How to Find Your Passion’s Sweet Spot?

Many people who are seeking direction in their lives often ask these questions:

“What should I do with my life?”

“Why am I not living or doing the things I’m really passionate about?”

The questions seem simple enough but many people still wander aimlessly in their journey of many pursuits because they do not focus on their passion, or they simply do not know what is their passion’s sweet spot.

How to find your passion’s sweet spot?

The three questions below can lead you in the process of finding the things you’re really passionate about:

1. What do I enjoy doing?

If you are to keep a time log of your daily activities and review them after a week, what would be the activities that you spend the most time on?

What are the activities that energise you or make you come alive? These will be the same activities that you don’t have to be told to do, because you simply love doing them.

Time seems to pass by so quickly when you’re doing these activities.

2. What do people often compliment me about?

What are the good things your family members, colleagues or friends often say about you?

What do they like about you?

3. What do people usually ask me to help them out with?

What do people usually come to you to seek advice or help on? Are you an expert on a particular skill or subject where you have become a source of solution for many people?

Are you recognised for something remarkable or notable in the eyes of people? What is it that you are so good in and love sharing with the world about?

Well I did say three, but here are two more bonus questions you can use:

4. What am I willing to do for a living even though I won’t be paid a single cent doing it?

This would be your dream job. You won’t mind waking up early in the morning or staying up late at night to do it.

Steven Spielberg once said to George Lucas (or maybe the other way around!):

“I can’t believe we’re being paid millions for playing with these toys!”

They were referring to the expensive video production equipment that they were using to do their job of making movies.

He said “playing with these toys” because it didn’t feel like work to them at all. They were playing.

They were having so much fun and joy doing what they love.

They enjoyed making movies when they weren’t paid well in the beginning, and they still enjoyed doing it when they were being paid a fortune, even though they could have just retired to enjoy the accumulated wealth for the rest of their lives.

5. What would I do if I know that I wouldn’t fail?

If nothing is impossible, what would you do with your life? If you are truly unafraid, what would you do?
What is so important to you about that? You would still do this even though it is hard and it is the road less traveled.

In conclusion

It will take quite some time to digest and answer these questions. You may want to wrestle with the last two deeper questions and let your mind take its time in working with them.

I know it took me a long time to truly answer them, and I am still on the journey.

Are you asking the right questions that will change your life?

Hwai Tah is the founder of Coaching-Journey.com and a certified professional coach and Professional Certified Coach with ICF (International Coach Federation). Drop us a line or two in the comment box below or email us at editor@leaderonomics.com. For more How To articles, click here.

Reposted with permission and published in English daily The Star, Malaysia, 7 February 2015