How Do I Know What I Am Passionate About?

Published by Mike Michalowicz (Google+)

When you have passion for something it will get you over every brick wall, help you weather every storm, and even when you’ve been knocked down for the hundredth time, compel you to get back up and try again. You can’t build a successful business without it.

No one can be a little bit passionate. You either have passion for something, or you don’t. The American Heritage Dictionary defines passion as “boundless enthusiasm”—nothing half ass about that!

Me, I’m clear about my passion: entrepreneurship. But if you’re not sure what you’re passionate about, here’s a quick list of clues to help you zero in on it:

1. YOU CAN’T SHUT UP ABOUT IT – When your friends roll their eyes because they can’t stand to hear one more word about roller derby, or fabric mills, or your latest improvement on the Chinese takeout container, it’s a sure sign you’ve got passion for it.

2. YOU’RE FREAKISHLY OBSESSED WITH IT – Take a look at what you watch on TV, the magazines and books you read, and the events you frequent. If you’ve got to watch, read, and learn everything about cruise ships, or architecture, or organic gardening, you’ve got passion for it.

3. YOU’D DO IT FOR FREE…AND GIVE UP YOUR FREE TIME – When you love something so much you’d happily do it for no pay, that’s passion, baby. (Duh.) And if you’d happily give up all of your free time to take photographs, coach volleyball, or make pimped-out birdhouses, that’s a sure sign you’ve got passion for it.

If you’re still not sure what you’re passion about, make two lists; one with all of the low points in your life, and one highlighting the highs. When you give up or ignore your passion you’ll end up feel pretty crappy, and when you are following your passion, you’re going to feel pretty effin happy. See how that works? (What? I never said it was rocket science.)

Passion is usually a blend of things, like a good Margarita. You like to watch Bones, you love kids, and a high point of your life was when you helped your neighbor find his dog. Maybe you should be a Pet Detective, helping children find Muffy, Fido, and Tweety.

Some people hit on what their passion right out of the gate and carry the torch for it their entire lives. Just because you haven’t hit on it yet, doesn’t mean you don’t have any passion. Your passion may be new, or just hiding, but it’s there.

So, have you figured it out yet? What’s your passion?  I mean, besides reading The TPE Blog.

By Mike Michalowicz, Author of The Toilet Paper Entrepreneur


Category: Managing Focus, Skill Toolbox, The Right Actions, Your Belief System
Tags: , , , .
  • http://www.le-referencement.net/ FredJouldd

    Thanks, good article.

  • http://mikegio.com Michael

    Wow! Right on cue here! I like this. Just had an Ah Ha moment and rediscovered my passion for the internet, good health and sand dunes. Who knew? Thanks!

  • justme

    I am not passionate about anything…none of these list of critera apply. There is nothing I will not shut-up about as I simply do not care about most things. I am not obsessed with anything and there’s nothing I would do for free…

    • Mike Michalowicz

      Well…. perhaps…. just perhaps your “passion” is what you just did. Challenging other people’s thoughts and ideas. Just because someone write a thought, doesn’t mean it is right… and you took the time to respond and show a totally different view. So perhaps your passion is offering a challenge to established or other ideas. This, for example, is one of the most important “passions” that a litigation attorney must possess. So, maybe you in fact have found an indicator of what you are passionate about.

    • Same Here

      I’m graduating with a Marketing Management major and still not sure if do I really belong here. You know, a Marketing degree holder. I only took this degree because I want to get away from college easily. And now, this is my problem. Do I really want to work for a company? Or to do business? I’m not sure where to go.

  • aldor

    I have a passion for playing football…
    If possible I could play all day long….
    I love to create teams, achieve victory in the game, and persevere…
    I have won a total of 8 local/college championships
    But I have also graduated, done my masters and I have joined a job…
    My job pays me well as I have been assigned a very high position…
    But I don’t enjoy it…
    On the other hand, football is not established in my country…
    I am not so great a player…
    and I have never played at any state/national level…
    moreover my age is 24 now….
    So I know my passion…
    But I don’t know how long will I be able to play it…
    or will I be able to become a remarkably good…
    or just continue as any local player….
    even if I do choose to play football…
    my family and my close ones won’t allow…
    because it would be crazy to leave what i have in my hand to go for something that is unrealistic….and impractical…
    there are also a few financial obligations and some dependents on me…
    so pretty confused and unhappy about my passion and my purpose….

    • Mike Michalowicz

      Hi Aldor – What about coaching? What about starting a business that is a football camp? What about building a system that evaluates players and skills? I believe that our passion can always play out in business but does NOT need to be a direct translation of our passion. For example, I love lacrosse. But like you, I am not remarkably good… and I am WAY too old to even consider it. But that doesn’t mean that lacrosse is over for me, I can manifest it in a business form.

      Now, truth be told, I love technology way more then I do lacrosse. And I love entrepreneurship the most. Hence what I do.

      The key thing is that passion brings about persistence. If we are in a field we are passionate about, we stick to it. And the stick-to-it-ness brings about success. Not just financial (like you are experiencing), but both financial and happiness.

  • lisa

    I have to find what I am passionate about.. I am so miserable at my job… I am 42, married, one 17yr old daughter… home life is great.  I really feel like I am missing something in my life.  I want to do something that makes a difference and makes me happy.

    • Anonymous

      That is a tough one. It sounds like a job that stinks buy is a steady source of income (security), versus potential increased job satisfaction that could bring more risk.

      Maybe the interim step is to interview for new jobs that are in the field you want. You could always start your own company too… not sure if your ready for the sense of insecurity though. (but in my mind, it is the most secure – I don’t think anyone has ever fired themselves).

  • Nia

    Finding out what you’re passionate about can sometimes get a little discouraging, especially when you feel “old.” When you get used to simply “going through the motions” it’s hard to break free and find out what you want to do, even though you feel a big black VOID where complete happiness should be. You want to know what it feels like to do something that you WANT to do, something that you wake up every morning excited for. This post definitely has a few eye openers to that. I especially agree with “you’d do it for free.” A lot of the most successful businesses/companies were started as a hobby because someone enjoyed doing something without expecting anything in return. One creative idea turned into a hefty income!
    I also wrote a couple of ways you can find your passion : 
    http://bethatwoman.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-to-find-out-whats-your-passion-part.html

    • Anonymous

      Thanks for sharing that, Nia!

  • Kruteen

    hi. im kruteen. i really feel like i have stretched it to my last point of endurance here. i am 23 years old and still a foundation year student from london. before that i was in university for one year and i was doing maths and finance but i did not pass (because of two reasons i had an anxeity for maths but i wanted to do it for the money and 2nd i didnt put alot of effort in) and now im confused as to what i want to study at university and what should i to do after that. i am very ambitious and creativei like attention to detail and i  and someday i believe i will have a very succesfull business but im not sure what in exactly. lol i know this sounds lame and funny but i am very confused as to what to study as an undergraute. and thereafter what should i follow as a career..  im really good at art and it has been my hobby since i was young. but i wonder sometimes that a career in art wont be as challenging enough for me although its fun and my family thinks i will be a waste of time. can u help me?

    • Kruteen

      I am considering to do economics or economics with maths now. im average at maths i got a C. in both my A levels and gcse.

  • AlY

    I am passionate about art. I never realized that my artwork held so much passion be it with technique, idea or color. I agree with the obsessiveness towards your passion. I just cant seem to shut up about it. I could talk for hours and not get bored. I
    Have a question though. when you guys are doing your passion or merely thinking of it, do you feel overwhelmed and feel like your chest and throat are restraining because of the intense emotion

  • Cddharth17

    i m passionate at learning new new things . always watch discovery,national geographic channel and such other geeky things on tv . always keen know different facts . wat career is gud for me??