I love this question…identifying and living your passions gives meaning to life.
How do you discover your passion? You work it.
Throwing your hands up and quitting is definitely an option… it’s just a very risky one. Personally, I don’t want to wake up one day and have regrets.
Despite how difficult this pursuit is, there’s good news:
- You don’t become passionate. You discover your passions.
- There are systematic ways to approach finding your passion.
- You’re not alone – in fact, most people I know wrestle with this.
Here are some systematic tools and frameworks I’ve found helpful:
1) Focus on Progress: It depends on your situation, but can you carve out some time every day to devote to discovering your passion? Inaction – while a feasible strategy – is not advisable…unless you want to wake up in 20 years and realize how unhappy you are.. [insert sad-face here].
2) Start with Everything: Find a list of sectors and cross out the ones that you aren’t interested in.
Which question is easier to answer:
A) What’s your passion in life?
B) Do you see yourself being a doctor? (Y/N)
Question B is way easier to answer than A. Even if the answer isn’t Yes or No, we can have a conversation about it, dig deeper, and maybe perform some tests to learn more. If it’s No, then you can move onto the next sector/job/title/role/etc. and ask a similar question.
3) Start (again) with Nothing: This is the blank piece of paper approach. Try to make a list of 3-5 things you would absolutely love to do. Don’t hold back here at all. If you want to be President of the United States, write it down. If you want to be an investor, write it down. Even if it seems impossible, write it down.
Now take this list and ask “Why” for each item. Why do you want to be an astronaut? Because it’s fun? It’ll make you rich? You’ll be in the public spotlight? etc. Ask “Why” again: Why do you want to be rich? So you can buy things? So you can get laid? So you can care for those with nothing? Ask why again, and again. and again. It can help to have a person for this step. Their job is to have a conversation with you and ask why a lot.
Repeat this for each of these jobs. Do you see any trends? Are you repeatedly mentioning helping people or giving back or technology or children or Batman? Pay attention to those things and start to march towards them.
4) Experiment More: If you think you might enjoy something or you’re not sure, then test it. Call it an experiment and admit that you might fail and then just do it. I might recommend that you read this post as well: C.H.E.A.T.
CHEAT stands for:
– Choices
– House Advantage
– Experiences
– Attitude
– Team
5) Find Others: Seek out people who have been there or are there right now. Message me and we can talk if you want. Giving back is one of my passions in life so don’t hesitate to reach out..
Bottom Line: Folks don’t typically wake up and realize that they’re passionate about something. More often, people work hard to figure out what they are truly passionate about. They struggle, they fail a bunch, they do things they hate in the meantime, and those who work hard enough usually find themselves doing the things they love more and more often.