Imagine waking in the morning early, with no alarm, eager and happy to start the day. And laying your head on the pillow each night feeling accomplished and satisfied. This is the stuff of dreams! As in BIG, AUDATIOUS dreams! Who doesn’t want to have such contentment, joy, and dare I say exhilaration in their lives? It seems almost impossible to imagine! Most of us are hard pressed to think of even a single person living this way. But I’m here to tell you, you DO know someone who does! ME! That’s right… I’ve described my life, each and every day! How, you might wonder, is that even possible! Well, it’s because I’m aligned with my passion and purpose. And you can discover your passion and purpose too!
Everyday when I wake, I know I’m doing what I’m meant to be doing. That I’m following my joy and pursuing my passion. I couldn’t say this until very recently. It’s not just that I wasn’t following my passion and purpose. But I had no idea where to start! I was just doing the daily grind, watching time pass, dissatisfied and bored. I was without the first clue as to how to discover what I really wanted and was meant to do. If this is you and you want more, discover your passion and purpose using these 5 tips!
1. Keep Track of your Talents & Interests
Many times, we are naturally talented at or interested in things that line up to our overall passion and purpose. But often in our busy lives we neglect these things and don’t even think about it. It’s time to start a list! Write down things you’re interested in or talented at. If you’re not sure where to start, ask around. Sometimes friends and relatives are more capable of seeing our talents than we are. Keep in mind that just because you’re really good at something doesn’t mean you are meant to pursue it. And even if you totally suck at another that you’re really interested in it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.
Even if your interests and talents list doesn’t reveal your long-term passion and purpose, you will surely feel better about yourself and increase your confidence by building this collection. And that will become a strong foundation for your future pursuits!
2. Review your Journals & Planners
Take a look at your past journals and planners to look for running themes. What do you write about a lot? What seems to motivate and excite you? Do you notice any tasks that seem to consistently get done with ease? These just might be clues that will offer deeper insight into your passions and purpose.
We often create goals and intentions in our journals and planners then rotly check off to-do items without even a second thought. It’s important to think about your actions, thoughts, and feelings. Reassess whether the things you’re pursuing really matter to you. Consider whether the thoughts and feelings you have about your life indicate pursuit of joy or frustration and stress.
I’m not saying that pursuing your passion and purpose will always be easy and that your tasks will always be fun or simple to check off. Sometimes you may experience limiting beliefs, self-doubt, and you may even lose your mojo. But overall, how do you feel about what you’ve been doing? Do you see a recurring theme? Is there something you notice you consistently enjoy? These are all signs pointing toward your passion and purpose!
3. Think About what gets you Fired Up
I have so many things I get fired up about that I actually had to start a list so I could keep track. Maybe you’re the same, if so, do it! After building my list I reviewed it and realized that there was a definite common thread. That thread led straight to my passion and purpose, helping others create their best selves and lives (particularly people who usually don’t have access).
Don’t fall into the “I’m just one person trap”. You are needed! You matter! The things that get you fired up might be huge, seemingly unchangeable situations or issues. That doesn’t mean you should just crawl back in bed and pull the covers over your head! Imagine if everyone did that! Get out there and do your part. The world needs you and you’ll likely find that your voice is in harmony with many others. There’s nothing wrong with working on your passion and purpose in community. Sometimes that makes it so much better.
In contrast, I hear so many people doubting their passion and purpose because “so many people are already doing it”. That’s no reason to stay home and forget about it! Please believe me when I tell you that if it’s your purpose your unique perspective is necessary!
4. Take a Good Look Around
Take a look at the people you surround yourself with, hobbies you pursue, and social activities you enjoy. These can be excellent clues into your passion and purpose. Again, you’re looking for trends.
We tend to surround ourselves with people and activities we naturally enjoy and feel good about. And in some ways our people, hobbies, and activities are often a small way in which we’re already dipping our toes in the water of pursuing our passion and purpose. These things give us just enough exposure to bring us joy and some semblance of satisfaction. But rarely is this enough to really feel fulfilled. Explore these ideas more deeply, expand upon them.
When you spend more time with people or pursuing activities and hobbies you enjoy, you may just find you’ve tapped into a much deeper well. You may just find your calling.
5. Trust Your Gut
At the end of the day there is no better way to find your purpose and passion than to trust your gut. Spend some time tuning into your inner voice. Your intuition already knows what your passion and purpose are. You may be struggling to hear because of the outside noise of the world, business of your life, or lack of self-confidence.
Practice tuning in by…
- Minimizing social media exposure
- Meditating
- Journaling
- Spending time alone
- Practicing self-care
- Engaging in spiritual activities like praise and worship or prayer
Pursue your Passion and Purpose
Whether your passion and purpose are lucrative or not is irrelevant. Many people think the point of this self-discovery is to create a career you love. I would argue that you don’t live to work, you work to live. Fulfillment isn’t about the job you do but pursuing your dreams and doing what you love. You can work a day job that pays the bills and still experience tremendous joy and fulfillment by pursuing your calling.
Letting go of the pressure to turn your passion and purpose into a side hustle or full-time gig might be just the thing you need to uncover what they are. And once you do, pursuing them is never a waste of time. It will enrich your life, bring you joy, and help you wake every morning and go to bed each night feeling excited and satisfied with what you’re putting into the world. Just like me! Everyone deserves that!
I came here from the newsletter and I’m so glad to read this again! You’re a great writer and articulate your thoughts really well. This is insanely timely for me because of my personal life and a shift toward things that aren’t bringing me joy. Thanks for the tips, reminders, and personal experience!
I’m so glad to hear that you found this helpful and timely. You are so wise to recognize that your life has taken a shift toward things that aren’t bringing you joy. Most people never see this and end up in a serious rut. YAY you! I hope you’re proud of yourself and celebrate your commitment to change!
“Keep in mind that just because you’re really good at something doesn’t mean you are meant to pursue it. And even if you totally suck at another that you’re really interested in it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t.”
YES. This is a good tip.
“Reassess whether the things you’re pursuing really matter to you.” I totally need this reminder.
Thanks for this. I have so much that I enjoy doing, so many dreams and goals I’ve created. I don’t know if I lack a true, main purpose/passion or if I just have too may! haha. I also have a follow-through problem, a bit. I tend to give up too easily.
Awesome blog! Really needed this
I’m so glad you found it helpful. It might help to challenge yourself to stick to a specific thing as a learning experience. It could help you refine your interests and feel successful about your follow through.