Passion Isn’t Found. It’s Created.

The following is adapted from Better Than Destiny by Frederic Bahnson.

Did you ever have a project in school that you just didn’t care about? It mattered for your grade, but the topic was so boring that you can barely remember at this point what it was actually about? Regardless of the grade, how much did you actually learn, and how did you feel about the final product you presented or turned in?

Now compare that to a project you were interested in — a paper, art project, lab write-up, or independent study topic that you were really fired up about. Again, setting the grade aside, how much did you learn? What was the quality of the work you produced?

If you’re like most of us, the quality of the work and the enjoyment involved with doing it was much higher in the latter situation. The difference between the two situations is passion.

Clearly, passion is important — so what do you do if you don’t know what fires you up? How do you find your passion? The short answer is, you don’t; you create passion. Once you realize that, a whole new level of enjoyment and fulfillment in your personal and/or professional life can emerge.

Passion Is Not Fleeting Enjoyment

“Finding” your passion implies that there is “a passion” out there already developed and waiting for you to get to it. As if you will know on the first try whether something is your passion, like being struck by lightning. Rarely is that the case.

For starters, the first time you try something, you’re probably not going to be great at it. Even if you have a mindset that values learning through mistakes, it can be hard to feel passionate about something you’re not good at yet.

Often, the things you feel passionate about right away end up flaming out in a relatively short period of time. Once the “honeymoon period” is over, you’re just not that interested anymore. Something may be fun and exciting when it’s new, but eventually, it’ll become your normal. If it’s not still fun and exciting at that point, it’s not your passion.

Second, a true passion is something that will sustain your interest and energy for years to come. Art, music, athletics, or anything else are typical examples of things that people don’t just love to participate in for the first time, but they make them a big part of their lives going forward.

Passion is created over a period of time, not just a fleeting moment.

An Accumulation of Positive Feelings

If a certain kind of work has meaning to you, has some aspects you enjoy, and isn’t sucking the life out of you, it could be your pre-passion work. If you identify the areas that are most interesting to you and work on skill development and personal growth in those areas, you can create and grow your passion.

Feelings of accomplishment and growth reinforce your enjoyment. Enjoyment reinforces your desire to put in the effort to grow your skills. Over time, the accumulation of positive feelings, sustained growth, and focused interest becomes the very thing many others are constantly hoping to find, which is a real passion for what you do.

Focus on the Right Things

Over the long haul, what you get out of your work and the quality you produce will depend on how much you enjoy the work — your passion for it. If you’re interested in something due to the nature of its being, it becomes energizing to work on it. More than that, it feels satisfying and rewarding. All these feelings drive you to put in more effort and be more focused during that time. That focus decreases distraction and increases both creativity and productivity.

So, take some time to think about some of the specific things you love most in your personal or professional life. Maybe you enjoy writing marketing material for your job or walking the dog in the park in your free time. Focus on those things. Maybe a passion emerges: Could there be a creative writer in you? What about taking up animal rights as a volunteer opportunity? Try it on for a while. What happens if you put more energy and effort into specifically those things? Everyone is different in what they choose, and we never know for sure where the work will lead. But we’re all the same in that we can’t just wait to stumble on our passion like a hidden treasure; we must (and can!) create it for ourselves.

For more about creating your passion, and other ways we can build fulfilling work and lives, you can find Better Than Destiny on Amazon.

Dr. Frederic Bahnson is a personal and executive coach who works with individuals and teams to create happiness, improve performance, and foster well-being in their personal and professional lives. He has devoted two decades to the art and science of decision-making, delivering practical strategies that streamline this important human process. In addition to coaching, Frederic is a practicing general surgeon and served as Chief Medical Officer for Macro-Eyes, an AI company focused on global public health. He previously studied physics, worked as a systems engineer, and has won several awards for teaching and mentoring. Frederic and his wife, children, and dogs live in Oregon, where they enjoy endless explorations, hobbies, and outdoor pursuits.