Don’t Know What You’re Passionate About? Here Are 15 Ways To Discover It

Finding passion in your workplace may be a difficult task since the crowded, competitive, materialistic and often frustrating environment is often not conducive to finding what makes you excited.

You must start with the belief that you can turn the grind of your workplace into grist for your excitement and passion. Then adopt the following measures and see how your life changes.

1. Identify your personal values: These values are the ones that give you the greatest joy and satisfaction. You feel deeply passionate about them as they come naturally and do not create any internal conflict. These values often surface during challenging times or when you are forced to make difficult life choices, such as after great personal or professional loss, the onset of a serious illness, an operation or burnout.

Most people’s innermost values emanate from family, work, self and service. These could include personal accomplishments, security, independence, friendships, integrity, power or community work. Identify yours and write them down. Then have a look at them every day.

2. Interact with people who have the same interests: People generally like talking about themselves and their passion, so you’ll likely get a lot of good information from those people who are interested in the same things you are. If they’ve turned it into a business model, find out how they’re managing that side of things while still enjoying what they do. Assess their reactions when they talk about your passion. Are they engaged — or bored? It’s important to be a fair witness and listen both objectively and subjectively to others about the same things you love yourself.

3. Ask Why: Our brains are wired to be curious. As we grow up and “mature” many of us stifle or deny our natural curiosity. Let yourself be curious! Wonder to yourself about why things are happening. Ask someone in the know. The best way to exercise our curiosity is by asking “Why?” Make it a new habit to ask “why?” at least 10 times a day. Your brain will be happier and you will be amazed at how many opportunities and solutions will show up in your life and work.

4. Change your story: We all tell ourselves stories all the time about who we are, what we’re capable of, what’s impossible and what we deserve. If we can identify our self-limiting stories (I’m not good enough; I don’t deserve to be happy, etc.), then we can begin writing new stories that are grounded in confidence and courage, and map out actions that move us from one to the other. You are capable of anything you decide is relevant to you. Your story is your own so don’t try a duplicate somebody else’s story.

5. Get work-life balance: Once you have narrowed down on your innermost values, reorganise your work and activities around them. For example, if you need more work-life balance, then start by planning your day more efficiently. Avoid spending too much time on social networking sites, coffee breaks or chat sessions and procrastination. You will be amazed at how much time you will save. Be open to realistically realigning your ambitions accordingly. Take on only as much as you can comfortably manage within your regular working hours. Learn to say “No”. It is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself.

6. Recognize the themes in your life: We all have them. What do you constantly gravitate towards? Recognizing the recurring themes in our lives creates a pattern for us to either follow or change. What themes or lessons seem to constantly surface in your life? What are you drawn to again and again? What areas of life seem to be full of discomfort and pain? What areas are full of joy and light?

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