If you could do one thing to transform your life, I would highly recommend it be to find something you’re passionate about and do it for a living. Learning how to find your passion may not be as easy as it sounds, but it’s well worth the effort.
If you dread going to your job, find yourself constantly lacking motivation, or find what you’re doing dull and repetitive, you need to start looking for a new job. Staying in your current job will not only continue to leave you feeling stuck and make you unhappy, but you are not realizing your full potential in life.
Imagine this instead:
You get up early, jump out of bed, excited to go to work. You might put in more hours than the average person, but it doesn’t seem difficult to you, because your work hours just zoom right by.
You are often in that state of mind, often referred to as “flow,” where you can lose track of the world and time, losing yourself in the task at hand. “Work is not “work” as many people refer to it, but something that is fun, interesting, and exciting. It’s not a “job” but a passion that leads to a fulfilling life.
If you’ve got a job you dislike or even hate, this will sound like a pipe dream to you. And if you never put in the effort to find what you’re passionate about, such a thing will never be possible.
However, if you dare to ask “how do I find my passion,” imagine the possibilities, and actually search for what you love, it is not only a possibility but a probability.
How do you go about learning how to find your passion in life?
1. Is There Something You Already Love Doing?
What is your passion in life? Do you have a hobby or something you loved doing as a child, but never considered it as a possibility for a job?
Whether it’s reading comic books, collecting something, or creating or building, there is probably a way you could do it for a living. Open a comic book shop, or create a comic book site online.
If there’s already something you love doing, you’re ahead of the game. Now you just need to research the possibilities of making money from it.
2. Find out What You Spend Hours Reading About
For myself, when I get passionate about something, I’ll read about it for hours on end. I’ll buy books and magazines. I’ll spend days on the Internet finding out more.
There may be a few possibilities here for you, and all of them are possible career paths. Don’t close your mind to these topics. Look into them until you feel your heart is content, and this will help you get started as you learn how to find your passion.
3. Brainstorm
If nothing comes to mind right away as you’re asking how to find your passion, get out a sheet of paper and start writing down ideas. [1] This doesn’t need to be an organized list. It can simply be a piece of paper full of random notes or even doodles. All of this will eventually come in handy later.
Look around your house, on your computer, or on your bookshelf for inspiration, and write down whatever comes to mind. There are no bad ideas at this stage.
4. Ask Around
You probably admire people in life, and there are things about them that you would like to replicate in yourself. Go to them if possible, and pick their brain. See how they landed where they are currently and whether they feel they’ve discovered their passion.
The more possibilities you find, the greater your chances of learning how to find your passion in the long run. This may mean that you spend time talking to friends and family, coworkers, or even acquaintances in your free time.
5. Don’t Quit Your Job Just Yet
If you find your calling, your passion, don’t just turn in your resignation tomorrow. It’s best to stay in your job while you’re researching the possibilities.
If you can do your passion as a side job and build up the income for a few months or a year, that’s even better. It gives you a chance to build up some savings (and if you’re going into business for yourself, you’ll need that cash reserve) while practicing the skills you need.
6. Give It a Try First
It’s best to actually test your new idea before jumping into it as a career, especially if you’re wondering how to find your passion. Do it as a hobby or side job at first, so that you can see if it’s really your true calling.
You may be passionate about it for a few days, but where the rubber meets the road is whether you’re passionate about it for at least a few months.
If you pass this test, you have probably found it.
7. Do as Much Research as Possible
Learn as much about your passion as possible. If this has been a passion for a while, you may have already been doing this. At any rate, do even more research. Read every website possible on the topic, and buy the best books available to live a more fulfilling life.
Find other people, either in your area or on the Internet, who do what you want to do for a living, and quiz them about the profession.
How much do they make, and what training and education did they need? What skills are necessary, and how did they get their start? What recommendations do they have?
Often, you’ll find that people are more than willing to give advice.
8. Practice, and Practice, and Practice Some More
If you’re getting close to learning how to know your passion, don’t go into it with an amateur skill level. If you want to make money—to be a professional—you need to have professional skills.
You will get very good at your future career, and you will make money at it. Practice for hours on end and learn how to focus. If it’s something you love, the practice should be something you want to do and find life-fulfilling.
9. Never Quit Trying
It’s possible that you won’t be able to find your passion at first. However, if you give up after a few days, you’re sure to fail. Keep trying, for months on end if necessary, and you’ll find it eventually.
Perhaps you thought you had found your passion but discovered several months later that it wasn’t for you. Start over again and find a new passion. There may be more than one passion in your lifetime, so explore all the possibilities.
Have you found your passion but haven’t been successful in making a living at it? Keep trying and trying again until you succeed. Success doesn’t come easily, so giving up early is a sure way to fail.
The Bottom Line
These are the best tips on how to discover your passion. Don’t forget that all of this will be a lot of work, but it will be the best investment you’ve ever made.
Put in the time to learn how to find your passion, and you will find that your days are more fulfilling and produce more happiness and well-being in the long term.