For the month of September, instead of our regular Clarity Gems, we’re doing something special …
We’re giving you 4 of our biggest, most crucial lessons when it comes to figuring out your passion in life.
It’s all a part of our #PassionFor100 mini-revolution, which we started to celebrate the fact that enrollment is now open for the Passion Plan Virtual Experience.
It’s a super affordable coaching program meant to help you figure out your passion in 30 days or less. The cost of the entire program is $269 , and you can split that into two payments of $139, if you want.
PLUS, even though the early-bird price has expired, we want to reward all of our amazing, loyal email subscribers (lookin’ at you) with a discount:
Enter the code PASSIONFOR100 when you check out to get $50 off the Virtual Experience. (Valid for one week, until September 18th.)
Now, back to our mini-series. Last week, Rachel shared the first lesson about how your passion isn’t a “thing.” And now, Kristen’s stepping in for lesson #2 — if you’ve ever worried, “Maybe I don’t even have a passion,” then this is for you:
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I’ve coached countless people who have admitted to me, a little nervously:
“Sometimes I worry I don’t have a passion … maybe I’m not passionate about anything.”
If you’ve had that thought before, I’m here to tell you (lovingly) that you’re flat-out wrong.
PASSION EXISTS FOR EVERYONE.
{Big sigh of relief.}
Everyone has a deep, driving force that energizes them and lights their fire. Many people, though, have lost sight of that passion, which is making them feel disconnected and unmotivated, in their job or just in life in general.
Step 1: Reconnect with your passion
Think of your passion like the gas in your car — the longer you stay disconnected from your passion, the more likely you are to be running on fumes. {No wonder you feel exhausted and drained all the time, right?}
Reconnecting with your passion is like filling your tank back up to “full” … and I used the word “reconnect” instead of “discover” on purpose.
Some of you might decide that the best way to solve the mystery of your missing passion is to try out various new activities or jobs to see which one sticks. There’s an undercurrent of romance and excitement in the belief that one day you can try something completely new and have an epiphany: This is it! This is what I’m meant to do with my life!
And yes, that can happen from time to time, but that’s not usually how it works. More often, it’s like Jonathan Acuff says in his book, Quitter:
“Your passion is more than a revelation or an act of discovery. I believe it’s a process of recovery. More often than not, finding out what you love doing most is about recovering an old love or an inescapable truth that has been silenced for years, even decades. When you come to your dream job, your thing, it is rarely a first encounter. It’s usually a reunion.”
So how can you reunite with your passions? What were your favorite activities as a kid? What have you always felt drawn to or excited about? What could you do or talk about for days without getting sick of it?
Maybe you already know what you love, but it feels childish, outlandish, or unrealistic. Did you stop painting, writing, rock climbing, or creating because you’re “too busy” or “too old” now?
Here’s the truth: Reconnecting with your sense of passion (or your “secret dream” as I sometimes call it) is not optional … at least not if you intend to create a truly fulfilling life.
Step 2: Decide how you want your passion to show up
Let’s go back to my (possibly corny) car analogy. If your passion is the gas, then the vehicle itself is the way in which you want your passion to show up. Rachel and I have identified four major categories that people tend to fall into when it comes to connecting their passion to their career (and life): Firestarters, Tribe Members, Thrivers, and Side Hustlers.
{If you’ve taken the Passion Profile Quiz, then you already know all about these. If not, you can take the quiz and figure out your Passion Profile here.}
Think of these 4 Passion Profiles like the 4 points on a compass — knowing which major direction suits you will allow you to walk the right path. And once you’re on the right path, it’s so much easier to figure out the finer details of your passion.
For example, if you’re a Firestarter who’s trying (and failing) to be happy working for someone else — even if you’re doing work that you care about — then it might be time to take the plunge and start your own venture.
Or, if you’re a Thriver who’s trying to turn your passion into your career, you might be frustrated and confused about why you’re getting so burnt out.
Figuring out how you want to express your passion is just as important, in my view, as getting clear on what your passion is in the first place.
If you’re ready to dive much deeper with us and get some support as you figure out your passion, then I hope you’ll join us in the Passion Plan Virtual Experience. Don’t forget to use your $50 off coupon code (PASSIONFOR100) when you sign up!
Much Love,
Kristen + Rachel
