Have you ever found yourself so excited about something that the energy it generates just seems to pull you along? Imagine feeling that every day in the work you do.
It's possible. What's more, it's within reach! Here is a Passion Primer to help you begin exploring your passions and discovering ways, whether big or small, to incorporate them into your life.
I. Get to know yourself
Before you strike off in pursuit of a career that really lights your fire, take some time to do some serious self-exploration.
There are lots of approaches to this one; take as many as you like. The better you get acquainted with yourself on a truly deep level, the better the odds that you really will be able to create a life of passion.
One of my favorites is creating what I call creating a Passion Profile. Take some time and do a brain-dump of all the things in your life - from childhood through now - that have just made you buzz. The things that really resonated deep down, whether because they were so fun, or fulfilling, or whatever. It can be work or play, an event, or period of time in your life, etc. There are no rules.
Once you have your list. Pick one and start digging into the reasons why. Get beyond what you love doing, and break it down into the underlying characteristics.
The question WHY is a powerful tool for your explorations. Use it liberally, both in this exercise and others.
II. Brainstorm
Once you have a picture of what your passions are, brainstorm ways you could incorporate them into your life. Write them down in one session or tuck the question in the back of your mind and carry a small pad of paper with you to record your flashes of inspiration.
Have a brainstorming session with friends and. Make a game out of seeing who can come up with the most ideas, "practical" or not.
Above all, be creative. Don't confine yourself to the logical and rational. You never know what crazy idea is going to spark the Big One.
III. Explore
Ask, ask, ask! Once you have identified some things you think you might be interested in, identify people who are knowledgeable in that area(s) and contact them. Explain that you are exploring your options and ask if you can pick their brains. You'll get some fantastic insights if you make this a habit, not to mention making some great contacts along the way.
IV. Baby steps
The fear of jumping in the deep end of the passion pool keeps many people from swimming at all. Remember that there's a shallow end of the pool. It may not be realistic to jump into the deep end right away, but you can still enjoy splashing in the water.
Look for baby steps you can take that will bring your passion into your life. Keep your eyes on the long-term goal, but take action to create your passion in small doses along the way.
Remember that your Passion Pursuit just might be a long-term process. As the saying goes, a journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. And that single step is within your reach!
V. Identify your obstacles
Now you know what your passion is. You've looked at what you'd like to do in the long term, and how you can bring it into your life in the short term.
Now what things are getting in your way? Make a list. Maybe they're real - financial obstacles like a mortgage, the kids' tuition, etc., or perhaps the need for more training. Maybe they are internal. What's keeping you from roping that passion and wrestling it to the ground in a gleeful bear-hug. Fear? Self-doubt? Simple inertia?
We all have gremlins. Little voices in our heads that tell us "you can't do that," "who do you think you are," "you're not good enough," "what will they think," etc. Take some time to look at your gremlins. What do they tell you? Identifying and acknowledging your gremlins is the first step in taking their power away.
Figuring out what's in the way will help you plan for how to minimize its impact. But be careful not to fall into the trap of letting your obstacles take on a life of their own. You're looking at them to reduce their power, not enhance it.
VI. Create a Passion Posse
In my interviews with people who have made the passion transition and are following their dream, the most common answer to "what one thing would you point at that has been instrumental in your success" has been the support of the people around them.
Create a Passion Posse to support you in your pursuit. Friends, family, and colleagues can all be a great source of support and inspiration as you make your journey. It can be an informal support network, or a regularly scheduled meeting to exchange ideas and brainstorm solutions to challenges.
VII. Re-examine your definitions of success and failure
What is your definition of success? What does "there" look like? Is it getting in the way of really pursuing what resonates at a deep level for you? We live in a society that places a lot of emphasis material accomplishments, power, etc. Unfortunately, that gets in the way of real happiness for a lot of people, who choose to stay on the treadmill in pursuit of that version of success.
Perhaps you're not at a point where you can or want to change that definition of success. That's OK, don't. Instead, try identifying one or two less common ways of identifying "success" - ones that come from the heart - and try to move towards them as well.
Our definition of failure, which tends to be all or nothing, also gets in the way. If you try something and it doesn't pan out, how do you see that? Is it a failure? Or is it an opportunity to learn from what you did and apply that knowledge to your future efforts.
If you "fail" in an effort to move toward your passion, it's not really failure. Think of it as a step in the right direction. Taking a longer term view can help with this.
VIII. Make a plan
Map out your Passion Pursuit. Whether that should be a high level overview or a granular action plan is up to you - you know how you work best.
Creating a plan will force you to think things through and add some comfortable structure to something that can seem very up in the air and undefined. It will also offer you those critical next steps when you are feeling sluggish or lost.
IX. Act! Today!
The fact is, the time will never be right. Something is always going to be less than optimum. With that in mind, don't wait! Do something right now that will move you toward your passion.
What two things can you do right away that will start the ball rolling? They don't need to be earth-shattering, they just need to happen.
X. Commit to making it happen
Let it out of your brain and into the open. Say, "I am going to do this." Say it out loud to yourself. Say it to a friend. Put it in writing and put it where you can see it. Once it's out in the open it will have room to grow. And that's exactly what you want!
