After Passion Comes Action
posted in World of Work |I hope you have taken the time to identify your passions … the things that get your heart pumping and get you excited about living. (If you need some tips on this, read my Discover Your Passions post.) Assuming you have taken this step, now what? It’s one thing to know your passions, and another to live them out.
Pick the two or three items from your Passions list that you are moved by the most. Write each on the top of a blank sheet of paper. Focusing on only one at a time, list all the ways you can become engaged and incorporate this passion into your life.
For example, one of my passions is encouraging women through sharing “my story” and the blessings I’ve received through life’s challenges. So my list of ways to get engaged included: blogging, writing articles, joining women-focused clubs/groups, speaking at women’s events, etc.
As you brainstorm ways to get involved don’t filter your thoughts. Let your imagination flow. Some ideas will be unrealistic, but many will be completely feasible. Once you’ve exhausted your own thinking, enlist a friend or two. They will have a different perspective and will add great value to your ideas.
Next, pick two or three possibilities from your new Ways to Get Engaged list and come up with doable action items, steps you can take to achieve each idea. My steps for getting articles published, for instance, included: taking a “How to get published” course, researching writing markets that are of interest to me, brainstorming potential article ideas and sending out queries. Your action items will be unique to you and your passions.
The important thing regarding your steps is that they are doable. Think of them as mini-goals. Goals are only valuable if they are obtainable. You very well may have to stretch yourself to achieve them, but they are definitely within your reach.
Finally, and most importantly, take action. If you are committed to living a vibrant life you must be willing to work to get there. Making lists are only helpful if you put action behind your words. Commit yourself to taking one step toward your passion each and every day. Your step doesn’t have to be Earth-shaking. It may be that today you research companies who provide the service you are passionate about, tomorrow you may register for a class, the next day you may begin seeking a mentor, and so on. The vital thing is that you take action.
Living your passion takes a willingness to risk … risk that comes with stepping out of your comfort zone. But, with each step you take, the risk becomes less threatening and your goals more attainable.
Choose a Better Life by taking action and living your passions.