3 Key Questions to Help You Discover Your Passions

In my book “Self-Aware: A Guide for Success in Work and Life”, I have tried to incorporate my experiences from over 50 years of practice and to boil them down to their essence. By following the lessons in this book, I hope to mentor you, the reader, into an elevated verison of yourself.

Here are three exercises to help you identify your most important passions. I have found that if you can link your passions with your work or retirement activities, you can attain a greater degree of happiness. My answers to some of the questions are in bold.

1. What do you stand for?

What do you care about deeply? (RP: Helping others become the best version of themselves.)
Is there a societal problem you deeply care about changing?

2. What excites you?

Identify your peak moments in life so far. Think of the times when you felt your best, when you felt excited and proud, and when you most felt that time slipped away quickly. When you think of these moments, you are probably recalling moments when your passion was the most intense. By discovering what you were doing at those moments, you reveal your passions.

What did you love to do as a child?
What did you think you were going to be “when you grew up”? (RP: Before I had any idea what the word psychology meant, I wanted to help people solve their problems. That’s probably because there were so many problems to be solved within my family.)
What gets you up in the morning?
What types of conversations engage you?
What brings you the most joy in life?
When you have had a great day, what was it you are doing and what are you not doing?
Passion is about emotion. What topic most evokes a strong emotional reaction in you?
What do you love to do with your free time?
What activities give you energy and joy?
Even if you were not getting paid for it, what occupational activities would you be willing to do for free?

Create a “passion masterpiece” such as a scrapbook or poster. To further discover your passion, begin to clip articles, photos, song lyrics, and images that ignite your spirit. Create a collage full of pictures that excite you. As you begin to build upon your collection, notice what you are drawn to and what you are indifferent to. Add your passion masterpiece (or an image of it or a link to it) to your Personal Development Plan.

Bonus Activity – Ask other people what they think you are passionate about. You might consider talking in person, video chatting, or emailing at least three people who know you well to ask them how they see your passions.

3. What drains you? (What is definitely not your passion)

Sometimes, you can identify your passions and interests by contemplating their opposites: what drains you of energy. Here are some prompts to help you draw up a list of areas in which you are not interested or about which you are not passionate.

What disciplines or subjects did you dislike in school?
What kinds of tasks and activities do you typically put off? (RP: Anything requiring a lot of detail or repetitive actions.)
What are the tasks or activities that leave you very tired at the end of the day?
What subjects or topics lead you to check out of a conversation or meeting?
What takes the wind out of your sails?
What bores you?
What makes you feel limited or constrained?
What do you dread?
What have you quit or been fired from? Why?