How to Live with Passion

Co-authored by Adrian Klaphaak, CPCC

Last Updated: March 5, 2023 References

Living your passion means living as your true self. It's doing the things that make you happiest, that you are most proud of and enthusiastic about, and that leave you feeling fulfilled. Your passions are a huge part of your identity and self-esteem.^{[1]
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Research source} People who stay physically and mentally active live healthier, happier, and even longer lives than those who let self-doubt stop them.^{[2]
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Research source} Start living passionately by finding your inspiration and acting on it fearlessly.

Part 1

Part 1 of 4:

Discovering Your Passion

1
Start a passionate living journal. Discovering what you are passionate about requires a lot of self-awareness and introspection. For most people, this process begins with taking inventory of your present and past lives.^{[3]
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- Use this journal to make lists, work out thoughts by free writing, make plans for the future and note your accomplishments along the way. Organizing your thoughts will help tremendously in directing future actions towards fulfillment.
- Carry it around with you and record any times you feel happy and fulfilled. Note what you are doing, anyone you are with, and what about the moment makes you happy. Keeping daily notes can help clarify what is most important to you if you aren't yet sure of your passion.
2
Identify your passions. If you don't know what your passions are, you may have been asking yourself the wrong questions. Rather than asking why you haven't found your passion, focus on what you can do now and in the future to find it.^{[4]
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Expert Source

Adrian Klaphaak, CPCC
Career Coach
Expert Interview. 18 December 2018.}
- Even if you know what you are passionate about now, your passions change with experience and personal growth. Answering these questions may lead you towards a new passion you hadn't considered before.^{[5]
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- Separate what you do from what you care about. Hobbies and passions are not necessarily the same, and turning your favorite hobby into a job might not be what fulfills you. You may enjoy a hobby as a break from a hectic day, but unless inspiration keeps you up at night thinking about it, it is not your life purpose.
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3
Conduct an honest self-assessment. Think about who you are now and who you want to be in the future. Passionate people have an intense desire to find what completes them and pursue their true selves without reservation.^{[6]
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Research source} Answer the following questions to get started:
- What can you do for hours and not realize the time has gone by?
- What was your favorite thing to do as a child?
- Which of your accomplishments make you feel proudest?
- What is the one thing you cannot imagine living without?
- List your skills and personal strengths. Ask friends and family to identify some for you also. They may have thought of some that you hadn't considered.
4
Define your core values. At the end of the day, what are the most important things you have done? Make sure your list of passions coincides with your core values. If it does not, you may need to rethink what really makes you passionate.^{[7]
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Expert Source

Adrian Klaphaak, CPCC
Career Coach
Expert Interview. 18 December 2018.}
5
Sketch out a plan for your ideal future. Pretend that you have no limitations and ignore any fears that come to mind about accomplishing these goals.^{[8]
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- Start by asking yourself how you imagined your adult life when you were still a kid. What were your dreams for the future then? Do they reflect where you are now, or where you would like to be?^{[9]
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- Be specific so that you can visualize this future self. Believing you can achieve your goals is the most important aspect in reaching them. Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can or think you can't, you are probably right.”^{[10]
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6
Create a mission statement and a plan for action. Take time to make sure your statement reflects what you really believe in and want for yourself. Set goals that you can reach relatively soon. Once you do, you will know whether or not they were reflect your true passion.

Part 2

Part 2 of 4:

Making Room for Your Passions

1
Simplify your living expenses. Often, doing what you love means living on less income. Streamline your expenses by making sure you aren't spending money on things that don't serve your interests.^{[11]
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- You don't have to quit your job to follow your passion, but be realistic about how much you can expect to make doing your passion full-time, at least in the beginning, and get used to living on that amount.
2
Organize your home and office (or other workspace). Get rid of possessions you don't need or use. Having too much 'stuff' causes mental heaviness. Opening up your physical space makes room for good things to enter your life. ^{[12]
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3
Work on your time management skills. Just like getting rid of things unburdens your life, so does cutting out unnecessary wastes of time that you could spend doing something you love.^{[13]
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- This doesn't mean you can cut out all tasks you don't enjoy, of course. It means scheduling those things you have to do so you don't waste time procrastinating and end the day feeling unaccomplished.
- Start making to-do lists to stay focused. Do those things that have been on your mind the longest and the ones you least want to do first. Getting them off your mind allows you to focus attention on the things you care about most.^{[14]
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- Start saying no when you really want to say no. Unless doing something fulfills you in some way, it is just draining your energy from following your interests.
- Reject the word “should” from your vocabulary. Saying, “I 'should' do such and such” holds you back from trying out things that may be scary, but also may be worth the risk.^{[15]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 4:

Living Every Day

1
Let go of fear. Stop worrying about whether or not you can do something and just do it. The number one regret of the terminally ill, as reported by a palliative nurse, was not being courageous enough to ignore others' expectations and live their own lives.^{[16]
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- Focus on being curious rather than anxious. You don't always know where life will take you.
- Erase any expectations you have about pulling it off. The journey itself is a big part of discovering what fulfills you.^{[17]
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2
Try something new once a week. Big or small, keep trying out new things. Most people find their passions in their free time by doing things they are interested in and sometimes discover something else they want to do more.^{[18]
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Expert Source

Adrian Klaphaak, CPCC
Career Coach
Expert Interview. 18 December 2018.}
- At least once a month, do something significant you've never done before to broaden your perspective.^{[19]
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- Go on a trip to a place you've never visited.
- Try out a different type of cuisine.
- Pick up a new hobby to see if you like it.
3
Learn everything you can. Look into careers that interest you. Read as much as you can about them. Study those you admire that live their lives with passion.^{[20]
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- Take a class—in person or online—in that field.
- Interview current professionals to find out what their real-world jobs are like and how they got there. Did it require a special degree or years of training?
- Make as many mistakes as you possibly can. You learn from them.^{[21]
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4
Follow your plan! In developing your passion, you created a plan for action. Make sure you are following it consistently.
- Check that your plan had a series of smaller goals that are achievable in short time-frames.
- Keep track of your progress and achievements in your journal.
- Write down how each step went, what you learned, and what, if anything, you need to change about future actions.
- Update your plan with new information as necessary.
5
Change the part of your life that brings you down the most. What is most frustrating about your life right now? Is it your job, your personal relationships, where you live? Isolate the primary cause of your lackluster outlook on life so that you can address it effectively.^{[22]
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- Be specific about why you are unhappy with this situation. Was there a time when you were happy with these things? If so, you may have forgotten why you made these choices in the first place.
- If the main problem is that the wonder and awe has worn off, look for something new and exciting that wasn't there before instead of scrapping a good part of your life.^{[23]
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6
Surround yourself with supportive and inspiring people. Keep in touch with those you love. Don't get too busy to connect with people that are most important to you.^{[24]
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- Pick 3 or 4 people to be on your board of supporters. Maybe an expert in the field, a close friend, others pursuing similar interests, and yourself, of course!^{[25]
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- Don't just think about what these people can do to help you; ask yourself how you can give back, as well. Part of our self-esteem comes from feeling valuable to others.

Part 4

Part 4 of 4:

Staying on Track

1
Check in with your journal regularly. Evaluate your progress and your time spent working towards your goals. Make sure your goals don't need to change and that your passion is still your passion.
2
Be patient. Keep believing in yourself, especially when you feel stuck or overwhelmed.^{[26]
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Research source} It may take some trial and error to find what truly makes you happy to get out of bed every day. Be patient and keep trying to find it.^{[27]
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3
Express gratitude daily. Transform negative thoughts into positive action. Negativity keeps you feeling stuck. Instead, focus on what you are grateful for every morning when you wake up and evening, before you go to sleep.
- Write lists in your journal and read them when you want to re-focus your energy on positives.
4
Visualize your success. In addition to appreciating the present, you need to see yourself succeeding in the future. Imagine achieving your goals and what your life will look like at that point.
- Try meditating to quiet your mind. Sit quietly and pay attention to your breathe. Listen to ambient sounds around you. Visualize yourself achieving your goals in the future.
5
Inspire others with your passion. Since you find happiness by living through your passion, you want to help others do the same.^{[28]
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Expert Q&A
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Question

How can I make a living with my passion?

Adrian Klaphaak, CPCC
Career Coach
Adrian Klaphaak is a career coach and founder of A Path That Fits, a mindfulness-based boutique career and life coaching company in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is also is an accredited Co-Active Professional Coach (CPCC). Klaphaak has used his training with the Coaches Training Institute, Hakomi Somatic Psychology and Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) to help thousands of people build successful careers and live more purposeful lives.

Adrian Klaphaak, CPCC

Career Coach

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

Find your niche by locating that point where your passions and professional strengths meet. That's where you'll be able to maintain your energy and pursue your goals without losing any steam.
Question

How can I figure out what I want to do in life?

Adrian Klaphaak, CPCC
Career Coach
Adrian Klaphaak is a career coach and founder of A Path That Fits, a mindfulness-based boutique career and life coaching company in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is also is an accredited Co-Active Professional Coach (CPCC). Klaphaak has used his training with the Coaches Training Institute, Hakomi Somatic Psychology and Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) to help thousands of people build successful careers and live more purposeful lives.

Adrian Klaphaak, CPCC

Career Coach

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

Start with yourself. Think about you care about, what you're good at, and what your values are. Then, look for themes or patterns in your life. Taking that kind of self-inventory is a great way to sort of calibrate your purpose in life.
Question

What if I'm not passionate about anything?

Adrian Klaphaak, CPCC
Career Coach
Adrian Klaphaak is a career coach and founder of A Path That Fits, a mindfulness-based boutique career and life coaching company in the San Francisco Bay Area. He is also is an accredited Co-Active Professional Coach (CPCC). Klaphaak has used his training with the Coaches Training Institute, Hakomi Somatic Psychology and Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS) to help thousands of people build successful careers and live more purposeful lives.

Adrian Klaphaak, CPCC

Career Coach

Expert Answer

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

It's extremely unlikely that there's nothing you care about. It may simply be that you haven't discovered what you're passionate about yet. If this is the case, start trying new things. You'll stumble on something you love eventually.