“Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.” This old adage may be true, but finding your passion is easier said than done.
We often have a sense of our passions when we’re kids, but it’s easy to lose track of those core values as the trappings of adulthood—rent, insurance, acid reflux—get in the way. Add to that the number of careers you can pursue in this modern age, and finding the right one gets overwhelming quickly.
How do you rediscover your passion in life? These steps will help you explore different activities to aid in revealing yourtrue passions.
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Passions vs. hobbies: What’s the difference?
Passions, by definition, are strong convictions to ideas, movements, or activities. A hobby, by contrast, is something you do in your free time, primarily to relax.
Both can provide personal satisfaction, but the key difference between the two lies in the intensity of emotion they provoke. Passions provide a sense of purpose, whereas hobbies provide an outlet to unwind outside of work or other commitments.
Of course, a hobby can evolve into a passion over time—even a new career. If you’re driven to make time for a hobby, particularly at the cost of other activities, there’s a good chance it’s a passion. Likewise, if you can go months without feeling the need to engage with your passion, it may be more of a hobby.
How to find your passion
- Set expectations
- Self-reflect
- Journal with intention
- Read books on a range of subjects
- Seek guidance from many sources
- Get out of your comfort zone
- Rest productively
Create an environment that fosters self-discovery with the following exercises:
Set expectations
Finding your passion may not happen overnight—and that’s OK. Exploring new interests can improve your quality of life, lead to new friendships, and help you develop new skills. As you embark on your journey to discover new passions, think about what’s most important to you. Is it about finding a new career path? Or adding meaning and purpose to your life?
Knowing what you hope to gain can help you stay focused and feel less pressured to solve everything all at once.
Self-reflect
What’s a skill you’ve always wished you had? When you were a kid, what did you dream of being one day? What does it mean for you to succeed in life? Take a breath, clear your mind, and listen to what comes up.
Taking the time to dig deep and think critically about what brings you joy is an important step that can lead to clarifying moments of insight. If there’s an hour in your day that you normally spend watching TV or folding laundry, put it off for a day and use that time for self-reflection. A long commute is also a great time to reflect on what you’ve accomplished so far and what you would like to do more of.
📖Read more: What Inspires You? 9 Inspiration Sources of Entrepreneurs
Journal with intention
Writing in a journal is an effective way to organize your thoughts and uncover patterns. Whether your ideal journaling practice involves stream-of-conscious writing, making lists, jotting down your dreams, or sketching out diagrams, you’d be surprised by what you learn about yourself in the process.
You don’t need much time to practice journaling. Even 10 minutes a day can help you explore your interests, dreams, and fears in greater depth. Use these seven questions as journaling prompts to get started:
- What skill set comes easily to you?
- When have you spent hours doing something and it felt like no time passed?
- Can you remember a time you felt passionate about something, even something small?
- When are you having the most fun?
- Is there anything you think about all the time but have yet to explore?
- If money wasn’t a factor, how would you spend the bulk of your time? Why?
- What activities, ideas, or human beings have inspired a sense of purpose in you?
As you answer these questions, write quickly and without judgment. Remember, your journal is for your eyes and your eyes only.
📖Read more: My Starting Over Story: How I Revisited a Passion Project During My Lowest Point
Read books on a range of subjects
Books can be a great way to expand your imagination and knowledge without a significant investment. If you have an idea of a field you’ve always wanted to explore—like marine biology, for example—textbooks, beginner’s guides, and memoirs all make for great introductions. Many self-help books—like Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way and Elizabeth Gilbert’s Big Magic—can provide structure to your self-discovery journey and helpful tips for managing the fear of trying something new.
If you’re unsure of what you’re looking for, go to your local library or bookstore and browse the aisles. Flip through anything that piques your interest and note how you feel when you stumble on a genre or topic that intrigues you.
Resources:
- The 30 Best Business Books for Entrepreneurs
- The 16 Best Ecommerce Books You Need
- The 28 Best Marketing Books on Sales and Advertising
Seek guidance from many sources
Getting career advice from one person is helpful, but advice from a wide range of individuals? That can be life-changing.
Here are a few good places to seek advice:
- Mentors. If you have a mentor from work or school, ask them if they’ve noticed when you tend to light up and what activities seem to drag you down; the process of elimination can be just as helpful as positive affirmations.
- Former coworkers. If you have a former coworker who left for a new job or started a new career, ask how they went about pursuing their passions.
- Friends and family. Talk to the loved ones who know you best; they may reveal passions you didn’t realize you had.
- Career coaches. Career coaches are paid professionals you can hire to help identify alternate professions and then take concrete steps to enter a new industry.
- Therapists. Sometimes the reason you’re feeling stuck has less to do with an unfulfilling work environment and more to do with unresolved emotions; a licensed therapist can help.
Get out of your comfort zone
Sometimes the best way to shake things up is to do something you never imagined yourself doing. If you currently work in a scientific field, attend workshops in creative writing. Conversely, if you work primarily with creative ideas, try a hobby where you work with your hands.
Once you’ve started trying new things, make it part of your mindfulness practice to keep track of how you’re feeling throughout the process so you can change course as needed. Not every new experience will be satisfying, but it will help guide you in the right direction.
Rest productively
Sometimes burnout can make it hard to think clearly—let alone discover the source of passion in our lives. If you find yourself overwhelmed with daily life, take a hard look at your schedule and see where you might be able to carve out some time for yourself. Are there things you feel like you’re supposed to be doing that you can dismiss or set aside for now? What would happen if you said no to non-critical obligations?
Set aside time when you have nothing planned and decide in the moment whether you want to take a leisurely walk, catch up with a friend, or get some much-needed sleep. When you allow your body and mind to rest, you might be surprised by your subconscious’s ability to answer big questions.
How to find your passion FAQ
How do I find my passion in life?
Experiment with living in the present moment, reflecting on what brings you the most joy, researching topics you’re interested in, and asking others for advice to help figure out what you’re passionate about.
Why can’t I find my passion?
Feeling overwhelmed by possibilities, worrying about not having enough money, fearing failure, and feeling pressure from cultural norms are all common obstacles to finding your passion.
How do I develop my passion?
Read books on the topics that interest you, talk to experts working in the field you’d like to explore, take classes, attend workshops, and go easy on yourself if new skills don’t come naturally at first.
Is passion the same as inspiration?
A passion is a long-term, deeply felt sense of purpose that continually inspires you, whereas inspiration is a short-term feeling or catalyst that can lead you to discover your passion.