Finding Your Passion (Part 1)

Finding your passion is about finding that thing that gets you buzzing, that makes time fly by because you're so wrapped up into it, things you enjoy. Those things could be painting, coding, baking, or something entirely unique to you or new to everyone. Think about what makes your heart sing and your eyes light up, makes time fly by, what keeps you up at night. Remember, it’s all about discovering what truly excites you, what you could spend hours doing without feeling tired, or even better seems to give you energy.

Finding what you are passionate about can be challenging. You may not know what you're passionate about, or you might self-conscious that your hobby is weird or not valuable to other people. What you have to remember is that we are all weird, and that there are likely a lot of other people like you, and who like many of the same things as you do, and want to pay for your products, time or service for whatever unique thing or service that brings them value.

This post is part of a complete 16-part series guide Breaking Down a Process to Turn Your Passion into a Profitable Side Business.

So, to get started with finding your passion that you can also use to create a business: 

Explore Your Interests

Start by thinking about the things that pique your curiosity. Consider activities you’ve always wanted to try or subjects that fascinate you. Whether it’s cooking, hiking, painting, playing an instrument, coding, gardening, or even something as unique as beekeeping, jot down your interests. Lately mine has been 3D printing.

To explore your interests you can:

• Read Books and Articles: Research sources that give you more detail and experiences. See if you like researching your hobbies.
• Take Courses: Work through tutorials to see if you learn or enjoy getting better at your passion.
• Visit your Community: Go to libraries and community centers and colleges to see what resources they have available.
• Join groups: Do you enjoy spending time with other people related to your passions and hobbies? Do you like the type of people you are.
• Try it, Again and Again: Could you keep trying? Do you keep learning and do you keep improving? Do you have an aptitude for this or do you want to try to keep getting better at it?
• Explore New Places: that can broaden your passion or give you a new perspective.
• Find a Mentor: who can help you go in the right direction, can give you customized feedback.

Exploring your interests is about being open, curious, and willing to dive into new experiences. It’s a journey of discovery and growth that enriches your life in numerous ways. But when you find something you love you will have to give up other things because you wont' have time for everything equally.

Try New Things

Be open to experimenting! Join workshops, classes, or clubs related to your interests. Check out community events, online tutorials, or local groups where you can dabble in various activities. It’s like sampling a buffet of hobbies—you won’t know what you love until you give it a try, sometimes try it several times.

Trying new things can be both exciting and daunting, but here are some tips to make the process smoother and more enjoyable:

• Embrace an Open Mindset: Cultivate a curious attitude towards life. Be open to new experiences without judgment or preconceived notions. Recognize the benefits of things as you have new experiences.
• Start Small: Begin with small, manageable changes or activities. It could be trying a new food, exploring a different genre of music, or taking a short class in something you’ve been curious about.
• Set Goals: Set achievable goals to try a certain number of new things within a specific timeframe. It keeps things exciting and gives you a sense of accomplishment.
• Step Out of Your Comfort Zone: Growth often happens outside your comfort zone. Don’t be afraid to take calculated risks and explore things that make you slightly uncomfortable but curious.
• Be Adventurous: Whether it’s an outdoor adventure, an art class, a new sport, or even a new hobby, be adventurous in your choices.
• Utilize Your Network: Ask friends or family for suggestions. They might have tried something new that they loved and can recommend to you. They can also give you advice about how to approach finding your passion.
• Explore Different Culture: Dive into learning about different cultures. Trying new foods, learning about traditions, or exploring cultural events can open your eyes to unique experiences.
• Be Spontaneous: Say yes to opportunities that come your way, even if they’re unexpected. Spontaneity often leads to some of the most memorable experiences and broadens your empathy and awareness all around.
• Attend Events and Workshops: Check out local events, workshops, or festivals. They’re often hubs of new experiences and activities, and again, places to get good advice about starting a business about your passion.
• Learn from Others: Listen to the experiences of others. Reading about or talking to people who have tried new things can give you insights and inspiration.
• Embrace Failure as Learning: Understand that not everything new will be a hit. Embrace failures as learning experiences and part of the journey. Start small, learn, rinse (emotionally/physically/etc.) and repeat.
• Keep a Curiosity Journal: Maintain a journal or diary to record your experiences with new activities. It helps in reflection and tracking what you’ve tried.
• Be Patient with yourself: Some new things might not immediately resonate with you, and that’s okay. Give yourself time and space to adapt and appreciate the experience.
• Reflect and evaluate: After trying something new, take a moment to reflect. How did it make you feel? What did you learn from it? Use this insight for future experiences.
• Enjoy the Process: Most importantly, enjoy the process! Trying new things is about enriching your life and adding colors to your experiences. If you can't stand trying something new, then starting a business might be very challenging for you.

Trying new things is an adventure—an opportunity to learn, grow, and discover parts of yourself you might not have known existed. So, go ahead, take that leap, and embrace the excitement of the unknown! But you do have an influence on what might happen next.

Reflect on Past Passions

Think about activities you enjoyed in the past. Maybe there’s something you used to love doing but haven’t tried in a while. Revisiting old hobbies might reignite that spark. You might find yourself going back to your roots because most of us turn into our parents as we get older.

Reflecting on your passions involves introspection and thoughtful consideration of what truly excites and motivates you. Here are some approaches to delve into this self-discovery process:

• Carve Out Quiet Time: Find a quiet and comfortable environment where you can relax and focus without distractions. This could be during a walk, while journaling, or in a peaceful room.
• Dive into Self-Reflection: Think about moments in your life when you felt truly alive and engaged. Recall hobbies, activities, or interests that sparked joy in the past.
• Identify What Energizes You: Consider activities or topics that make you feel enthusiastic, engaged, or deeply fulfilled. What activities give you a sense of purpose or excitement?
• List Your Current Interests: Write down or mentally list things you enjoy doing regularly. It could be anything from reading, painting, coding, gardening, cooking, or volunteering.
• Assess Your Engagement Levels: Evaluate how much time and energy you willingly invest in certain activities. Passions often align with the things you naturally prioritize in your life.
• Notice Your Curiosity: Pay attention to topics or activities that continuously pique your interest. What makes you want to explore or learn more?
• Consider Impact and Values: Reflect on activities that align with your values or contribute positively to your life or the lives of others. What makes you feel a sense of fulfillment or contribution?
• Explore Your Dreams and Goals: Imagine your ideal life. What activities or pursuits are present in that vision? Reflect on the passions that resonate with your long-term goals.
• Seek Feedback and Insights: Reach out to friends, family, or mentors. Sometimes, others can provide valuable insights about your strengths and passions.
• Keep a Passion Journal: Maintain a passion journal where you jot down thoughts, ideas, or experiences related to your interests. Reflect on how these activities make you feel.
• Experiment and Revisit: Be open to trying new activities to see if they resonate with you. Revisit old hobbies or interests you’ve set aside in the past.
• Listen to Your Emotions: Pay attention to the emotions associated with certain activities. Passions often evoke feelings of joy, enthusiasm, or a sense of flow.
• Give Yourself Grace and Time: Remember, discovering passions is an ongoing journey. Give yourself time and space to explore and evolve.
• Reflect Regularly: Set aside regular time for reflection. Our passions can evolve, so reflecting periodically helps in staying aligned with what truly matters to you.

Reflecting on your passions is about connecting with your inner self and understanding what truly ignites your spirit. It’s a journey of self-discovery that can lead to a more fulfilling and purpose-driven life.

Listen to Your Curiosity

Pay attention to those moments when something catches your eye or stirs your excitement. Your curiosity often leads you toward something you might be passionate about. That feeling of “I want to learn more about this” is a good indicator.

Listening to your curiosity involves tuning in to your inner desires and interests. Beyond what's already been said, here's what can help you embrace and follow your curiosity.

• Cultivate Awareness: Practice being present in the moment. Tune into your thoughts and feelings without judgment. Mindfulness helps you notice what excites or intrigues you, or even frustrates you. Those emotions can be powerful sources of inspiration.
• Identify Sparks of Interest: Pay attention to recurring thoughts, topics, or activities that capture your attention. What subjects or activities consistently stir your curiosity?
• Embrace Childlike Wonder: Approach life with a sense of wonder, just like when you were a child. Curiosity often thrives in an environment of exploration and openness.
• Ask Questions: Challenge yourself to ask questions about the world around you. Ask “why” and “how” to deepen your understanding of things that intrigue you.
• Follow Your Intuition: Pay attention to that inner voice nudging you toward something new. Trust your instincts—they often guide you towards your genuine interests.
• Experiment and Try New Things: Don’t hesitate to try new activities or hobbies. Trying different things exposes you to varied experiences and helps you discover what resonates.
• Create Space for Curiosity: Set aside time in your schedule for exploration and experimentation. Create a space that encourages exploration and creativity.
• Embrace Uncertainty: Embrace the unknown. Curiosity often thrives in uncertainty, so allow yourself to explore without the need for immediate answers.
• Reflect on Curious Moments: Take time to reflect on moments when you felt deeply curious. What triggered that curiosity? Reflecting helps identify patterns.
• Pursue Personal Projects: Dive into personal projects or hobbies that intrigue you. Curiosity-driven projects often lead to unexpected discoveries and growth.

By nurturing your curiosity and being open to exploration, you pave the way for discovering new interests, passions, and opportunities that align with your authentic self.

Consider Your Personality and Values

Reflect on what resonates with your personality and values. Are you drawn to activities that involve creativity, problem-solving, physical activity, helping others, or intellectual challenges? Your hobbies should align with who you are and what you believe in.

Your personality and values will also drive your hobbies, passions, interests and ambitions. So being self aware will help you understand the context of starting your side gig based on your passions and hobbies.

You can:

• Take Personality Tests: Consider taking personality assessments like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), Big Five Personality Traits, or Enneagram. These tools can offer insights into your personality traits.
• Reflect on Impactful Life Experiences: Consider significant moments in your life. Which experiences brought you the most joy, fulfillment, or a sense of accomplishment? What lessons did you learn from challenging experiences?
• Gather Feedback: Ask friends, family, or mentors about how they perceive your personality and values. External perspectives can offer valuable insights.
• Align Passions with Goals: Reflect on your long-term goals. Do they resonate with your personality and values? Goals that align with your values often bring deeper satisfaction.
• Reflect Regularly: Maintain a journal to record your thoughts, feelings, and experiences related to your personality and values. Reflect on how they influence your decisions.
• Observe Relationship Dynamics: Pay attention to the people you naturally connect with. Do your friendships or relationships align with your values and personality?
• Experiment: Try new experiences or make decisions aligned with your values. Notice how they make you feel and if they resonate with who you are.
• Notice your Evolution: Understand that personalities evolve, and values might shift over time. Be open to adapting to new insights and experiences.

Considering your personality and values is a continual process of self-discovery and self-awareness. It’s about aligning your actions, decisions, and goals with the core essence of who you are.

Connect with Others

Engage with people who share similar interests. Conversations with enthusiasts can provide insights and inspiration. Join online forums, attend meetups, or connect with hobby-related communities on social media. Relationships with people and help with:

• Discovering Resources: Connecting with like-minded individuals exposes you to valuable resources, knowledge, and potential opportunities related to your side gig.
• Mentoring and Learning from Experience: Engaging with experienced individuals in your field can provide mentorship and guidance. Their advice and insights can help you navigate challenges and avoid common pitfalls.
• Collaborating to Find Mutual Benefits: Building relationships can lead to collaborations or partnerships. Joining forces with others can expand your reach, offer new perspectives, and create innovative opportunities for your side gig.
• Emotional Support: Connecting with others who share similar aspirations can provide emotional support. It creates a community where you can share experiences, seek advice, and celebrate successes.
• Understanding Market Needs: Conversations with potential customers or fellow entrepreneurs can provide valuable insights into market demands, preferences, and trends. Feedback helps refine your side gig offerings.
• Exposure to Opportunities: Networking opens doors to potential clients, investors, or platforms to showcase your side gig. It can lead to referrals or invitations to events where you can showcase your work.
• Validation of Ideas: Positive feedback or validation from peers or mentors can boost your confidence in your side gig. It reaffirms the value of your offerings.
• Word-of-Mouth Promotion: Building connections can lead to word-of-mouth referrals. Recommendations from people within your network can significantly impact the growth of your side gig.
• Inspiration: Engaging with individuals pursuing their passions can inspire and motivate you. It keeps your enthusiasm and drive high for your side gig.
• Showcasing your Work: Connections might provide platforms or opportunities to showcase your side gig to a wider audience, leading to potential customers or clients.
• Adapting to Changes: Networking exposes you to different approaches and strategies. This exposure allows you to adapt and evolve your side gig according to market changes and trends.

Connecting with others can not only accelerate the growth of your side gig but also provide a support system that fosters learning, growth, and success. Relationships formed through networking can be invaluable assets in establishing and growing your side gig.

Follow Your Joy

Pay attention to how different activities make you feel. A hobby that brings you joy, energizes you, and makes you lose track of time is likely something you’re passionate about. It’s that feeling of being completely absorbed and fulfilled while doing it. Specifically focus on:

• Emotional Awareness: Pay attention to your emotions. Notice when you feel a surge of excitement, enthusiasm, or contentment. Your emotions often guide you toward what brings you joy.
• Make Joy a Priority: Intentionally prioritize activities that bring you joy in your daily life. Allocate time and space for these activities regularly.
• Seek Flow States: Engage in activities where you experience a state of flow—a sense of being completely absorbed and deeply focused. Flow activities often bring immense joy.
• Daily Joy Practices: Establish daily rituals or habits that bring joy, whether it’s reading, exercising, meditating, or spending time with loved ones
• Gratefulness: Cultivate gratitude for the joyful moments in your life. Acknowledging and appreciating these moments amplifies their impact.
• Release Negativity: Release activities, thoughts, or relationships that drain your energy or bring negativity. Focus on what uplifts and brings joy.

Following your joy is a deeply personal journey. It’s about recognizing, embracing, and prioritizing the experiences and activities that bring genuine happiness and fulfillment into your life.

Give It Time

Finding your passion might not happen overnight. Be patient and open-minded. Sometimes, passions develop over time as you delve deeper into an activity and uncover its layers of enjoyment.

Remaining patient with your passions can be challenging, but it’s an essential aspect of nurturing and developing them. Here are ways to cultivate patience:

• Long-Term View: Understand that passions take time to grow and flourish. Set realistic expectations for progress, knowing that success often comes with patience.
• Focus on Learning: See setbacks or slow progress as opportunities to learn and improve. Embrace the journey of continuous growth that your passion offers.
• Acknowledge Progress: Celebrate small wins along the way. Recognize and appreciate the progress you make, no matter how minor it might seem.
• Perseverance: Develop a resilient attitude. Stay committed to your passion despite challenges or slow progress. Persistence often leads to eventual success.
• Be Kind to Yourself: Don’t be too hard on yourself for not achieving instant results. Show yourself compassion and understanding during the learning process.
• Skill Mastery Takes Time: Understand that mastering skills related to your passion requires consistent practice and patience. A good rule of thumb is that expertise takes 10,000 hours of practice. That's five years full-time work. Becoming a master is a gradual process, padawan. 😀
• Enjoy the Process: Find joy in the journey rather than solely fixating on the end goal. Appreciate the experiences and lessons learned along the way.
• Flexibility: Be open to adapting your approach. Sometimes, patience involves adjusting strategies or trying different methods to achieve your goals.
• Realistic Timelines: Manage your expectations about when you might see significant progress. Recognize that worthwhile achievements often take time.
• Consistent Effort: Keep showing up and putting in consistent effort toward your passion. Small, consistent steps lead to significant progress over time.
• Inspiring Stories: Read about or connect with individuals who have achieved success in your field of passion. Their journeys can inspire patience and perseverance. Don't compare yourself to those stories because comparisons can leave you feeling inadequate and depressed; absorb the good and move forward.
• Balance expectations: Balance your enthusiasm with patience. Enjoy the process while maintaining a realistic perspective on the time it takes to achieve your goals.

Patience is a valuable virtue when it comes to nurturing your passions. Embrace the journey, stay persistent, and trust that your dedication will yield rewarding results over time.

Experiment and Adapt

Don’t be afraid to experiment with different hobbies. What might not appeal to you at first might surprise you later on. It’s okay to evolve and adapt your interests as you grow and change. Experimentation and adaptation are key elements when starting a new business. Here’s how people often approach these:

• Prototype and Test: Start by creating prototypes or minimum viable products (MVPs) to test different business ideas. This allows you to gather feedback without investing extensively.
• Feedback Loop: Engage with potential customers early on. Collect feedback to understand their needs, pain points, and preferences. Use this information to refine your business concept.
• Adaptability: Be open to pivoting your business model or strategies based on market feedback. If something isn’t working, adapt and explore alternative approaches.
• Iterate and Improve: Continuously iterate your product or service based on feedback. Make incremental improvements to better align with customer needs.
• Market Validation: Test your business idea in the market. Conduct pilot programs, soft launches, or limited releases to gauge interest and viability before a full-scale launch.
• Experimentation Mindset: Accept that not every idea will succeed initially. Embrace the trial-and-error process as a means of learning and refining your business model.
• Data-Driven Decisions: Use analytics and metrics to measure the performance of your experiments. Analyze data to understand what works and what doesn’t.
• Agility in Decision-Making: Be agile in making decisions. Adapt quickly to changing circumstances or market demands to stay ahead.
• Flexible Planning: Have a flexible business plan. Adapt your strategies based on real-time feedback and evolving market conditions
• Customer-Centric Approach: Keep the customer at the center of your experimentation. Focus on addressing their needs and providing solutions that resonate with them.
• Mentorship and Guidance: Seek advice from mentors, advisors, or industry experts. Their experience can offer insights and guidance on adapting strategies.
• Stay Updated: Keep an eye on technological advancements and industry trends. Embrace new tools or trends that can benefit your business.
• Encourage Creativity: Create an environment where innovation and creativity thrive. Encourage your team to propose and test new ideas.
• Build Scalability: Design your business operations with scalability and flexibility in mind. This allows for easier adaptation to changing circumstances.
• Failure as Learning: Treat failures as learning opportunities. Extract lessons from unsuccessful experiments to inform future decisions.

Starting a new business involves constant experimentation, learning from feedback, and adapting strategies accordingly. It’s about staying agile, customer-focused, and willing to evolve to meet the needs of the market.

Trust Your Instincts

Trust yourself. Your intuition often guides you towards what feels right. If something feels exciting and resonates with you, follow that gut feeling.

Remember, finding a hobby you’re passionate about is a journey. Enjoy the process of exploration and discovery—it’s about the joy of trying new things and uncovering what truly lights up your life.

Trusting your instincts when starting a business is crucial. Here’s how you can cultivate and rely on your instincts:

• Knowledge Foundation: Acquire knowledge and expertise in your industry. This builds a foundation that helps your instincts be informed by understanding and experience.
• Acknowledge Instincts: Recognize and accept your gut feelings or intuitive nudges. These often stem from subconscious analysis of information you’ve gathered.
• Test Your Instincts: Begin with small decisions and observe the outcomes. As you see your instincts proving right, you’ll gain confidence in relying on them for more significant choices.
• Learn from Experience: Reflect on past situations where your instincts guided you correctly. Use these instances to reinforce trust in your intuition.
• Tune into Signals: Pay attention to your inner voice. Often, your instincts manifest as feelings, sensations, or a strong sense of confidence in a particular direction.
• Blend with Reasoning: Combine your instincts with rational analysis. Trusting your instincts doesn’t mean ignoring facts or data—it’s about integrating both.
• Validate Your Instincts: Test your instincts against data or feedback. While instincts can be powerful, verifying with tangible information can solidify your decisions.
• Risk-Taking: Trusting your instincts sometimes involves taking calculated risks. Balance intuition with a calculated assessment of potential risks and rewards.
• Quality Input: Seek advice and feedback, but choose advisors who respect your instincts and offer constructive insights rather than solely contradicting them.
• Be Present: Mindfulness practices can help you better tune into your instincts. Being present in the moment allows you to listen more attentively to your inner voice.
• Distinguish Emotions: Understand the difference between fear-based hesitations and genuine instincts. Fear often stems from uncertainty, while intuition feels more grounded.
• Start with Small Trust: Begin by trusting your instincts in smaller, less consequential decisions. As you see positive outcomes, gradually trust them for larger choices.
• Reflect on Decisions: After following your instincts, reflect on the outcomes. Whether positive or not, evaluate and learn from the results to refine your instincts.
• Self-Confidence: Trusting your instincts requires self-confidence. Believe in your abilities and trust that your intuition is a valuable tool in decision-making.
• Iterate Based on Experience: Use the feedback and results from trusting your instincts to refine and improve your intuitive decision-making process.

Trusting your instincts in business is a blend of experience, confidence, and a willingness to listen to your inner guidance while staying open to learning and adaptation.

Continue reading...This post is part of a complete 16-part series guide Breaking Down a Process to Turn Your Passion into a Profitable Side Business.