There is no better moment to hone in on your true passion in life than the present. And while it is an easy thing to say, it can be difficult to figure out which dreams to chase with so many things daily vying for our attention.
There are a few crucial tips to keep in mind for narrowing down your biggest interests and building a career around them:
Don’t Let Fear Hold You Back
Before we can get into the real work of understanding who we are and what we can do, fear can present a real obstacle. On a special episode of UnBossed Podcast Associate Vice President of Nationwide, Monika Johnson advises against letting fear thwart your journey forward. “I’ve never been afraid of losing, or something falling through, because I believe there’s always more available or alternative paths to get where we are trying to go,” says Johnson. “We just have to open our minds and think about that.”
Know Your Gifts
Write down all the things you are passionate about and the things you are actually good at. Try not to judge or edit yourself but allow yourself to remember from childhood to the present what brings you the most joy when you pursue it. Do you excel in these areas? As Patrice Washington, CEO of Seek Wisdom Find Wealth offers: Passion alone cannot sustain a career so be honest to get to the heart of the things for which you have a passion and at which you are gifted. “I hear all the time, “Follow your passion and the money will come.” And I tell people all the time, “Listen, I am passionate about singing in the shower. You will not pay for that concert.” It’s not necessarily my gift just because I’m passionate about it. And one of the things that I really encourage people to do is determine whether what they’re going after is their passion, meaning it gives you joy, it brings you energy, it makes you happy, or if it’s purposeful. Because purpose work gets beyond you.”
Find Your Throughline
Once you’ve taken stock of what causes you to light up, ask others what they see in you. It’s important to note what you love to do, what you excel at doing, and what others notice about your gifts and passions. Finding that symmetry is paramount to helping you focus.
Embrace Multiple Gifts
Many of us buy into the idea that there is only one thing that we’re good at and we should stick to that. But now, more than ever, being aware of the multiple ways in which we can make an impact is crucial. The possibility of skill sets and affinities shouldn’t scare us away from being effective. It should draw us toward our purpose even more.
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