“Nothing great in the world has been accomplished without passion.“ — Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel
You’ve heard it before: do work you’re passionate about.
But if you’re feeling stuck and completely clueless, how do you go about finding your passions in life?
Many of us dream about doing work that truly fills us with excitement. The idea of working on something we enjoy sounds like the greatest achievement in life and it is a noble journey for all of us who embark on it.
But how do you figure out your passion?
In order to fulfil a dream of doing work we love, we need to be more precise about what we are looking for.
Which means we need to figure out what our passions are in life.
What do you love?
What can you do over and over again and never get bored of?
What do you wish you could do all day long?
The answers to these questions will help you move one step further to figuring out your passions in life.
To help you in your journey, below are 3 tips I’ve personally found helpful:
1. Do Something Drastic
I’m sure you’ve all seen many examples of this.
For me personally, here’s what I did: I quit my job without a plan and decided to go figure out my passions.
- Risky? Yes.
- Closer to doing work I am passionate about? Absolutely.
When I quit my job, I suddenly had all the time in the world. I could read, I could take photographs, I could create, I could write.
I could pick and choose what I wanted to do, and when.
Once you’ve removed the smothering blanket of a steady pay check, the hunt for more meaningful work becomes so much more intense. I loved it. I’ve learned more in the past year than I ever would have had I stayed in my job.
Quitting my job opened my eyes!
It’s a thrilling journey to leave your job and one which I personally think will help you to discover your passions in life.
When you leave your job, you’re not just going to take any old gig.
Otherwise, why did you quit in the first place?
“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” — Howard Thurman
Sometimes you have to make bold moves in order for things to change.
2. Experiment With Options
Due to my investing background, I’m not a fan of putting all my eggs in one basket.
This can apply to work too:
- don’t let all your income come from just one source
The beauty of having different income streams is that it allows you to experiment with different lines of work that you may not otherwise have considered.
Have fun doing different projects for different clients. You’ll never know what you might get involved with! Some of these may just help you figure out what you are passionate about.
If one particular line of work doesn’t work out, that’s OK too.
You can easily drop it if you don’t like it, if you’re not passionate about it.
This is the difference between freelancing and working in an office job: in a typical job you get stuck in one line of work. With freelancing you can experiment and learn, and discover what you truly enjoy spending your time on. You can be an entrepreneur, a contract or both.
It’s so much easier to experiment.
Experimenting has been one of the biggest ways for me to determine what I’m good at, what I like doing, and what pays well.
The intersection of these 3 is the ultimate life sweet spot.
I’ve done graphic design work, blogging, financial analysis, project management, social media analytics and so much more.
I personally recommend UpWork for experimenting with different lines of work. If you haven’t used it before, check out this guide: how I win high-paying clients on UpWork.
3. Learn From Other People and Other Things
One of the best ways I have helped discover my passion is through other people and other things. Particularly when you’re working for yourself, it’s so important to network and connect with others.
I love connecting with and learning from new people because everyone offers something different to learn.
Everyone has a story to tell.
I think it’s fascinating to see the different turns that people’s lives have taken, and the choices they’ve made for themselves to get where they are today. You need only ask to hear it.
You can learn a lot from others and if you need help working out your passions, I would encourage you to go out and talk to some people. Go to a networking event or ask an old colleague for coffee.
From talking with others, I have discovered so many lines of work that I didn’t even know about!
As well as people, don’t forget to take inspiration from other things around you too:
- nature
- books
- podcasts
- photographs
- memoirs
- music
By constantly learning and questioning, you open your mind up to a whole host of ideas. Some of these may just help you figure out your passions.
Conclusion
“There is no end. There is no beginning. There is only the passion of life.” — Federico Fellini
Discovering your passion is not a game. There is no winner, and frequently, there isn’t even an end.
My passions have changed over the past few years and yours almost certainly will too, so this is something to bear in mind as your embark on your journey.
It’s not easy, and I’m not there yet, but hopefully these tips will help you be one step closer to discovering more about your passions, and yourself.
Enjoy the journey!
