Passion is such a BIG word. So much pressure, so many expectations...
Everywhere you look nowadays there seems to be this new it-girl or passion-guru or some other self-proclaimed expert on finding the magical wand and the fastest path to overcoming all the challenges and finding your true passion.
They talk about passion as if it's a magical fairy you can entreat with cookies. Here's the thing: sometimes passions and their matching career do just fall out of the sky. But if you wait for that forever, you'll find yourself very bored, very unemployed, and very unfulfilled.
So' I've gather the 6 fundamental step-by-step actions (not magical spell) to actually uncovering your passions (yes plural! There are many - read bellow).
1. Relax.
Take a deep breath and realize you aren't alone and this feeling isn't abnormal. You might look around you and think everyone else knows exactly what they're doing, and that you're the only person in the world who feels confused and directionless. But that simply isn't true.
The majority of people find themselves at this crossroads in at some point in their lives.
Nothing remains static.
Our values, interests, and life circumstances are constantly shifting, and with those shifts comes the inevitable restlessness and need to forge a new path.
From my own personal experience going through this confusing time, and from my work with many coaching clients who have been in this position, you WILL find your way through. Be patient and kind with yourself, and remain confident in your own good judgment and problem solving abilities.
2. Believe
Most people don't believe it's possible to have a passionate career. In fact, society trains us that a lot of unbelievably fulfilling things can't be done.
Showing yourself you can do things you used to write off as impossible has a confidence-compounding effect on our life like no other. You can then apply that on a larger and larger scale.
Yep, you will feel self-doubt, fear, and confusion about your life passion and your decisions around it.
You may not have certainty or even clarity that you are doing the "right" thing, you just have to believe that you are.
3. Let go of "one true passion"
Self-proclaimed gurus love to say there is only one magical passion for each of us, but that's not true - you have hundreds of passions. A passion is something you enjoy and are interested in. A passion is something you enjoy and are interested in.
Passions are what you want to BE, not what you want to DO.
Passions change and evolve as you do, so it's just about impossible to be satisfied with one passion and one career for your entire life.
The minute you seeking your life passion, you're living it.
Your passion isn't just a destination - it's a journey. Enjoy the process of uncovering it. View the search as your passion for right now.
4. Brainstorm
You can do this with pen and paper, on your computer or even with an audio recorder.
Write down every subject you're interested in. Let go of your preconceived notions. Forget about what you think is possible, and write down everything you feel remotely excited about.
Then study the list, some of it will be gibberish, but there will be golden nuggets in there. At this point, don't even worry about if what you're excited about is feasible or not.
This phase is all about tapping into who you already are.
There's a reason you are who you are and that you have the quirks you have. We're all naturally inclined to be great at something. And our strengths show us where we should focus.
5. Analyze
You must know who you are, what you're good at, what values you hold highest, what you enjoy doing and what you absolutely hate.
This is not something you learn in a book. You extract it from your life experiences. The more experiences the better. When in doubt, keep learning and experimenting.
The best way to learn about yourself is through the art of micro-experiments and rapid self-learning.
6. Make a commitment
If you're anything like me when I was starting out, you're buzzing with hundreds of ideas and possible paths you could take.
Deciding on just one seems impossible.
It seems so impossible that you never take action. You remain paralyzed by the thought of picking the "perfect" one.
The reason you're paralyzed is because there is no perfect one.
You have to go with your gut and just start. You can't think your way to clarity, so if you've been confused for a long time, you have to take action.
Finding Your Passions = Creating Your Future
Make a commitment to be a passionate Ms. Career Girl. There's no time like right now to start creating your future.
