Monday, May 12, 2008

Four Steps to Finding What You Were Meant to Do

Would you like to be the next Tiger Woods? It's possible.

Woods is a competitor. He doesn't let anything get in the way of sinking that little white ball into the hole every chance he gets. He wants to do it more times than anyone else on the golf course that day. He's passionate about what he does.

While you may not be able to play golf like Woods, there is no reason that you cannot feel that same passion for what you do.

So, maybe you love to play golf or tennis or won't walk away from a game of Monopoly until you've won. The point is that such a competitive spirit, which is a natural passion, can be turned into finding a career that you love.

The key is looking at what makes you feel excited, whether it's helping other people, bringing order to chaos or pitting your talents and skills against others in the marketplace. But how can you discover what you were meant to do?


Begin by:

1. Giving yourself permission to find your passion. Talk to family and friends about what they believe the source of your energy to be. Look for common themes. For example, maybe you love the thrill of competition and could use that passion to launch a new company or head up a new project at work. The key is looking for themes that get your blood pumping.

2. Embracing the bumps in the road: Marriage, death and divorce are all life-changing events that can help you re-discover where you really want to be in life. Think back to how you felt during those times, and what seemed really important to you. Brian Clark wrote a great post about this on Copyblogger about a snowboarding accident.

3. Trying something new. Get out of your comfort zone. Take some risks. Try something out that you've been intrigued by but perhaps afraid to try. During this process, evaluate how you feel. Do you lose lose track of time? Does it just feel right? These are all signs that you are on the road to finding your passion.

4. Evaluating: As you investigate these new avenues, you can feel overwhelmed. Set goals for yourself along the way so that you can take a pause and see where you’re going. This will help the situation not feel so out of control, but rather a natural progression toward something exciting.

Are you living your passion? Do you feel you're doing what you were meant to do?


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4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Anita:

Fabulous post - I loved it. I've done exactly everything you;ve outlined and more. Risk, passion and dreaming big.

I quit a six figure career to follow my dreams of becoming an inspirational speaker and eventually pilot. I defied naysayers saying I'd be the first deaf pilot to be instrument rated.

Thanks for reminding me that despite my achievements, I have a ways to go. I want to achieve bigger things. You write very well and I love the style of your blog.

I'm a new fan of yours. :)

Anita said...

Thanks for the kind words. People like you are living proof that dreams can be translated into action. You are daily inspiration for those following their passions.

Karen Putz said...

Anita,

Giving yourself permission-- that's what I need to do. I know my passion is writing and I want to do more of it at the next level. I just started last year and seeing my byline thrills me to no end!

Anita said...

Karen,
As a high-level manager once told me: Love what you do for a living and you never have to work a day in your life.
Best of luck with your writing. It's a very rewarding profession!