Finding Your Passion

Warren Buffett’s words, “Take a job that you love” and the prolific thoughts of Maya Angelou who said “…pursue the things you love doing and then do them so well that people can’t take their eyes off of you.” That's my key to success which I follow and will continue to follow as it gives me happiness in what I'm doing. You find your bliss or passion in a career or hobby and you go for it or you find a way to be passionate about your current career. So, I pass the same to my students, friends and colleagues.

Warren Buffett's words

Here are some strategies to help you find your passion:

1. Satisfaction Check – Satisfaction is very important as it is something that will help you stick to what you are doing. We need to look at each and every phase of your life and determine your level of satisfaction with each area. You should consider your career, finances, health and wellness, relationship with your significant other, family and friends, personal growth and development, physical surroundings, fun and recreation and anything else that is important to you. You can rate each area on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest level of satisfaction (your bliss) and 1 being a low or no level of satisfaction. Then I suggest look at each of the areas and analyze the gap. Determine what steps can you take to change the gap to either reduce it or eliminate it. For example: If you rated your career a 7 out of 10. What would make your satisfaction level with your career a 10? Perhaps more clients, less travel time to work, a better relationship with your boss, etc. Once you’ve identified all the items that could make a difference in your level of satisfaction you need to commit to action. Taking even one action will move you one step closer to a higher level of satisfaction in that area of your life.

Satisfaction Check

2. Values Check - Identify what’s important to you. Be clear about your morals, values and what’s most important to you that helps you make better decisions more often. Make a list of what’s most important to you in your life right now. Then rank everything on the list from highest priority to lowest priority. Take a really close look at your top 5 values. These are your most important values. How closely aligned are these top 5 values to how you spend your time day to day? What have you been neglecting that’s really important to you? Many successful people put as much time and thought into what they do in their time away from the office as they do in the office. Can you make connections between what you do for a living and what’s important to you? For example: perhaps you have an expensive hobby you are passionate about i.e. race car driving or flying planes. You are in a high paying career that you perhaps don’t love but it provides you with the time and money to race cars or fly planes. Find ways to love your work or at least be grateful for your career as it is providing you with the means to follow your passion of racing cars or flying planes-there is a connection to your values, there is a sense of purpose.

Values check

3. Competencies Check – Before jumping into any new passion, you should do some planning and strategizing to determine the type of business you are getting into. In the business world it is common to conduct a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats). Applying this same management tool can be very effective when applied personally. This helps you prepare for the best and the worst keeping in mind all the things that can either upgrade or degrade your business. Start with an assessment of your personal strengths and weaknesses. What are you really good at? What aren’t you so good at? Engage others to provide you with feedback in these areas as well. You may be surprised by hidden talents you have taken for granted or haven’t been using. Consider opportunities available to you today to utilize and optimize your strengths. For example: There are careers and businesses in existence today that weren’t around few years ago. The world is constantly changing and evolving and so are the opportunities. Look for the opportunities or create some new ones. As for threats, it’s important to recognize that they do exist and to plan to minimize or mitigate any risks. In case you feel the need to outsource it then you can go ahead and do the same to have better results.

4. Mindset Check – Lastly, it’s important to recognize that no one or one thing can make you happy. Only you can make yourself happy! So, take sometime out and give yourself that quality time for you to identify what you really would enjoy doing because you can't keep changing or switching when it comes to your career. Once you know what you are doing is not what you like then if you can take the risk, Leave it as it won't serve you anything. Pick your passion and get started because that's what will give you the ultimate happiness. Else you would just be crying and cribbing over something that you are forcing yourself to do.

I know people around me who have taken up their passion for dancing, photography and are doing exceptionally well. I can see the happiness in their eyes for what they are doing. Things are not easy but the only thing that keeps them going is their love for what they are doing. Once you have that passion or love inside you, you will leave no stone upturned to pursue their career.

Varshita Shetty - Freelancer, choreographer chased her passion for dance

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But if you still can't figure out your passion then get in touch with the career coach or talk to the elders in your family, your mentors, teachers, anyone you feel would give you good advise. A coach can support you by working with you to help you find your passion, determine your career and life goals and then hold you accountable every step of the way. You have the ultimate mantra now so get started by understanding your passion first and I'm sure you will go a long way!