Are you ready to make a change and excited about finding your passion?
Here, Chad shares Four Steps to Finding Your Passion.
STEP 1: Consider what brings you joy.
What I want you to do is give yourself some time. Allow yourself a season to discover where you’re going and why you’re going there.
Some of the questions that I would recommend asking yourself as you begin to find and pursue your passion would be:
– What is it that I do or have done that brings me the most life, energy, and joy?
– What is it that I loved doing when I was a child?
– Is there something I used to dream about doing?
And just sit with it. Think about it. Give yourself some time to thoughtfully process these questions.
STEP 2: Consider what you want (and don’t want) in a job.
In the next phase (I would give yourself a couple of weeks or a month to work through this), what I want you to do is:
Find a piece of paper, and at the top left corner, write ‘won’t do.’
In the middle, I want you to write ‘want to do.’
In the right corner, write ‘dream of doing.’
In the first area, I want you to list those things that you absolutely won’t do. Examples could be:
– ‘I won’t go into the office five days a week.’
– ‘I won’t work at a company if I don’t believe in its mission and its values.’
– ‘I won’t work for less than a certain salary.’
The next would be, what do you want to do. This could be any number of things:
– ‘I really want to work with people on a regular basis.’
– ‘I want to work in technology on software development.’
– ‘I want to create things and pursue my artistic passion.’
Finally, what do you dream of doing? I know that this can sound a little bit out there because we don’t really dream as adults. Think about the last time you allowed yourself to dream of something? Whatever it may be, don’t be afraid to write it down – no matter how far-fetched it might seem. You are not going to achieve your dreams unless you give them a voice. Some examples could be:
– ‘One day I’d like to be a park ranger and just enjoy the beauty of nature.’
– ‘I want to live and work in Fiji.’
– ‘I want to make $10 million by the time I’m 55.’
Review everything you’ve written down, then consider taking some time to interview the people who know you best (spouse, family, or friends). Ask them what they think you’re good at and what giftings they see in you. If this information is helpful, integrate it into your search.
Take all the time you need to thoughtfully consider these areas before moving forward.
STEP 3: Take an assessment.
Once you’ve figured out what you do and don’t want, I highly recommend taking a career assessment. I’m not talking about the latest personality quiz that all your friends are taking online. You need to take a professionally designed career assessment that uncovers your natural gifts, understands who you are, and then recommends highly personalized career options that you might not have known about or even considered before.
There are many options available, but if you want a recommendation, I have a great one that I use with my candidates. Email me at chad@affinitysearchpartners.com, and I will share it with you.
STEP 4: Pursue your passion with vigor.
Finally, once you figure out where you’re going, and what you’d like to be doing, pursue it with vigor and passion. Don’t let up.
If you want to be an artist, go be an artist.
If you want to be an engineer, get the qualifications and be an engineer.
Don’t let anything get in your way.
Pursue your passions with vigor.
Want to learn more? Contact us at chad@affinitysearchpartners.com. We would love to partner with you as you search for a career you love.