Discovering Your Passion: A Step-by-Step Guide

Picture credit, free from unsplash

We’ve all heard of the saying, Do what you love and you’ll never work a day in your life, but not many of us are able to follow it. That’s because most people have no idea what they’re passionate about, or they don’t realize that their passions lie within certain fields. In order to be successful, you must find something that brings you genuine joy, regardless of whether or not it directly relates to your job.

Figure out your strengths

One way to start discovering what you’re passionate about is by figuring out your strengths. What do you natural excel at? What comes easy to you? Once you have a list of your strengths, you can start thinking about how you can use them in a career or business. Maybe your strength is writing. If so, then think about getting an English degree and becoming a journalist or starting up your own blog! Or maybe one of your strengths is being social and making connections with people. If that's the case, then you might want to consider careers like public relations or advertising that allow you to make connections on behalf of a company. You might also want to research sales positions where you would help someone buy something they need for their business or job.

Make a list of things you like doing

1. This can be anything from reading and cooking to hiking and playing sports.

2. Narrow down your list to a few activities that you really enjoy and make you feel good.

3. Try new things! If there's something you've always wanted to do, now is the time to go for it.

4. Talk to people who are passionate about the things you're interested in.

5. Let go of what you should be doing and focus on what you want to do.

For example, if you want to become an astronaut but know this isn't realistic, try figuring out what might be more achievable. Maybe one day you'll end up as an aeronautical engineer designing parts for aircrafts or maybe you'll work with NASA in another capacity. The important thing is that if it excites you and makes you happy, then don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Find what’s missing from your life

The first step to finding your passion is to take a close look at your life and see what’s missing. Do you feel like you’re not doing anything that makes you truly happy? Are you yearning for something more? Once you’ve identified what’s missing, you can start to explore activities that might fill that void. For example, if you have the feeling that there's an artistic talent inside of you just waiting to be discovered, but don't know where to start exploring your creativity - try taking an art class! Or if it seems like everything in your life revolves around work and never leave time for yourself or other hobbies - maybe it's time to rethink the way you approach work/life balance.

Use the 5 W's Methodology

Start by asking yourself the 5 W's: who, what, when, where, and why. Who do you want to help? What do you want to achieve? When do you want to achieve it? Where will you achieve it? And most importantly, why? Why is this important to you? Once you have answers to these questions, you'll be one step closer to discovering your passion. Don't worry if you're not 100% sure at first, sometimes it takes time for the answer to reveal itself. Keep going through the steps until you find an answer that sparks joy!

If there's something that always brings a smile to your face or makes you feel excited inside, chances are it's worth pursuing! So take a moment to stop and ask yourself those five questions so that you can continue living passionately.

Explore your options

When it comes to finding your passion, the best way to start is by exploring your options. Talk to people who have careers that interest you, do some research online, and try new things. Once you have a better idea of what you might like to do, it's time to start taking action. Choose something you can actually do, not just something you want to do. It may take a while before you find out what your true passion is, but don't give up! You'll know when you find it because it will make all the effort worth it. For now, think about what you're doing on weekends or evenings. Is there anything you really enjoy? If so, there's a good chance that this activity could turn into your career one day. Plus, don't forget to explore interests related to your field - for example if someone likes video games they should also consider design or game development as potential careers.

Brainstorm ideas and start taking action

The first step is to brainstorm ideas. What are you interested in? What do you enjoy doing? Once you have a list of potential passions, it's time to start taking action. Research your options, talk to people who are already doing what you're interested in, and get started on your journey to finding your passion! Remember, everyone is different so don't compare yourself to others - only you know what's best for you. Discovering your passion may take some time, but the feeling when you finally find something that lights you up inside will be worth it.