How do I figure out what I’m truly passionate about?

Figuring out what you're truly passionate about can feel like chasing shadows at times, especially in a world that often values practicality over passion. I’ve been there, torn between the comfort of a stable engineering job and the pull of a freer, more creative life. Here’s a process that has helped me, and I think it might work for you too.

1. Capture Your Interests: Start by writing down activities that naturally draw your attention or those you find yourself returning to, time and again. Don’t filter them; whether they seem trivial or monumental, just list what intrigues you. At one point, I realized I kept thinking about storytelling and helping others tell their stories, even when I was coding.

2. Explore and Experiment: Take these interests to the next level by actively engaging with them. Enroll in a workshop, volunteer, or start a side project. This is your “Develop” phase, where you test the waters. When I left corporate life, I started writing more and taking on small design projects, testing what truly resonated with me beyond the initial allure.

3. Listen to Feedback: Pay attention to how these activities make you feel and what kind of feedback you're getting from the world. Are you energized, or do you feel drained? Is there a sense of fulfillment, or do you feel indifferent once the novelty wears off?

4. Reflect on Values and Skills: Consider what you value in life and what skills you naturally excel at. Do your interests align with these? Often, true passion lies at the intersection of what you love doing, what you are good at, and what aligns with your values.

5. Expose Your Work and Seek Community: Share what you’re doing, even if it feels unfinished. Finding a community of people who are interested in similar things can be incredibly fulfilling. They can help guide you, provide feedback, and often spark the creative energy needed to cultivate passion. The accountability and support I found when I joined writing groups changed everything for me.

6. Embrace the Messy Middle: Remember, passions aren’t always love-at-first-sight. They evolve. Permit yourself to step into the messy middle where things might not be clear, but through exposure and development, clarity comes.

Redefine success not just as finding one golden ticket passion but enjoying the journey of discovering and cultivating what makes you tick. Each step you take will bring a bit more clarity and, above all, trust in the process. Over time, what was once an interest might blossom into a life-defining passion.