“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” – Confucius
One of the biggest challenges I see 20-somethings face is figuring out what they want to “be when they grow up.” A lot of us enter the workforce expecting high-paying, glamorous jobs that will bring us lots of success and oodles of satisfaction only to be severely disappointed when reality strikes and we’re stuck in boring, unfulfilling jobs. And let’s face it, our careers consume such a large part of our lives so it is really discouraging when you’re unhappy with yours. I’m a big advocate for living your passion. I believe that everyone should feel utterly happy and passionate with their lives. Why? Because when we’re genuinely happy we possess the confidence and power to create our best lives. And this is precisely what the world needs. The world needs us to be operating at full throttle. The world needs us to be head over heels, over the moon happy. The greatest change happens because of people who are deeply passionate and satiated with their lives.
So I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking: “Nai” – and yes, you can call me Nai – “It’s easy for you to say to live your passion because you’ve found yours. How do I find my passion?” Well don’t you worry, below are my 9 steps to finding your passion:
- What come naturally to you? Some people are always hosting fabulous dinner parties. Some people are always organizing or fixing things. We often take for granted the things that just flow naturally for us. We all have unique gifts and talents that come naturally. Think about your specific skills – are you analytical? A creative mind? A problem solver?
- Which of your skills do you wish to use? It’s not enough that we’re good at something, we have to actually enjoy using that skill. For example, I’m actually pretty analytical, so for years I worked in jobs that required analytical thinking. I finally came to the realization that while analytical thinking may be a particular skill set of mine, it was in no way something I was passionate about.
- What is your Essence? Our essence is our natural qualities. Think about which qualities ooze from your pores? Are you a naturally caring & compassionate person? Are you serious or funny? Be careful to think of what your true essence actually is and not what you’d like it to be. It’s important that you’re honest.
- What would you do if you knew you could not fail? Assume that money, time and energy aren’t an obstacle – you would absolutely succeed in what you set out to do. What would it be? Also think about what you would do even if it paid very little. If you would work at something for free, you’re very likely passionate about it.
- Who are the people you admire and why? Think about what types of people you admire? What makes them admirable? Chances are you would not be able to see or appreciate the admirable qualities in them if they were not already within you. You will probably begin to see trends in what types of people you admire.
- What are your unresolved dreams and desires? We all have a seemingly “ridiculous” dream job that we’ve always wanted to do but our fears or self-doubt have held us back. Make sure to add all of your dream jobs to your list no matter how unrealistic they may seem. You also want to think about what you wanted to do when you were younger. When we were young, we were allowed to dream without someone telling us to grow up or be realistic.
- What parts of past jobs or projects have you enjoyed? Was there a particular project that you thoroughly enjoyed? Or maybe you always enjoy the problem solving aspect of your jobs. Think hard about what aspects of your past jobs you have truly enjoyed. What made you excited?
- What do you read about? Think about what books and magazines you enjoy reading. Which sections in the bookstore you are consistenly drawn towards? When I look through my Google Reader it’s full of blogs about Beauty or Personal Growth. It’s no coincidence that the two businesses I’ve started are centered around those two topics.
- What do you spend your free time doing? Make a list of what you do in your spare time. Can any of these things be turned into your dream career?
Really think hard about all of these questions and make a list of what comes out of it. You now have a list of possibilities of what truly drives you. You’ve probably noticed some reoccurring themes or ideas on your list. Take the time to narrow your list down and start thinking about how you can turn your passions into a dream career. For example, maybe you identified you have a passion for hosting & entertaining friends. Can you turn this passion into a career in event planning?
This process won’t be easy but it will set you on your path to discovering your passion and living it. Wouldn’t it be awesome to jump out of bed on Monday mornings instead of frantically pushing the snooze button? Good luck & have fun!
Nailah
Need more help discovering your passion? Or have you figured it out but have no idea how to incorporate it into your daily life? Contact me [nblades@gmail.com] about my coaching packages designed to help you live the life you deserve!
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