You Are Not Your Job: How To Find Your True Passion

Summary: Find out how you can discover your true passion in life, and how you can turn it into a career.

Most people hate being asked, “What do you do?” After all, we don’t want to talk about work all the time, yet, for some reason, it’s often the first question we ask when meeting someone.

According to Greatist.com, just 13% of respondents in a 2012 Gallup poll said that they were engaged at work. Many individuals feel bored and unfulfilled at work. They may even become depressed, as they have no idea how to get out of the rut they are stuck in. How do you even figure out what your passion is?

First, think about what you do when you goof off at work. Are you on Pinterest planning a dream vacation? Perhaps the travel industry is a better fit. Are you browsing the hopeful puppies and kitties on your local animal shelter’s website? Maybe working with animals is for you.

Also, think about what you loved doing when you were a kid. Think back to when you felt truly happy, and make a note of what was going on in your life during those times. You may see a pattern begin to emerge.

Where do you go on the Internet? Do you research the latest fashion trends or makeup tricks? Do you study the latest developments in Apple software? What you do in your free time really demonstrates what your true interests are.

Think about the one topic that makes your friends roll their eyes when you get started talking about it. Is it fitness? Eating clean? Designing jewelry? Think very carefully about what topics you love to talk about.

Forbes notes that it is important to take action as quickly as possible once you know that your current job is not working for you. Although you clearly need an income, there is no need to sit in a dead end job for a year or longer while you try to figure out what you want to do with your life.

Similarly, don’t make your new search all about the money. Plenty of people bring in six figures and cry at the end of the workday because they hate their jobs so much. Forbes recommends treating the financial concerns as secondary. Cut corners where you can to fulfill your dreams. Do you really need the 300-channel cable package? Probably not. Do you need to go out to dinner 4 nights a week? No. It will be easier to cut back than you think, and it will be well worth it in the end.

Now that you have some ideas as to what your joys in life are, what do you do? Think of three things you can do during the next week to get going. For example, purchase a website URL to get your blog going. Each week, think of three new things you can do, and eventually, you will be living a much more fulfilling life.