The Steps to Finding a Passion

How many people do you know can say, with deep conviction, “I love this”?

It’s too few.

Finding a passion, finding something you love, is the most important thing in our lives.  It needs to be a priority.  People that have a passion are good at what they do and are happy because of it.

Here’s the “5 phases of finding something you love” that I’ve observed:

1. Decision. Some people find a passion early.  They get introduced to it early, start doing it, and by the time they’re in high school, they’re good at it.  This is a rarity.For the rest of us, finding a passion begins with an expectation for our lives: “I’m not going to live my life not loving what I do.”  Finding and loving something is an active process, and you must make a decision to do it.
2. Search. You can’t
   

   by Merrick Furst

   think your way into a passion. It takes experience and self-awareness.  You’ll have to try many different things and learn from each of them.  You’ll be way off at first, but as you learn, you’ll get closer and closer.

   A major pitfall is wanting to be passionate about something you’re not.  A real passion resonates with your talents, desires, thought processes, and personality.  And although there is something that will resonate with you out there, that doesn’t mean it will be “just peachy” when you find it.

3. Invest. Finding something that truly resonates with  you represents an opportunity, not an achievement of the final goal.  You’ll have to make a commitment to it and invest yourself.  This is the sticking point.

   For most of us, a passion is a decision, not a magical epiphany.  Maybe it’s the thing for you, but you’ll have barriers in your way.  There’s always barriers.  You probably don’t have quite enough time, money, space, guts, whatever.It will take a relentless pursuit.  You won’t be good at it at first.  But if it’s the right fit, and you stick with it, you’ll start getting small bits of positive feedback.  Take note of these triumphs and push forward.

4. Self-identification. As you get more positive feedback, you’ll get more inspiration, you’ll get better, and you’ll gain more enjoyment.  You’ll start to self-identify with it.  You’ll be able to happily say to yourself, “This is me, this is what I do.”

I’ve written this with finding an occupation/hobby in mind.  But, upon reading this, and thinking a little further, if you change a few words, it applies to anything one can love, even relationships.

-Kevin
1.13.2009