“How do I find my passion?”
“How do I figure out what to do with my life?”
If you’re asking these questions, I first want to preface with this: No one really knows what they’re doing right now.
If you’re fresh out of college and in your twenties, the odds of you having it “all figured out” are rather slim. I know there’s a lot of pressure to have it all figured out right now. People even put pressure on you back in your senior year of high school to declare a major when you’re applying to schools, essentially choosing what you want to do for the rest of your life.
Related: Reconnect with your purpose and passions with The Self-Discovery Starter Kit
I don’t know about you, but I certainly didn’t finish with the degree that I started with in college. Honestly, I never would have thought I was going to get a business degree if you asked me what I wanted to do with my life at 18. Economics was the one AP test I didn’t pass!
Society puts a lot of pressure on you to have it all figured out, have a career down, and move forward, but we’re finally getting to this point as we grow into adults that we’re a lot more flexible with taking life one step at a time.
Many young adults are extremely worried, asking questions like, “Am I doing the right thing? Is this going to lead me to a fulfilling life?”
Well, let’s figure it out!
So if you’re in this space, feeling like you’re not really sure what you want to do with your life, or you feel like you don’t have a passion for something and you want to find that, you’re in the right place.
Here are the five steps that you can take to help you find your passion or simply something that you love to do.
As a note: What you discover through these steps doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s what you need to do for a job. There is nothing wrong with finding a job that you do enjoy, and bringing your passion along with you. Whether it’s a part of the job or not the entirety of the job.
You could find a job that takes care of you, you’re eventual family, has good benefits, you feel like you’re learning a lot, and then having your passion be something that’s a hobby or a side hustle. For example, I enjoy writing and blogging but can’t support myself just yet to turn my blog into a full-time business. That’s completely okay! Whatever you choose, it needs to feel right for YOU.
With all of this in mind, what you discover through these steps can be something you’re passionate about now, but it might change later in life. You change as you grow older. It’s a part of life – your interests change, shift, and grow. It’s all a part of being human.
You change as you grow older. It’s a part of life - your interests change, shift, and grow. It’s all a part about being human. Click To TweetFollow What Feels Good
This is one of the top pieces of advice I give to anyone who comes to me asking, “I need a new hobby, how do I find one? How do I find my passion?”
Following what feels good means spending time doing things you enjoy. If you need to make a decision, what feels like a good decision? You need to learn how to trust yourself and listen to your instincts.
What are you naturally drawn to when you really sit and think about all of your options? When you start making decisions about something or choose to partake in certain activities, does it feel good? Does it feel like you’re heading in the right direction?
It doesn’t have to mean you know that whatever you choose to explore is your number one passion, but does it feel like you’re taking productive and positive action towards something you may enjoy in the future?
The main goal is to follow your intuition. This can be a challenge for you if you’re not used to following your intuition, especially if you usually do what other people say you “should” do with your life.
Stop doing that. Seriously.
Overall, you need to listen to yourself and figure out what you enjoy doing, even on the most basic level.
What Interests You?
One of the best pieces of advice I ever received when I was learning about finding a target niche for freelance writing was this: Picture yourself walking into a bookstore. What section are you drawn to first? Are you naturally drawn to the business section? The biography section?
Personally, I’m naturally drawn to the self-development section. Big shocker, my blog and business are all about personal growth, so it makes sense that this is the section I’m drawn to in the bookstore.
Even if you’re drawn to science-fiction, or fantasy, or something like that. That may not translate into something directly for a career, but that’s fine! This isn’t about finding a career, this is about finding something that you love to do that you can pursue in some way to help you feel fulfilled and happier in life.
Maybe you aren’t interested in books at all and you find yourself walking straight to the movies or music and vinyl section. That could be a hobby – you never know!
Let Go of Fear
Stop worrying about being judged by other people. Your hobby, passion, or whatever you figure out that you really enjoy doing while you work through these steps might be something that other people don’t understand.
And you know what? That’s completely okay.
As someone who usually liked things that were typically made fun of when I was growing up (and might I add, the Jonas Brothers are HUGE right now so, #noregrets), I completely understand how something like this might get in the way of expressing yourself about your passions.
Please remember that these judgments from other people aren’t reflections on who you are, it’s a reflection on who THEY are as people and how they actually feel about themselves.
Judgments from other people aren’t reflections on who you are, it’s a reflection on who THEY are as people and how they feel about themselves. Click To TweetIf you simply stick to who you are and let go of the fear of being judged by others, you’ll be able to enjoy life so much more and freely pursue whatever passion or interest that you find, and it’ll make you feel so much happier overall.
Take Action and Be Proactive
Taking action and moving forward doesn’t necessarily mean do what’s easy. It means: be proactive.
You can’t sit back and think, “Oh, this is something I enjoy doing. This feels great.” and NOT do anything. Nothing is going to happen with that kind of approach! Do you really think you’re going to find what you want in life by sitting around and just thinking about it?
I don’t think so.
You need to start taking action. Start participating in life and get involved. Read some interesting books, watch some new movies, do some research online, pick up a new hobby.
You’re not going to figure out what you love to do unless you actually….do it.
Every time you pick something up and you figure out you don’t really enjoy it, that’s just one thing off the list that you know is not going to be your passion.
Another part to keep in mind with this step is to really try your best to bring passion and enthusiasm into literally everything you do. Not only will this make life better and much more enjoyable, but you’ll also have a higher chance of finding true passion if you’re being enthusiastic during the process. If you’re putting everything that you can into what you’re doing with passion and enthusiasm, you have a much higher chance of enjoying it overall or at least getting full experience in what you participating in and trying.
Don’t Worry About Making Money
Your passion doesn’t have to be super profitable. This doesn’t have to be your end-all career.
A lot of us growing up were taught to follow our passions when searching for a job. Sometimes, life just doesn’t work out that way. I’m not telling you to give up, I’m simply saying that while you move forward in life, bring your passion along with you. That’s the really important part here. Don’t forget about your passion and don’t leave it behind.
If you are doing something that you enjoy, it doesn’t necessarily have to be profitable. It can be a new hobby, it can be a passion project, it might not even bring in any money at all! Maybe you really enjoy volunteering and have a passion for spending time helping animal shelters. That’s 100% okay. That’s amazing, actually!
If that’s what brings you joy and fulfillment: do it. Go for it.
Don’t get discouraged about if something you love is going to make you money or not. Our society has conditioned us to think that you need to monetize every moment of your life if you can, but YOU DON’T NEED TO DO THIS!!
Stop putting pressure on yourself to make money off of things you love doing. The end goal isn’t to make millions off of what you love doing. While that may be nice, the true end goal here is to figure out what you really love to do and what sparks joy and enthusiasm into your life.
Have you discovered any passions in your life? Share them in the comments below!
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