Content

• To step
• Part 1 of 4: Recognizing your passion
• Part 2 of 4: Creating space for your passions
• Part 3 of 4: Live by day
• Part 4 of 4: Staying on track
• Necessities

Living with passion means living as your true self. You do the things that make you happiest, that make you most proud and enthusiastic about, and that leave you feeling satisfied. Your passions are a huge part of your identity and self-esteem. People who stay physically and mentally active live healthier, happier and even longer than those who let self-doubt slow them down. Start living with passion by looking for your inspiration and boldly pursuing it.

To step

Part 1 of 4: Recognizing your passion

1. Start keeping a passionate life diary. Discovering what you are passionate about requires a lot of self-awareness and introspection. For most people, this process begins with taking stock of their current life and life in the past.
   • Use this journal to make lists, work out your thoughts through free writing, make plans for the future, and keep track of what you've achieved along the way. Organizing your thoughts is a great help in directing future actions towards satisfaction.
   • Always take it with you and write down all the times you felt happy and satisfied. Write down what you are doing and what it is about a particular moment that makes you happy. Keeping your notes daily can help clarify what's most important to you if you're not sure what your passion is.
2. Determine what your passions are. If you're not sure what your passions are, you may be asking yourself the wrong questions. Rather than asking why you haven't found your passion yet, focus on what you can do, now and in the future, to find it.
   • Even though you know what you are passionate about right now, your passions can change through experience and personal growth. Answering these questions can guide you to a new passion that you had not yet considered.
   • Separate what you do from what you care about. Hobbies and passions are not necessarily the same, and making your hobby your job doesn't have to be what makes you feel fulfilled. You may enjoy your hobby as a break from a hectic day, but unless inspiration prevents you from sleeping at night because you have to keep thinking about it, it is not your life purpose.
3. Research yourself honestly. Think about who you are now and who you want to be in the future. Driven people have an intense desire to find what makes them complete and pursue their true selves without holding back. To get started, answer the following questions:
   • What can you do for hours without realizing that time has passed?
   • What was your favorite activity as a child?
   • What achievement you have made are you most proud of?
   • What's that one thing you couldn't live without?
   • List your skills and strengths. Ask friends and family to point out a few for you as well. They may be thinking about something that you have not considered yourself.
4. Define your core values. When it comes down to it, what are the most important things you've done? Make sure your list of passions matches your core values. If not, you may have to rethink what really excites you.
5. Sketch a plan for your ideal future. Imagine that you have no limitations and ignore any fears that may arise in your mind about achieving these goals.
   • Start by asking yourself how you envisioned your adult life as a child. What were your dreams for the future at the time? Do they correspond to where you are now, or where you would like to be?
   • Be specific so that you can visualize this future self. Believing that you can achieve a goal is one of the most important aspects of achieving it. Henry Ford once said, "Whether you think you can or you can't, you're probably right."
6. Create a mission statement and an action plan. Take the time to make sure that your statement reflects what you actually believe in and what you want for yourself. Set goals that you can achieve relatively quickly. Once you have done that, you will know whether or not they represent your true passion.

Part 2 of 4: Creating space for your passions

1. Simplify your living expenses. Often times, doing what you like means settling for less income. Streamline your spending by making sure you stop spending money on things that aren't helping you.
   • It is not necessary to quit your job just to follow your dream, but be realistic about how much you will be able to earn by working on your passion full time, at least in the beginning, and get used to that amount to live.
2. Organize your home and office (or other workplace). Get rid of belongings that you no longer need or use. Too much "stuff" can be mentally heavy. Opening up your physical living space offers room for positive things to come into your life.
3. Work on your time management skills. Just as you can relieve your life by getting rid of things, avoiding unnecessary waste of time can free up more time for the things you want to do.
   • Of course, this does not mean that you can just leave out all tasks that you do not feel like doing. It means scheduling the things you need to do so you don't waste time procrastinating and don't feel dissatisfied at the end of the day.
   • Start making to-do lists to stay focused. Do those things that have been on your mind the longest and those that you least feel like doing first. By getting them out of your mind, you create more attention for the things that matter most to you.
   • Start by saying no when you really don't want to do something. Unless doing something satisfies you in some way, it only takes energy from you that you could otherwise spend pursuing your interests.
   • Remove the word “must” from your vocabulary. Saying, "I" must "do this and that" keeps you from trying things that you may find scary but worth the risk.

Part 3 of 4: Live by day

1. Let go of your fear. Stop worrying about whether or not you can do something, just get started. The thing terminally ill people regret most, as pointed out by a palliative nurse, is not being brave enough to ignore the expectations of others and live a life of their own.
   • Focus on being curious rather than anxious. You don't always know where life will take you.
   • Blot out any expectations you have for achieving your goals. The journey itself is an important part of discovering what makes you a satisfied person.
2. Try to do something new every week. Big or small, keep trying new things. Most people discover their passions in their spare time, doing things they are interested in, and sometimes discover something else they want to do more often.
   • At least once a month, do something significant that you've never done before to broaden your viewpoints.
   • Go on vacation to a place you've never been before.
   • Try recipes from a different kitchen.
   • Start a new hobby to see if you like it.
3. Learn whatever you can. Look for careers that interest you. Read about it as much as possible. Study the lives of people who live or have lived their lives with passion.
   • Take a course - in person or online - in that field.
   • Interview professionals to find out what their job really looks like and how they got there. Did it require a special degree or years of training?
   • Make as many mistakes as you can. You learn from that.
4. Follow your plan! While developing your passion, you developed an action plan. Make sure you follow that plan consistently.
   • Check whether your plan consists of a series of smaller goals that can be achieved within a short period of time.
   • Keep track of your progress and achievements in a journal.
   • Write down how each step went, what you learned, and what you will need to change about your future actions.
   • Update your plan with new information, if necessary.
5. Change that part of your life that you are least satisfied with. What's most frustrating about your life right now? Is it your job, is it your personal relationships, where you live? Isolate the primary cause of your uninspired outlook on life so that you can tackle it effectively.
   • Be specific about why you are so unhappy with this situation. Was there ever a time when you were happy with these things? If so, then you may have forgotten why you made these choices in the first place.
   • If the biggest problem is that the wonderful and new are gone, look for something new and exciting that wasn't there before, instead of throwing away much of your life.
6. Surround yourself with supportive and inspiring people. Stay in touch with the people you love. Don't worry so much about running out of time for the people who are most important to you.
   • Choose 3 or 4 people to support you. Maybe an expert in a certain field, a good friend, others with similar interests, and of course you!
   • Don't just think about what others can do for you; also wonder how you can give something back. Part of our self-esteem comes from the feeling of being able to do something for others.

Part 4 of 4: Staying on track

1. Check your diary regularly. Evaluate your progress and the time spent working towards your goals. Make sure your goals don't need to be changed, and that your passion is still your passion.
2. Be patient. Keep believing in yourself, especially if you feel like you've gotten stuck or if it's all too much for you. It may take a little trial and error to find out what really makes you happy and what makes you want to get out of bed every morning. Be patient and keep looking.
3. Express your gratitude every day. Transform negative thoughts into positive actions. Negativity makes you feel stuck. Rather, focus on what you are grateful for when you wake up in the morning and before bed at night.
   • Write lists in your journal and review them if you want to refocus your energies on positive thoughts.
4. Visualize your success. In addition to appreciating the present, you will also have to imagine yourself successful in the future. Imagine achieving your goals and what your life will be like at that point.
   • Try to meditate to calm your mind. Sit still and watch your breathing. Listen to ambient noise. Visualize yourself as you achieve your goals in the future.
5. Inspire others with your enthusiasm. Since you can find happiness by living your passions, you can help others do the same.

Necessities

• A diary