How to Find Your Passion

You’ve heard it over and over: people advising you how to “live” your passion. Modern day gurus will tell you how following your passion is the only way to live a fulfilled life.

Although true to an extent, there is more that goes into the mix. If you know what’s your passion, great. The next step is taking action every single day to realise your goals. And if you’re already doing that, good for you!

But most people get stuck at step one. They don’t know what their passion is (yet). They are clueless about it and hate this question shoved into their face on personal development forums and blogs.

The good news is, there are several ways to find what you’re passionate about and it’s not as hard as you may think. Let’s explore, shall we?

First a Warning: Your passion may not be what you think.

It may not be grand or trying to change the world. It may be that you just love icing cakes, or getting things in order or looking after your kids or something others around you don’t value.

Or it may be something so big you don’t even want to think about it. If it is you can get there in small, easy and enjoyable steps.

Why bother to find your passion?

Because when you find your passion you live with a quiet joy (or maybe even an out loud and boisterous joy if you are more extraverted than me).

Because otherwise you feel discontented and dissatisfied. Because then you can live with all of you and this is deeply satisfying.

How to find your passion (Dif’rent Strokes for Dif’rent Folks)

Some of us are wordy others are not. Some of us love to move others of us find joy in stillness. Here is a smorgasbord of options which hopefully will have something for everyone.

For Movers and Shakers

Start from stillness. Then just let your body move as it wants to. Note any moves you want to block and stop when you don’t feel comfortable.

Just allow your body to move how it wants to. At some point you will realise what you are doing. It may be a specific activity (pretending to play an instrument, making with your hands, dancing or singing) or it may be quality (flow, intensity, freedom or rapid change).

What would it mean for you to move through life this way? What changes would you need to make to your relationships and routines? What is one small and easy thing you can do before you go to sleep to live this way?

For Writers and Readers

Open a fresh page in your journal or a new document on screen. Make a list of what you three things you like to do and three things that you loathe doing.

Take the first thing you like write down why you like it. Then write down why you like that. Then write down why you like that. Keep going until you don’t have an answer – or the answer is ‘just because I do’ or ‘that’s just me’.

Do this for the next two likes as well. Do the same process for the things you loathe. Asking why you dislike them. When you have done this you will have good information about what you like just because you do or just because of who you are.

You will find that this information hangs together around one theme (usually only one). What is the heading you could put them all under?

The theme may be how you do something – so if you end up with a list of very different sports it may be physical activities or if you end up with a range of artistic media, your theme could be self-expression or creativity.

And the theme may be variety – you passion could be being able to change and be stimulated by novelty and try new things.

For Dreamers and Visionaries

Imagine what would be your idea of heaven on earth. It may be your perfect day or week or month or year. If you feel that this is too real then imagine your perfect holiday. Or flying away on a magic carpet to the Land of Happiness.

Imagine this as vividly as you can – with all of your senses. What you see, hear, taste, touch and smell. Explore this ideal – see if you discover things (you may be surprised about what you find yourself doing or what others are doing).

You may be alone of there may be others (just one, a few, lots); who may be doing things (if so, what things?) or nothing in particular. Sense as vividly as you can what it is like to be here: what you sense and how you move and what it feels like to be there. You have built a castle in the air.

Next is the work of building the foundations under it. And you have your vision to inspire you and help you navigate as you do this.

Now that you have found your passion

You have a lifetime to live it and it begins with one step. It can be as big as you like (though don’t just be impulsive and create trouble for yourself) or as small as you like.

Go at your pace, it is your passion and your life. Live it your way. All you have to do is take the first step, then the next and the next.

Your turn

Have you found your passion? Or are you struggling with it? Share your thoughts and experiences below.

Image by Lenny Montana.