3 Steps to Activate Your Passion

Activate your passion starts as a small flame of curiosity and is nurtured by time. experimentation and connection to others who are interested and intrigued by the same things.

During my life coach training, I remembered the story of our friend who decided to drop out of college to work.

She said she wanted to pursue doing art and did not find herself doing scientific researches as her future, she remembers some people who told her that her idea was crazy because she was very good academically.

Good thing she didn’t listen, we didn’t know by then that she would be so good at sketching! Now, whenever we look back at that moment she just laughs remembering how ugly her first sketches were, but since she really wanted it she focuses and it took her years of self-teaching to finally master it.

Imagine wanting to leap to pursue your passion, this article will help you as you decide and plan to take that jump.

Self-Optimization

What is self-optimization?

Self-optimization is an act of continuous pursuit of becoming a better version of oneself, and there certain activities that help us improve, these activities can include: traveling, pursuing a hobby, doing charitable works, learning a new skill or language, etc. These are also called and considered as acts of self-love because it focuses on the development of the aspects of oneself like mental health, intelligence, emotions, physical fitness, sleep, etc.

Fundamental ways for self-optimization

The previously mention activities involve the following fundamental ways to help in self-development according to Directions-Coaching.com:

Acceptance

Self-development involves the acceptance of the perceived flaws that you cannot change. Maybe you do recognize those imperfections but you look at it as if it is something that hinders and limits yourself. Acceptance is a way for you to see those deficiencies not as hindrances but instead as either challenges or motivations for you to strive and still achieve things that you set your eyes on.

Acceptance helps you realize that although these flaws cannot be altered, they aren’t something that should be stopping you.

Patience

Patience is about enjoying the journey rather than solely focusing on the destination. This is all about making most of the experiences (be it of success or failure) that you encounter on your way to your goals.

Patience helps is using any opportunity and situation you encounter as a means for you to learn how to become a better person, that means you do not solely focus on enhancing skills but also on interpersonal skills.

I am putting my patience into use as I am undergoing this life coach training. I know I can’t achieve my goal without the knowledge, experience and concepts that I am to learn from this course.

Independent decision making

Self-optimization involves learning how to decide on your own. You should learn to choose your path, and that decision should not be influenced by external factors.

This doesn’t mean that you have to outright reject other’s opinions, this only means that as you consider the influence of others, you have to make a decision that is aligned with your core values and your mission which is to become a better person.

Some refer to self-optimization as reaching our fullest potential, getting to our greatness, or reaching our highest state of being.

Developing areas of the self

There are different areas or aspects of the self that can be targeted for development. These are personality, behavior, personal views, and personal blocks.

• Personality

Personality is something that we acquired hereditarily and socially (or our upbringing). Your personality type can determine your strengths and point of improvement, this can also show you the opportunities that you are perfectly crafted for.

Developing your personality opens up new opportunities and is a way to work around the weaknesses that you may have initially.

• Behavior

Like personality, the behavior is also acquired hereditarily and socially, but also takes into factor the experiences over time and the choices made for one’s personal development.

Developing your behavior is one way of making conscious choices or being aware and acting according to consequences that may result from your actions.

• Personal View

Our personal view is the product of our personality and our behavior, this is made up of the lessons, learnings, and exposures in our daily life.

Through my life coach training I am slowly developing my personal views to help me become highly tolerant of others. But most importantly, I have to learn how to accept myself before I get to master tolerating others. Enhancement our personal views opens up the advantage of better relationships and improving our performances in every key area of our life.

• Personal Blocks

Our blocks are the product of our personal views and the things that we do not see (because it is not within the bounds of our views).

Realizing our blocks helps us get to know ourselves more. This gives us an idea of the limits we put on ourselves and therefore we can expand our horizons which can be done through acquiring more experiences, knowledge, and ideas.

Finding Your Passion

Once in your life, you have felt stuck, unhappy, and tired. You keep thinking to yourself: I need to find something different. But then it feels so overwhelming that you stop thinking about it and then you’re back to being tired, unhappy, and stuck. The cycle never stops.

Any of this sound familiar?

I used to be trapped in that cycle, I keep wanting to find my passion. But I couldn’t get my mind around it because it was terrifying to make that leap into something big! I would get overwhelmed, panic, do nothing, and months would pass.

I was wrong! I thought finding one’s passion is synonymous only with making big leaps I almost gave up but I realized that passion is as simple as interest + engagement. When you’re passionate about something, you’re both interested in it (you think about it, maybe read about it), and engaged in it. You actively participate in it.

I realized that it can be as simple as having a passion for ice cream. I embarrassingly think a lot about it. But I’m also engaged in it—I make it, I eat it, it’s even a typical part of my travel! I never pass up a good chance to try different ice cream flavors, even the weirdest ones! Mojito? Ghost pepper in ice cream? I’ve had it! But seriously, one thing that I was passionate about was talking to people, I never realized it then because I thought passion is just about talent.

Here are some steps to help you discover your passion if you are still not sure about yours:

1) List up your talents

When we say talents, these are the things that you have good at or have a natural aptitude for. IT IS NOT the things that you’re good at but don’t like doing much, it is more about the things you have a knack for that delight or happily occupies you.

You can also ask people about the things that they believe you are good at (even though you believe you are not), you see sometimes talent is not all output based. It can as simple as being a good listener or being someone that can truly help people in making decisions.

Identifying things you love that you’re good at is a great way to unearth potential passions. Don’t be concerned if what you love isn’t practical or common (I get very excited about the uncommon).

Please note though that you don’t have to be good at something for it to qualify as a passion. You don’t have to ever earn a penny of income from it either. Talent can simply be a clue. When it comes to your passions, the only thing that matters is that you enjoy them.

2) Look at the things that make you annoyed or jealous

Take a closer look at that annoyance. Is the truth behind your annoyance that you really wish you could live so freely, that you didn’t have so many serious responsibilities and could be as “immature” as they are?

I remember the story of my friend, she used to be an overachiever and does everything that she was expected of. When she was 33 she went to Mexico to give herself a break and pursue her newly discovered passions for writing and dancing. The others thought that she might have gone crazy, her father got angry with her and told her how she was wasting her life than setting up her clinic.

She remembers being shouted at with the words: “Life isn’t supposed to be fun! When are you going to grow up like the rest of us?” And the thing is and thankfully, she did not listen to everyone else who discouraged her.

She continued that career path for years, and surprisingly, her dad followed her to Mexico, sold his business, and after a few months, his father started to write his first novel. She told me that she realized that the annoyance that her father felt was more likely because he wanted to do what she was doing. At the time, I’m quite sure he didn’t know that. But eventually, he figured it out!

I remember being annoyed when I first sought help from a life coach, truth is, my friends and colleague love asking my opinion whenever they have life or work problems, and I just couldn’t understand why I can’t seem to figure out my problem—that I have to seek coaching. When my coach learned of this, he asked if I’ve ever tried taking online life coaching courses online and voila, here I am.

3) Think of the things you loved to do as a child

This is probably the simplest way to know what you’re really good at because this is the time before the grown-ups around us gave us ideas of what we should be, most of us know exactly who we are and what would make us happiest.

4) Notice the tasks that you are doing when you lose track of time or the things you hate to stop doing

One of my colleagues, a therapist, who also took this certified coaching course shared this once to us:

“When I am at the clinic and there’s a line-up of sore throats and knees, I watch the clock all day until I’m finally done. Yet when I have a patient in front of me who is depressed or anxious or newly diagnosed with a condition that would benefit from a lifestyle change, I often lose my usual urgency and spend a big chunk of time with them. Not surprisingly, my true passion is life and health coaching, where I have the luxury of time with clients and love spending great swaths of time teaching and encouraging.”

What would you love to spend hours doing, that you never get enough time to do? That’s a passion!

5) Make this passion-finding a joyful adventure

In finding your passion you should never pressure yourself into finding it. You have to discover it with wonder, enthusiasm like how a child does something they love doing.

Always ask yourself if you really like what you are doing or are just being pressured by someone, a circumstance, or yourself? Remember that you should learn and grow as you go Happiness research shows that trying new things increases dopamine levels in the brain, contributing to sustained levels of contentment. So try away!

Aligning Oneself

Just in case you need to know: if you are not anywhere near your vision, or you do not have the skills to reach your goals, or if you are yet to find your purpose for living… it is totally okay

Do not be too hard on yourself, because seriously nobody who has just leaped has instantly reached their success; everybody goes through a process before reaching goals! Wherever you are you can start by bridging your current position and your desired endpoint, link them by identifying the elements present between the two points and do what you have to do to make a move. If there aren’t any commonalities between the state you are now and the point you want to reach, then create that bridge and treat every move you have to do as your small goals! Try to build mini-steps every day, because even though you are doing seemingly small things necessary for your goal it is cumulative and a few months or a year of doing the “small things” makes a big difference!

1. Remember to do what you can, within your ability, within your context, in the best way possible. You should not make that endpoint as the point of living. You should instead think that the life you are leading is aligned to that endpoint with the help of the best of your abilities.

   Let’s say you want a life purpose that is about inspiring people, and you know that your passion is in creating art and your goal is to be able to have your works in an exhibit, however you are currently working as an IT programmer. These two jobs look way different from each other but you should start looking at the gaps that stand between where you are now and where you want to be. Maybe you have no idea how to make art, or maybe being a painter is not a profitable job than the one you have now.You are now given the ticket to building the ladders so that you can reach your goal. Don’t expect to quit your IT job and become a successful painter immediately, remember everyone goes through a process first.

   I took a certified coaching course when I realized my purpose and passion, it may take a while, but I’m gonna get there in time!

2. Strategize and develop your action plan. You can start by purchasing materials first then signing up for lessons after office hours and on weekends. Read about artists and their experiences when they started their careers. Look at the works of artists that are your favorite or those you wish to look up to.
3. Remind yourself of your goals. Put visuals about your plan of the things that inspires you to take that track! Join art communities in your local area, attend exhibits. Look up resources on art and painting. Sketch, practice, and or try different mediums and see where you work best and comfortably. Showcase your skills by posting it on social media or by showing your friends.

Sometimes you will never like you are good enough as you try to reach your goal. But this is not an excuse for you to be confident with your skill. Try not to compare yourself with others, but instead pat yourself on the ack with every progress, no matter how little it is that you have done. Remember, that you are doing this for yourself and not for anyone.

The most important thing is to live your purpose every day, to your best ability, within your limit and bounds, because there is no better way you can do it. As you go through the process, you might not realize how you’ve been expanding your boundaries!

In time our friend found that she has slowly lost most of the old notions in her life. People started to associate her as an artist, people started asking to pay for commissions and pay for her painting. All of a sudden, she realized that her goal of being an artist was now within reach. All the baby steps she took for years have now paved the way to reaching her goal. She has undergone the process but by aligning herself to her goal, she finally reached it!

As for me enrolling in a life coach training institute to activate your passion is just one of the baby steps that I have to take as I align with my goal and purpose of helping people in their life dilemmas. How about you? Maybe it is time for you to find yours.
[wce_code id=2]
[wce_code id=3]