Well, are you? You likely see yourself as successful and accomplished. Perhaps you see yourself as well-rounded and stable. You likely feel happy and content. But do you feel passion for what you do? Does it energize you or drain you?
Ask yourself these questions:
- If I woke up independently wealthy tomorrow, what would I do to occupy my time constructively?
- At what time in my recent past have I felt most passionate and alive?
These powerful questions can lead to massive breakthroughs. Answering them will enable you to reflect upon what your passions truly are and how (or if) they translate into your current role. These questions are effective because they deal with the internal constraints we place upon ourselves and our dreams. (“If I could, I would ______ all day. But the bills have got to be paid…”). Putting yourself in this mind space allows you to identify your true passions.
The idea is to elicit a gut reaction and then dissect it to identify which components of your answer are attractive to you. Once you identify this, you can determine how it can be translated into a realistic goal and path.
Maybe your answers reveal that you enjoy being a problem solver, mentoring youth, helping others, or whatever else is meaningful to you. Those things can be transferable and should be the foundation of your definition of success.
While you may not be able to take the answers to these questions and start your new path tomorrow, if you desire change, you will be able to capture the essence of your answer and develop a positive path forward.
So, let’s find your passion – give it a try:
Step 1
Take 5 to 10 minutes and allow the doors to open. Write down your answers to these questions with absolutely no constraints. Have fun with it. Dream without limits.
Step 2
Take a look at the list you created. What do those items have in common? Try to identify the theme(s) in your list. Do those themes resonate with you? Excite you? How might they be translated into your current life?
Step 3
Take action. Questioning and reflection are necessary steps, but they don’t get you anywhere unless you take action. Identify 3 steps you can take within a short time frame (today, this week, this month) to help you assimilate more of the themes you identified into your daily life. You might find simple ways to integrate your passion into your current roles with just some deliberate reflection.
Onward and upward!
