In a world of endless opportunity, you are most likely to succeed when you know what flows through your veins and what fuel drives you. It means finding a place at the crossroads of the things you are passionate about in your life and the things that you have a natural talent for, and that is where you are going to both personally be fulfilled and make a professional or business success. But how do you start the process of learning what you love and what you are good at?
1. Start with What Excites You
Asking yourself the first question: “What Excites Me?” Usually, one is passionate about something because of an innate interest or even obsession about a subject, an activity or an idea. Excitement is a powerful motivator, whether your passion is a hobby, career field, or specific cause.
Ask yourself:
- What do I do that I lose time doing?
- What was the last time I felt really energetic and fresh?
- What types of books, podcasts or articles do I respond to?
- What global issues am I most passionate about fixing?
This exercise will help you identify the areas of life which truly interest you. Listen for times that you are really tuned in because those are the hints that will take you into your real passion.
2. Understand Your Strengths
Once you have discovered what you love, there is another thing to do and that is to figure out your strengths. These are the skills, talents and abilities that you either have a natural gift for or you have perfected over the years. Recognizing your strengths also helps you understand what you can contribute to the world professionally and personally.
Examples on how to try this out on your strengths:
- What tasks or challenges do I excel in, where others struggle?
- What do friends, coworkers, or mentors frequently compliment me on?
- What type of problems do I solve without even trying?
- In which areas do I feel capable and confident?
Your strengths might be hard (technical) skills, like experience with coding, graphic design or public speaking, and / or soft (personal) skills, such as problem-solving, empathy and communication. Understanding both helps you form a balanced perspective on what you’re good at and how you can use those skills in new contexts.
3. Finding Alignment
The real magic occurs between your passion and what you excel at. Those are the basic building blocks for developing a rewarding career, an inspiring hobby, or something creative in line with your values and skills. You do something that drives you and something you have the skills to do well, naturally it becomes much more fun and manageable in the long run.
Ask yourself:
- What are my strengths that I can use to follow my passion?
- How could my passions lead to a career or a worthwhile project that can make a difference?
- What are the skills I need to improve on to thrive in this space?
You could then consider environmental science or find NGOs which deal with environmental issues and work in them if they interest you and if you are inclined towards research. If you enjoy writing and have skills in it, you may wish to write articles, books, or even make videos about things that interest you.
4. Overcoming Challenges
You can run into problems when you passionately pursue your strengths. Reversals will not win this game; remaining unnerved and learning will. Growth takes place when we go outside our comfort zones and challenge ourselves to do things we’re not already technically versed in.
- Aim for concrete goals to keep yourself focused.
- Be open-minded and willing to consider differing points of view.
- Keep adopting evolution to your skillset.
- Treat every failure as a learning opportunity.
And as you journey, realize the things that you love and are good at will change. Be curious, open, and accept things that challenge you.
5. Putting It All Together
In short, knowing what drives you and being aware of your strengths are crucial elements to forming a life that matches your dreams and aspirations. Once you figure out how to combine these components, you’ll have a roadmap for making your dreams come true — personally, professionally or some combination thereof.
- Begin with what tickles you and makes you happy.
- Take an honest inventory of your talents, and use them as tools to mold your journey.
- Look where the two intersect to find opportunities that help you fulfill your potential.
- Keep evolving, adjusting, and devoted to your journey
Your best asset is your passion and your strengths. The minute you implement them, you put yourself on the path to creating a successful and fulfilling life.
