First off, don’t worry. Lots of people struggle with this idea that we are supposed to know what we want to do for the rest of our lives. Truth is we are human. There’s no way that we should be expected to hone in on just one thing forever. There are people that certainly seem that way and perhaps they are. But that’s only a small percentage of people. The others and the majority of the people we think have it all figured out only seem that way on the outside. They don’t necessarily have it all planned out and know what they want to do. They can write out a plan and speak confidently, but this is only a rouse to convince others and themselves that they have it all figured out. Chances are they are just as insecure about this topic as you and I are.
We should be insecure about this. Do you know why? Because this is a huge deal. This is our life we are talking about and how we want our story to be written. This doesn’t happen overnight. Many people don’t find their passion until later in life. The truth is we won’t know our passion until we experience it. And the best way to increase our chances of finding our passion is to experience as many different things as possible and vet out what doesn’t float your boat. The old saying, “Try everything once” isn’t necessarily just an old saying. There is plenty of truth behind it. Trying new things leads to new experiences and new feelings. Therefore we should try as many things as possible so we can see what works for us. That’s how you find passion.
But to be honest, this is easier said than done and still can be difficult. If you are still struggling with finding your passion, help someone else follow their passion. Help a friend, family member, or colleague with their passion. It helps you add another experience under your belt and some of the excitement of the person you’re helping will rub off on you as well.
Another helpful tip is to quiet your mind. With a noisy mind and lots of distractions, it’s easy to get caught up with what you think society says your passion should be. Distractions like social media, spending time with the wrong people, or watching too much TV can cause you to misidentify what you think your passion is. With these distractions, it’s easy to think about what they want out of you rather than what you want out of yourself. There is a lot of value in spending time alone and in thought. It gives your time to think for yourself and not for others.
Start small. If you have a hint of interest in a new experience then try it out on a small scale. There’s nothing that discourages someone more than overdoing it too soon. Have small and easily manageable goals. This helps on a number of levels. It helps give you a roadmap of where you want to go and it puts your mind at ease knowing the checkpoints are easily obtainable. This is also a great way to save yourself time and money if your new experiment happens to cost money to start and maintain. If you become certain that your new interest is not for you, then there is an exit strategy that won’t break your bank.
You don’t follow your passion, your passion follows you. Trying new things can help you get to your passion. Don’t stress out if you haven’t found it yet. Most people don’t find their passion until later in life after they gather more experiences. And if you’re still struggling, try some of the tips I laid out above like helping someone else with their passion. You’ll still get a contact high from the excitement that their passion provides them. Not having your passion is more common than having a passion. Most people that you may think have it all figured out probably don’t. They are just tricking people with self-confidence but really have the same insecurities that most people have when it comes to our passions. The best way to handle this is to simply do what you like. Do anything that you lose track of time doing or gets your heart pumping in a good way. This way you will make baby steps towards finding what really is for you.
Dabbl 