You Don’t Know What To Do In Your Life? Find out Your Passion In 5 Easy Steps

It was always confusing for me to figure out what I want to do with my life, I presume that this question is bothering you too, or at least was someday. 

The problem for me was that I have many interests, I’m fascinated with a lot of things from mathematics, arts, to communication and psychology. All that can be learned interests me. I did explore many pathways in my studies: start with a mathematics and physics degree, then an industrial engineering degree, a personal development certificate to finish with a master’s degree in Innovation Management in progress. This last one was difficult for me to decide since I did have too many possibilities: continuing in a Ph.D. in my field of study, studying computing, turning to a psychology degree… It was a mess in my head at this time. The process of choice wasn’t linear, it took me a lot of zigzag moves to figure out my vocation. 

So that’s why I want to share some useful tips with you, perhaps you are struggling to decide on your career choices, to find your purpose in life, or you are thinking about new professional directions; and my journey can give you insights or steps to make it easier for you. 

At first, I would recommend a book written by Ken Robinson, with Lou Aronica: “Finding your element: How to Discover Your Talents and Passions and Transform Your Life”. 

It is a great book with practical exercises and personal experiences that can offer you some guidance and pieces of advice.

The principal author Ken Robinson is good at all sorts of things, He used to play on piano & guitar, He tried drawing and painting in school, He spends hours assembling and painting plastic models, and woodwork to end up shifting to a public speaker. 

Being on stage, was his “Element”, He enjoyed the process, He feels eased talking in front of a group of people, and seems that time pass quickly while He is doing this. 

In fact, when you’re in your element, time passed very fast, if not time will seem very slow. For Robinson, teaching, meetings, and presentations was his element. 

For me, my element is thinking about new ways to do things, exploring the potentialities, connecting the dots, and creating new possibilities. When I’m in my element, I feel my mind thriving, it is stimulating for me, and I don’t feel that I’m making an effort when working on that, Ideas and approaches occur naturally and effortlessly. That is why I choose to turn myself towards the management of innovation and creativity. 

Finding your element is very hazardous, you can find it luckily when playing at your elementary school, or you can still search for it, even after retirement. 

Good news, there is something you can do to comprehend this process: 

1. Spend time with yourself :

Disconnecting from others for a while can create a huge transformation in your life. Having alone time will help you connect with your feelings, motivations, and desires. No matter what it is like: having a long walk in a park, sitting on the bench, reading a book, or having a hot cup of coffee or tea… Just stop the daily rush and connect with your inner self from time to time. 

2. Write your thoughts :

Sometimes, we did have some blocking beliefs that stop us from achieving our goal and living the life we want. It can be our critical self-talk about how we are not good enough, we don’t have capacities to succeed in this field, we are not good at anything… a harsh inner talk can bias our abilities to see things objectively and clearly. A practical exercise is to write your thoughts and your fears in a journal or on a blank paper and read it after, you will be astonished to see how your mind can deform reality.

3. Explore your talents :

What you can do now, is to return to your past experiences, and your achievements, and to analyze things that made you realize these accomplishments. It doesn’t need to be a professional experience, it can be helping resolve a family conflict or negotiate an advantageous price with a vendor… Think about all your technical and soft skills, and see what kind of skills you master the most, it is practicality, analytical or creative thinking, or maybe people interaction…

4. Plot your place on the map :

Before choosing in which direction you want to go, locate yourself on the map; and related to your goals, ask yourself: where are you now? are you near or far away from achieving your goals? Do you have already enough skills to change direction? If not, what skills do you need for your new destination? Are you ready to invest your time, your effort, and maybe your money to learn these new skills? Is it worth it, or not?

Reflecting on all these questions can give you a clear idea about your purpose. It is obvious that any change requires time and some accommodations at first, but It is often advantageous to know how many adjustments you need to make.

5. Make a plan and stick to it :

Your life experiences don’t have to be linear, you cannot and you don’t have to plan every side of your life’s journey, you need just to plan your next steps.

A practical and useful exercise is to write your passions and decide on some measurable and tiny goals that you can start with, then you should figure out what aptitudes you need for each goal on the list. After that, you can start creating your action plan, by determining your priority steps, and the first actions you should take.

Finally, I hope these tips helped you to figure out your passions, your abilities and showed you how to change direction in your life. 

I know that the process is uncomfortable and needs too much patience and perseverance, but I’m 100% convinced that the outcomes are worth it.