There is a lot of conflicting advice about following your passion.
The questions abound:
- Because it’s a passion does that mean I can or should make a living doing it?
- Are my passions a part of my purpose?
- Can my passions change over time?
- How do I find my passion?
- Once I find it, how do I follow my passion?
- Do I have to have just one passion?
- What if I’m not passionate about my job?
- What if I have a passion but I’m not good at it. Does that mean I have to stop doing it?
According to John M. Jachimowicz from Harvard Business Review,
Passion is something we develop more than discover.
If passion is fixed, he argues, we are “less likely to explore new topics – potential new sources of passion.” Therefore, it’s better to think in terms of developing your passion rather than discovering it.
Personally, I think there is a place for both discovery and development, but the point is well taken.
To discover and develop your passions, start by asking yourself some questions: what tasks give me energy? What piques my curiosity? Who or what inspires me? I believe some of our passions – like some of our purposes – can change over time, therefore it helps to ask these questions regularly.
What are some questions or thoughts you have about following your passion? Continue the conversation by leaving a comment.
I’ve developed the Passion & Purpose Worksheet to help you IDENTIFY your passion, ALIGN it with your purpose, DEFINE your next step. Get it here.
*Photo by [ik] @invadingkingdom on Unsplash
