6 Efficient Questions to Identify Your Passions

Many of my clients are transitioning from academia into industry, seeking a more rewarding career path. Often though, they are not sure which path is right for them. 

I get it. I was in their shoes not too long ago when I was looking for my first non-academic job. I knew academia wasn’t the right place for me, but I also couldn’t figure out yet what I wanted to do with my career.

If we want to feel satisfied and happy in our professional lives, we need more than a job. We need a career, ideally something that feels like a calling. Something we’re meant to do, something we excel at, something we feel passionate about.

When we ask ourselves the simple question, “what do I feel passionate about?”, the answer is not as simple though.

Ways to Identify Your Passions

I developed a list of questions and an exercise that my clients seem to enjoy and find useful to start pondering their passions. Especially when they’re in the “I don’t know what I want” stage of their career transitioning. Take some time to think about the answers and write them down.

1. What did you love doing at 6, 8, 10 years old? 
2. What are you better at than your friends/colleagues?
3. What gets you so excited you can’t sleep?
4. What do you talk about constantly?
5. What brings you joy?
6. When have you had a “peak experience”?

Joy-ful Exercise

If you struggled with question number 5, try this exercise to find out what really brings you joy. You should complete this exercise for 30 days in a row for 3 minutes each day. 

• Set aside 3 minutes each day when you are relaxed and can focus
• Write down what brought you joy that day (or the previous day)
• Perform this exercise at the same time each day, for 30 days in a row
• Eliminate judgment of the activity/item
• Remove preconceived ideas of what you THINK brings you joy, and explore what might actually bring you joy

After answering these questions and completing the exercises you should be able to see some patterns that develop and you’ll be able to identify several passions which you might not have been aware of.

Now, start thinking about how they apply to a professional setting. Which industry might embrace your passions? What type of job requires what you love to do? You can also review job descriptions and companies' mission statements and see how they align with your passions. 

Taking a step back and looking at what we truly love to do can make a big impact on our career decision process. Give it try. It’s worth it.

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