We hear “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” But where do you start looking for this perfect job? How do you align with your purpose and uncover your passion?
We want meaningful work, we want to find our true purpose. Is there a formula for working this out? Sadly not. But if I could offer one first step, this would be it:
Follow your nose.
When you’re at the point of pivoting, ready to uncover your passion that you will turn into your job, it can be so frustrating. Everything in you is ready. But you don’t know what this new ‘thing’ is. And so you search outwardly. You look at what others are doing, they look really happy so that could also be your thing. The trouble here is that 1) looks are deceiving and 2) we all have different passions. What works for one, may not work for you.
Don’t look to others to inform your passion. Three simple pointers would be:
1. Giving yourself time and space - If you’re pressuring yourself to ‘find the thing’ you will not find it and you’ll get more frustrated. Allow yourself time to breathe and space from other distractions. Allow yourself time to think.
2. Go inwards - We know that ‘Comparison is the thief of joy’. Trying on others’ passions may give you ideas but it may also lead you off course. Remember what is important to you and want you need to be at your best. Write these things down. Start to build your own picture.
3. Stay curious - If there is something you truly enjoy, stay open minded to what that could become. ‘No idea is a bad idea’ when you’re starting out. Write down all your ideas, capture them without judgement.
But the first step - follow your nose. To work with passion means you enjoy what you’re doing, so what do you enjoy?
What makes you happy? What brings you joy? What things do you do that feel like freedom? Where is your joy? What makes your heart sing? When are the times you feel like you can fly? What are the things that don’t feel like effort? What lifts you? When are you most YOU?
Start here.
One of the traps when trying to work out your passion is to think it has to be something different from what you’re doing already. But chances are you haven’t stood still long enough to think that there could be clues in the things that already bring you joy. Recognise that YOUR passion could probably already be there. Do not dismiss this vital information as ‘not good enough’, ‘not new enough’, ‘not hard enough’ ‘not a fully formed idea’.
Stay open and curious and do more of the things that connect you back to yourself.
Gemma Brown is an associate certified coach with the International Coach Federation, working with people to navigate successfully through transitions - be it career, relationships or life in general. Her belief is that when we confidently bring our whole selves to all areas of life, anything is possible. Transitions exist in both our personal and business life, and so often, the two fiercely overlap. Coaching with Gemma focuses on you as a whole, enabling you to identify your strengths, build confidence and to live a life with increased purpose and direction. Gemma is based in Cambridgeshire and carries out face to face coaching in the area as well as 1-2-1 coaching via Skype and Zoom. For more about Gemma, visit her 'About' page or contact her directly.