How To Find Your Passion

You want to do something you’re passionate about, but don’t know what that is? Come on in, and let’s help you find your passion. Grab a favorite beverage and a cozy blanket, because you’re going to do some dreaming and brainstorming. My faves for something like this? If it’s morning, coffee. OF COURSE. And if it’s later in the day, a cocktail (or a good ol’ refreshing IPA). We are going to dream big, and it could help loosen up those “I can’t do that”s or those “that would never work”s. If that’s your thing, do it! If not, a tasty tea or sparkling water may do the trick as well.

QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF

Get out a piece of paper. If it helps you with free-flowing thinking, make it a blank page without lines. Feel free to doodle, write upside down on the page, whatever it is you need to do to get those creative juices flowing. Have colored pens? Get them out!

Dreams are not what you see in sleep, it is the thing which doesn’t let you sleep.

A.P.J. Abdul Kalam

Write down the answers to the following questions:

What makes you feel excited? What could you talk about all day? What gives you ENERGY? What gets you out of bed in the morning? What do people ask you about? Don’t just think about the first things that come to mind. Try to write down at least 30 things, no matter how little they seem. And, don’t censor yourself. Write it all down.

Ok, so now you have a list of things that you’re excited about. But, how do you turn those passions into money-making ideas that you can take action on?

HOW TO MAKE IT WORK

Now, write down what you’re good at, whether or not it is something you’re passionate about. Also, think about what you might be considered an expert in, whether or not that is something that fuels you.

Think back to when you were a kid. What did you dream about? What were you crazy about? For me, it was planers, colored pens, and scheduling. Weird? Maybe. But looking back, it was very telling!

Look at your lists. Put down your “realistic” goggles and think about ways in which you can combine these passions and skills. Sky’s the limit. Don’t censor yourself right now. Dream big. Dream crazy.

Get inspired by reading books such as Take the Leap by Sara Bliss and In The Company Of Women by Grace Bonney, both of which are sitting on my bookshelf in my office.

Now, take a look at your list. Organize them into themes.

YOUR GUT KNOWS

I know that I am passionate about events + onsite collaboration and connections (hence my freelancing). And productivity and flexibility. (hence this blog). I have tried to tell myself that I am ok with other options.

For example, before I started this blog, I looked into a few other options for topics to write about. One of them was writing for those parents of kids with disabilities. I am obviously passionate about that topic when it comes to my own child, but I was trying to convince myself that it would be a great topic to move forward with because it just FIT. People come to me for guidance, I know that I have a lot to offer in this area. But, when I set out thinking about what that would look like, I could feel it in my gut. That wasn’t what I was meant to do right now. What excites me is goals, dreams, productivity, freelancing, flexibility, entrepreneurship. I. Knew. It takes some practice to listen to your gut. I’ve had that practice. And I knew.

And when I started doing it, really doing it, to the point where I had committed, I was SO excited to write, to create, and to nurture it into something that I wanted. I started to get excited about the things I wanted to do in the future. THAT’S passion.

So, planners and colored pens. I love inspiration. I used to want to work at a magazine and actually used to put them together, but always said no because I wasn’t “creative enough”. Fast forward to today. Perhaps a planner or a book is in my future? Perhaps. 🙂

MAKE IT BIG

If you’re dreams don’t scare you, they aren’t big enough.

I used to be a super small dreamer. I wasn’t good at thinking outside of my small box, and didn’t think that I had the power to do something big.

Nowadays in the era of online, you can do pretty much everything! Sure, you have to make money. Think about your potential audience and what it is that they may pay for. Take a look at yourself. YOU are your best customer. What pain points do you have that you can help similar people through?