10 Questions to Help Uncover Your Life’s Passion
Cheryl Vargas, CPO
1) What is passion?
Passion, as it relates to career can be an elusive thing that we struggle to understand. Does everyone have one? Perhaps it would help for you to realize that you’re not alone if you don’t have a passion for your work.
As Webster dictionary cites, passion is “an intense, driving or overmastering feeling or conviction”. The definition I like lies in one of its synonyms, “zeal”, meaning ‘intense emotion compelling one into action”, it rings true to me. Look up the various definitions; see which rings true for you.
2) Why don’t I have one?
You do. You just don’t have a name for it yet. This series of questions is designed to draw you to a conclusion about how you define your passion. Keep reading to find it!
According to a survey conducted with 7,718 career professionals only about 20% of that population was passionate about their career or business. What some of us find frustrating is that we don’t have a clue as to what passion feels like or how to identify if we have it or not.
3) What things do people say you do well? What things do you think you do well?
(These things may not be your passion, but some component may be. For instance, you’re great at fixing things. Doesn’t mean you have a passion for doing that particular thing, but you may have a passion for some component of the act…teaching, analyzing or building).
4) What gets you so excited that you get chills talking about it or recounting the experience?
You may not be able to recall the exact time this happened to you, but be sure to pay close attention in the future.
5) What do you find yourself doing over and over again even though you don’t have to do it?
I have a friend who will go out of his way for mere acquaintances, running errands, moving furniture and fixing things. His passion is simply doing things for people; he gets a charge out of it. I’ve read that the best thing to do when you’re feeling down about yourself, your life, your situation is to do something for someone else. In his case, it’s a passion and you can tell because he always does it with a smile.
6) What comes easy to you?
This could be something as simple as cooking, sewing, managing money, being good with kids or having a way with animals. Whatever that may be, explore it.
7) What is it that you can practically do with your eyes closed?
Some of us have skills that are so innate to our being that we take them for granted. Don’t. Take a second look at those talents and realize that this may in fact be your life’s calling.
What topic do you start talking about and people are ‘wowed’ at how much conviction comes through in your words?
You know what this topic is for you. In fact, you find that you’re often asked for advice on the subject but you preface the advice with, ‘you should really seek the advice of a professional’ or ‘I’m no expert, but’. Don’t sell yourself short, you are or could very easily be identified as an expert if you nurture the talent.
9) If you could afford it, would you do it for free?
In discovering my own passion, this question sealed it for me because for many years I had been doing what I love, what I could do with my eyes closed and what gave me those little chills down the back of my neck, for free! And here’s the kicker, I didn’t know at the time it was my passion because it came so easy to me. What are you giving away that has a real intrinsic value to others?
10) How do you know when you have it?
When you find your passion it’ll be something you look forward to doing each day. You’ll be excited just thinking about it. You’ll know you’ve found your passion (the thing that compels you to action) when you can’t stop talking about it, doing it or sharing it with other people. When you find your passion you can parlay it into the business of your dreams.
Identifying your life passion is worth the time it takes to figure it out; an hour, a day, a lifetime; the time you invest will pay you back tenfold.
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Tags: Career, finding your passion, how to find passion, intense emotion, Organize, Organize Chicago, Organize Your Life, organizing services, Prioritize, Productivity, professional organizer chicago, what comes easy to you, what is passion
July 6th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
I think I will try to recommend this post to my friends and family, cuz it’s really helpful.