In a previous post I talked about how to change your career to a career you love. But I came to realize that what we are passionate about changes over time. What we thought we love and what we longed for in our teenage years differs from what we see worthy to pursue when we are in our 20s or 30s, and it keeps on changing as we age and mature.
Nevertheless, I think that we always maintain a sense or a need for self-acknowledgement and appreciation. Perhaps, what we are actually passionate about are usually things that we think we are good at, get praised for, and find fit with our perception of our personal identities.
If you happen to feel that you still didn’t find what you are really passionate about, I’d recommend that you do the following:
1. Think of what you are really good at doing.
2. Think of what you really like doing and whether it satisfies you or not.
3. Think if what you like doing fits with the way you define yourself. Is it inline with your personality? Or is it something that you’d like to see yourself grow into and change to fit?
It is usually the skill sets we have that define what we are passionate about. Expanding and developing our skills help us discover and love new things. It could be learning a new language, taking a creative writing class, or joining a book club or acting group. Keep on looking and learning and you’ll find what you’re really passionate about.
Once you define what you have passion for, it is not advisable to rush and quit what you are currently doing. You need time to figure out how to make it work and that happens when you start working on it on the side.
Give yourself some time to explore it. Consider it your reward time. Enjoy it when you can and build on it as you go. Once you set it up in motion, make sure that this is the thing you want to pursue – something that you know you can maintain and grow – and have it as a valid substitute for whatever you are doing, then go ahead and quit!
