How to Discover Your True Passions
When your work is aligned with your passions, you are most likely to feel that your work has purpose and meaning. You are also most likely to put in the time and effort needed to rise to the top. It's often not obvious, though, what your passions really are. You'll need to do some introspection to separate out what you really have a passion for doing from what you may have been told or what you may believe you should be doing.
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Instructions
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Make a list of your interests. Think back over your whole life. What activities did you enjoy doing the most? Which subjects did you enjoy studying the most? What groups did you enjoy being a part of the most? What problems did you enjoy solving the most? What were your favorite hobbies? What items did you collect? What activities did you gravitate to in your spare time? What made you feel the most excited and the most alive?
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Analyze your interests. Ask yourself which aspects of your experiences attracted you the most. For example, if you listed singing as an interest, ask yourself if you most enjoyed getting lost in the music, learning new vocal techniques, singing with others or being on a stage.
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Make a separate list of your skills. What seems easy for you that is often difficult for other people? What do people typically say that you do well? Have you won any awards? Show your list to people who are supportive and who know you well. Ask them what they think your strongest skills are and if they have anything to add to the list.
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Compare your list of interests and your list of skills and see where they overlap. Not all talents are passions -- you may be good at something but not enjoy doing it. On the other hand, you may love doing something, but not be very good at it. As long as you are willing to develop your skills, an activity you love can be a passion worth pursuing.
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Take a personality or career-interest test, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or the Strong Interest Inventory. A test cannot tell you what you should be doing, but the test results may give you some ideas.
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Leave room for the unexpected. You may discover a passion accidentally. A book, a conversation, a sudden moment of joy -- any of these can awaken a passion you may not have thought about before.
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References
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