What are you passionate about? Answering that question is the first step in your journey to the destination you were meant to reach.
You can’t start a journey without knowing where you want to go. That’s obvious on a physical trip like commuting to work, running errands around town or heading to a vacation spot. You don’t just get in the car and start driving aimlessly. But for many people, that’s what happens on their life’s journey.
They start on a certain career path because someone told them it was their best choice but soon find it’s boring or unfulfilling. They commit to a marriage because their partner checked all the “right” boxes for things like looks, personality and profession; the trouble is, the “makes my heart skip a beat” box remains empty.
But how do you know where you want to go – not the place your family or friends tell you to head for, but the destination where you truly want to go? Often, we don’t know, and that’s how we allow ourselves to be steered to the wrong path. Your answer will come when you find your passions.
I call it your life’s true north. On a compass, true north is the direction that points directly toward the geographic North Pole. Geographic north never changes, but your position in relation to it does. When traveling by compass, you start by orienting it to the true north and keeping to that direction as you move.
In life, you have to start by finding your passion and following the path you set with it.
My True North
When I began seeking my true north – although I didn’t know that’s what I was doing then – my greatest desire was to watch my son grow into the man he was meant to be. That’s all I wanted. Everything in my life had to serve that purpose. Any business I created, any relationship I started, anything I did had to enable me to be present in Emerson’s life.
If it would take me away from him for significant amounts of time, I would not go there.
If it would not allow me to make important decisions affecting him, I would not take that path.
If it meant being unable to meet his emotional and intellectual needs, like a comfortable home and a solid education, I would not proceed.
To support my passion for being present in Emerson’s life, I had to know that my back was covered. I needed good-quality childcare, reliable transportation, flexible work hours and an understanding boss. These were the markers, like mile markers on a road, that told me I was going in the right direction and moving toward my destination.
I had to know these markers ahead of time so that I could recognize them and take advantage of them when they showed up. If a job came along with flexible hours, for instance, I would be ready to take it because it checked one of my boxes. If I hadn’t decided flexible work hours were one of my markers, I might have thought I was landing the “perfect” job – and realized, too late, that it demanded frequent overtime and was too far away to make pickup time from childcare.
How to Find Your Passion
Take each significant area of your life and imagine what ultimate success looks like.
- Career: How much will you be earning? How extensive is your client/customer list? How else are you succeeding? If you’re running a non-profit or volunteering in a charity, your marker doesn’t have to be only about money.
- Health: Are you medically and physically fit? How are you making sure? What are you working on?
- Spirituality: Whatever your definition, how are you fulfilling it? Not religious? Being at peace with yourself can satisfy this area.
- Leisure: What have you brought into your life to help you relax and enjoy yourself?
- Relationships: Who makes your heart skip a beat?
- Education: What are you doing to keep learning? You don’t necessarily have to be pursuing a degree; reading, attending lectures or even traveling can make you a more educated person.
- Environment: Are your physical surroundings as pleasant and comfortable as you want?
- Legacy: What will you leave behind for loved ones and the world? How have you left your mark?
Now go through your answers and rank them according to how they make you feel. For example, does having a six-figure income feel better than having a loving relationship with your soul mate? Or do you feel happier when you picture being in optimal health than when you imagine being rich?
Tips for Picturing Success
When you describe your future world, keep these things in mind:
Forget Practical
This is an exercise about the future, not reality. Write each statement in the present tense, as though it is happening. For example, “My business has revenue of a half-million dollars a year,” not “I want to make a half-million dollars a year.”
Be Specific
State exactly how much money you’re earning, what health conditions you are enjoying and so on. “Good health” isn’t good enough. “My blood pressure is in the healthy range and my skin is clear and smooth” are better examples of specific measures to indicate success.
Post It
When your list is done, post it in a prominent place. Seeing it in your bathroom mirror or over your desk will help you keep your future success in your vision every day. But, come to think of it, why not put the list in several places around your home?
Get Oriented
No journey can begin without knowing It is the true north of your life’s compass, which always leads you where you need to go. To start orienting yourself to your true path, contact me about taking the Passion Test.
