To be more passionate in life do these 5 things.

Many people attempt to simplify life lessons by creating clichés that seem alluring but lack explicit instructions for discovering their efficacy.

Finding your passion is a phrase we frequently toss around, but many people still struggle to apprehend the power of cultivating “passion”.

At Anatomy of Success I advocate four tenets of equanimity. One of those four areas is satisfying work, and it's not something “we find”.

People struggling with professional fulfillment fall into the trap of believing meaningful work is something “out there” waiting to be discovered by chance.

I make the argument meaningful work is something we create, and passion is often the product of making decisions consistent with creating meaningful work.

Most people seek wealth, status, and power instead of pursuing professional satisfaction that ignites excitement and inspiration.

Research from Yale and Stanford suggest people should invest their time in areas of interest that enables us to explore our curiosities which will lead to discovering passions over a prolonged period of time.

Passion isn’t a "eureka moment" like discovering gold. Its created through intention and exploration.

 “People with great passion can make the impossible happen.”

Here are 6 tips that can help in our efforts to cultivate more passion:

Perception

Research has shown that people who possess a “romantic” rendition of love set off to discover “the one” perfect soul mate. Someone uniquely qualified to satisfy all their needs.  

As a result, expectations are high, and limitations are created. When these people encounter relationship adversity, they move on.

The same thing applies to finding meaningful work. Many people give up way too soon based on their romantic rendition of professional success. 

Realistic

Many people that embrace the idea of “finding your passion” believe discovering your passion makes life easy. It’s the golden ticket for success.

Instead of developing tenacity and perseverance, these people are convinced discovering your passion will result in endless satisfaction that is automatic.

People with realistic expectations understand professional success requires experimentation and doesn’t require one specific discovery that leads to professional fulfillment. Many careers have the potential to unlock our various passions.

Motivation

People with a fixed mindset believe discovering your passion results in endless motivation inspired by a miraculous discovery.

Everything is easy once we "find passion".

Subscribing to this way of thinking results in the belief that professional success requires limited struggle once we discover our "passion".

This belief assumes that “finding” our passion is final and the possibility of constant discovery is off the table. 

“Passion will move people beyond themselves, beyond their shortcomings, beyond their failures.”

Behavior

Mindset changes behavior.

Studies have shown two groups of people reacted very differently to reading two articles.

One matched their personal goals, the other article didn’t.

When the article didn’t match a fixed mindset person’s established goals, they lost interest. They expressed no more curiosity or willingness to learn.

In a similar study, people were asked to watch a film on black holes then read a complex report on the subject.  

Those with a fixed mindset found the material “uninteresting” based on its “complexity”.

Variable

Once we understand that life is a journey and professional success is not contingent upon one final discovery, we create the space required to explore.

Many people set off to pursue careers that provide the greatest "compensation".

After 8 years of studying medicine they realize the practice of medicine wasn’t as satisfying as they hoped.

Should they "cave in" to this realization and try something new? Or stick with what pays the bills and be miserable?

“I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious.” Albert Einstein

Sum it up

Any other suggestions for helping people cultivate their passions? Share your thoughts in the comments section and please like and share this article. I love learning from you as well.

About Steve:

Steve Wohlenhaus is CEO of Weatherology, the leading company in the world at disseminating audio weather information.  Steve began his career as a major market television weather anchor in Minneapolis, where he received several Emmy Awards for science programming. Steve is an author and host of the podcast program Anatomy of Success. Reach out and connect with me on LinkedIn. Learn more about my work by clicking on any picture in this article!