a non-monetary value, which is created by directly linking our activities to a purpose, which we experience in everyday life. A stronger focus on meaning in everyday is required to create a society surpassing dependency on unrestrained growth.