What are you doing right now and why? What do you do for work, or more importantly for fun? Are you completely happy with things the way they are, or do you often feel there is something missing?
I’ll be honest with you, I never really considered myself a passionate person. I wanted to be, but there just wasn’t anything that I felt that I got really wound up about. Fortunately I’ve been able to find my passion and now I want to share my thoughts with you to help you find yours too.
I know that I’m not alone in this, there are stacks of people in the world looking for the thing that is missing from their lives. Some people call it contentment, others call it satisfaction, success or wealth. Call it what you want, in order to have it you first need to find your passion.
Finding your passion
I seriously used to worry a lot about not being able to find my passion. It got worse when I started blogging online as well because the first thing you get told when you try to choose a subject is to find something that you are passionate about.
If I can find my passion, then I’ll know exactly what to do.
Unfortunately this is very easy to say, but far harder to do. Believe me I’ve tried to apply this reasoning to a lot of different areas of my life including my hobbies, my work, my relationships and my finances.
Finding your passion is not about romance
When you think about being passionate, you often think of it in the romantic sense and assume that your passion should spark similar feelings. There is nothing wrong with that as far as relationships go, but doing what you love is not the same as being in love.
Finding your true passion is absolutely related to your emotions, but not in a romantic sense. Instead of romance you should feel other emotions that have a positive effect on you and leave you feeling happy. It is also important to realise that this isn’t generally something that lasts forever, it is often experienced in short bursts, for example the feeling of a job well done.
Understanding the way your passion makes you feel is a very important step in helping you to identify it.
What you like vs. what you are good at vs. what you know
I have always thought that the things that I am passionate about are the things that I like, I have since learned that this is not true. Some people tend to think that their passion is what they are good at, or what they know really well, in my experience this isn’t right either.
Your passion can often be found not by looking at these things individually, but instead by looking at all three together. By identifying the things that fall into all three categories, you are far more likely to identify your passion.
When I first started blogging, I launched a site about rock climbing. I knew I liked the idea of blogging and that I was pretty good at climbing, but in the end it turns out I don’t really know that much about it. Sure I can climb, but I’m actually not that interested in all the latest news about other climbers. Climbing is just a hobby to me, not a passion.
If you are having trouble identifying things that fit into all three of these categories, then it is likely that you need to try something new. This doesn’t have to be a radical change, instead think about the portable skills you already have and try applying them to the missing categories.
Putting the pieces together
I often find that it is a lot easier to think about things once I get a better idea about what I should be looking for, so here are some considerations for each category:
What you like
Think about the things that excite you, those you like to do, watch or talk about. Is there an aspect of work you like, a hobby you can’t get enough of or even something you have always thought about doing, but have never done? Kicking off with the things that you like is always a good start because they are often easy enough to think of.
What you are good at
Unfortunately the thing that we like are not always the things that we are good at, as a result it can be a bit harder to differentiate or identify these. Often we can’t even see the the things we are good at because we just do them without thinking. Try asking a friend, family member or work colleague what they think you are good at and give that some thought. The responses might even surprise you.
What you know
Sometimes these are linked to the things that you like, or even what you are good at, but not always. Think of the things you know a lot about, what do people ask you questions about? What have you spent a lot of time reading about or studying? Again, be careful not to simply choose things that you like. Confirm your selection by asking yourself if you could spend hours on end reading information about that one thing.
How to get it right
Finding your passion takes time and even when you find something that fits, there is always room for other passions.
You wil know that you have it right when you can’t help but talk about it. It will get you up in the morning and keep you up at night. Your passion is something that you will gladly do for free, but secretly hope that someone will eventually pay you for one day as well. A recent example of true passion is a great interview that Corbett Barr has recently done with Derek Halpern, even if you aren’t interested in marketing you can appreciate the level of excitement this guy has for what he does!
If some of this is starting to sound familiar, then it is likely that you are already on the right track. Make sure you test the category combinations to see that what you think is right actually is. Experiment with ideas, be creative in the pursuit of the things that interest you and utilise the portable skills you already possess in order to maximise your potential for success.
Make time to think about the things that make you tick (it’s harder than it sounds) and don’t give up trying. Finding your passion will make a huge difference to everything you do from that point forward, so go make it happen.
What are you passionate about?
Image by sweetbeetandgreenbean