7 Clear Signs to Help You Discover Your Passion in Life

I'm sure you've heard that in order to attain outstanding results and success in life, you must be passionate about what you do.

Note: This article is from blogger Shawn Lim, who shares his personal experience discovering his passion in life.

Passion is a very personal feeling and experience that differs from person to person. This article will discuss seven distinct signs to help you find your passion.

Steve Jobs launched Apple in his twenties with his close friends in his parents' garage. They worked hard, and in 10 years, the company grew and developed into a $2 billion company with more than 4,000 employees.

Then something unexpected happened. After being dismissed from the Apple board of directors in 1985, Jobs, then thirty years old, said that his life was over, that he had lost all purpose, and that he had been ruined.

A few months later, Jobs resurfaced. He discovered that he still loves what he does. In his graduation speech at Stanford University, Jobs said, “I have been rejected, but I still love the work that I do.”

Therefore, Jobs decided to start over, and with his new beginning, he felt free and unrestricted from pressure, and that beginning was one of the most creative periods of his life.

Over the following five years, Jobs established NeXT, bought Pixar, and produced the hugely successful first animated film, Toy Story.

Then, surprisingly, Apple purchased NeXT, and Jobs returned as interim CEO, overlooking everything that had happened to him in the past.

In 2017, Apple's total revenue was $ 229 billion, and the company has repeatedly been ranked as the world's most valuable brand, becoming the world's first trillion-dollar company in 2018.

So, the legend of Steve Jobs can teach you a lot about passion, and here are some great lessons from the guy who revolutionized the world of technology, to which he says:

"I’m pretty sure none of this would have happened if I hadn’t been fired from Apple. It was awful-tasting medicine, but I guess the patient needed it. Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith. I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love.

And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.

If you haven’t found it yet, keep looking. Don’t settle. As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don’t settle." - Steve Jobs.

If you didn't know that about Jobs, you should read his life story; it's very inspiring.

Do you really need passion to succeed?

Passion is the only thing that unites all the remarkable success stories of famous people, including Thomas Edison, Elon Musk, Michael Jordan, Steve Jobs, Richard Branson, and Muhammad Ali.

Those who achieve great success are passionate about what they do. Since they are passionate about everything they do, they are willing to invest more time and energy into performing tasks better than average people, even when things are tough and they are not paid.

Passionate people never give up because they do what they love, not because it will make them famous, wealthy, or powerful.

Have you ever wondered why they seem to have endless motivation and persistence to achieve their goals? This is why it's imperative to ensure that what you do, particularly your work and career, aligns with your passion.

I have been designing a lot of websites over the last few years, some of which are e-commerce sites that sell goods like apparel and jewelry. As an affiliate, I have also started to set up websites to advertise products listed on Amazon.

Later on, I discovered that what I can genuinely care about and work on are the things I'm passionate about. When I create an e-commerce website to sell jewelry, it is challenging to constantly get ideas and find the drive to write descriptions and product page layouts.

On the other hand, I can write lengthy content for personal development, and I have no trouble doing so daily.

For this reason, I believe that having passion is crucial to attaining real success in life. Without passion, your work will not be enjoyable, you won't put forth a better effort than others, and it will be challenging to find the motivation to keep going in the long run.

There’s nothing to worry about if you are currently having trouble discovering your passion. A few are fortunate enough to find it at a young age, but others struggle their entire lives and never do.

In my opinion, finding your passion is more akin to a sudden awareness than it is to studying a book to acquire new information or skills; it is a deep awareness that leads you to tell yourself, "This is it; this is what I like to do; and this is my passion."

7 Signs to help you discover your passion in life

You'll understand when you find passion for something, and here are seven signs to help you discover your passion in life:

1. Things you’re passionate about will always come back to you

One way or another, your passion will find you and guide you; it's an unbreakable force that keeps returning to you.

I'm passionate about computers, website design, and producing motivational content for others. Following my graduation, I believed that my desire to create lucrative websites and make easy money was absurd.

Following that, I started searching for a job and eventually became a real estate agent, but I went back to designing websites and producing inspirational content.

I've returned to what I was passionate about. I am not pretending I don't enjoy my job as a real estate agent, but I'd much rather be a successful online business owner.

So, if you feel lost now, don't worry because you will always find your true passion.

2. You will feel excited when you think about or talk about your passion

Though most people never notice it, this is a typical sign of passion, and you'll feel excited talking about or thinking about doing the thing you love.

You can ask yourself the following questions:

• What do you like to talk about?
• What do you talk about most of the time?
• What excites you so much that you can't stop talking about it all day?

Travel enthusiasts, for instance, would rather talk about travel all day, and passionate online marketers could discuss business management and promotion strategies without stopping.

I could spend the entire day on my laptop working on my blog, and if I wanted, I could write five thousand words daily. I still get tired and sleepy sometimes, but I really enjoy writing.

When others would rather watch a movie or go to bed, I like to read books, and when others would go out to a party, I enjoy spending my free time writing articles like this one.

That's why you should think about what drives you and reflect on your life to find what makes you excited.

In his best-selling book Outliers, author Malcolm Gladwell discussed the 10,000-Hour Rule of Practice and gave examples of famous people who applied it to their lives and achieved extraordinary results.

Spending 10,000 hours of practice on a skill will take 20 years if you only spend 90 minutes a day learning it.

Proficient people want to practice the things they love daily and constantly to achieve 10,000 hours. You should ask yourself now, "Are you ready to do something for the next 10-20 years? "

If your response is "no," perhaps this is not your actual passion in life. If it’s a “yes,”  you know you accomplished something significant.

3. Even if it's not necessary, you'll be eager to do what you’re passionate about

Being keen to work is one of the core indicators of passion. Think about it this way: when you do things you enjoy, you are willing to do them even when no one asks you to. If you're passionate about swimming, you'll be the one to invite friends over rather than waiting for them.

Les Brown, one of the best motivational speakers, was obsessed with being a DJ when he was young. He asked his teacher for advice on joining radio stations because he was determined to become a DJ. "It is better to be ready for an opportunity when you do not have it than to have the opportunity when you are not ready," his teacher said, urging him to become ready.

Hence, Les practiced every night. He set up a makeshift radio station in his tiny room, using his hairbrush as a microphone, and played recordings for fictional listeners. His mother and brother could hear him through the walls, yelling at him to stop and sleep, but he persisted, immersing himself in his world to fulfill his fantasy.

Les braved it one day and went to a local radio station to speak with the manager about his desire to become a DJ.

"Do you have any information about broadcasting?" the manager asked, glancing at the young man with the shaggy hair.

“No, sir,” Les replied.

“Son,” the manager replied, “I’m afraid we don't have a job for you.”

Les politely thanked him and left the station.

The station manager believed he would never see this young man again, and he was unaware of Les's level of goal adherence, but the young man returned to the radio station the following day, and the manager threw him out. Les was a very passionate person who stuck to his dreams, and for a week, he went to the station every day.

Every day, he would ask the manager about any openings. Eventually, the manager gave up and assigned him some unpaid work, initially having him make coffee, lunches, and dinners for the DJs who could not leave the studio.

Les did all he was assigned diligently. He attempted to learn the DJs’ hand movements on the dashboard. Les remained in the control rooms and gained as much knowledge as possible until they asked him to go home. When he got home, he spent the nights practicing in his bedroom, readying himself for the opportunity Les knew he would get.

On a Saturday afternoon, Les was the only other person in the building when he noticed that Rock, the DJ, was inebriated while on air. Les knew that Rock was going to get into trouble.

He stayed around him, happy to see Rock in that state. He was ready to get him more drinks, should he ask for them. He was prepared for this chance and excited about it. Les answered the phone when the station manager called.

Rock could not conclude his program, so he asked Les to contact another DJ to take over. Les accepted this, but as soon as he hung up the phone, he realized it was the chance he had been waiting for his entire life.

He didn't call a DJ. Instead, he told his friends and mother that he would be on a live broadcast and asked them to switch on the radio. After waiting for roughly fifteen minutes, Les called the manager to inform him that he could not reach anyone. The manager then requested that he assume responsibility for the task.

Les entered the control room, moved Rock gently to one side, and sat at the record player. He was prepared for that moment, reached for the microphone, began broadcasting, and fulfilled his dream.

Les's story is wonderfully inspiring and captivating; he pursued his dream with such enthusiasm that he prepared to take on challenges that most people would find intolerable.

You've probably found your calling if, like Les Brown, you're prepared to work harder and overcome obstacles that others find difficult. Your passion will give you extraordinary bravery because it will ignite a deep-seated desire within you to achieve significant things that most people won't do.

4. Learn more about your passion

You should be aware that this is another sign of your passion. You are most likely passionate about a subject if you are ready and excited to learn it. When it comes to reading, I get enthusiastic and passionate about personal finance, business, and personal development, for instance. I read a lot of the books I purchase. However, I get tired and bored when I try to read books on other topics, like design, architecture, or fashion.

As a result, you have to consider the following questions: What topics are you interested in learning more about, and what are some things you've been meaning to learn for a long time? Some people may have a passion for photography. I've seen individuals who can't get enough of their cameras and film the entire day.

So, what do you like to learn? What books do you read the most and are excited about?

5. Enjoy what you do

I don't think I need to go into further detail about this sign. You enjoy doing something when you are passionate about it. That is one of the reasons why having passion is crucial if you want to succeed in your line of work.

When you are doing something you are passionate about, you will enjoy it and be highly motivated because you are using your inner potential. However, if you engage in an activity you are not passionate about, you will quickly grow bored and eager to move on. For instance, I get bored reading the titles of books I don't really care for. Choose activities that will make you the happiest and most enthusiastic.

6. The desire to improve, develop and succeed

One thing I discovered about passion is that when you have a strong desire to overcome adversity and not give up, you will approach a problem or challenging circumstance as a challenge.

Those passionate about what they do view challenges as opportunities to grow rather than obstacles to overcome. When you observe all professional athletes, you will find that most take on challenges from better opponents and don't back down or give up. Instead, they feel inspired and prepared to push themselves past their limits to succeed.

If you enjoy tennis, you will be driven to succeed when you play against a skilled opponent; you want to prove that you are up to the challenge and superior to them. However, if you don't enjoy what you're doing, you won't approach it as a challenge and will only give up because you believe it is absurd to compete or frame the circumstance as a challenge.

That occurs in all facets of your life, not just in sports. You won't push yourself to write better content, for instance, if you don't enjoy blogging. Perhaps reading books about search engine optimization and website search results is tedious for you if you're passionate about online marketing. Bloggers also want to create a successful blog, but most don't feel passionate about blogging; therefore, they can't keep up with the work.

When no one comments on their blogs or sees progress, they eventually lose interest and motivation and give up. You have to understand that someone who is actually passionate about blogging will never give up and will keep writing and publishing important content just because they enjoy it. They work for themselves, not for other people or for financial gain. That's their true passion.

That is particularly true in the early stages of your blogging career; therefore, it is crucial to have a strong passion to succeed.

When you find something you are passionate about, learning, and developing, and you approach the challenges that arise as opportunities for growth, this means you're passionate about what you do.

7. Satisfaction

Ultimately, following your passion will make you feel good and, though difficult to put into words, will make you feel you're on the right track.

You'll feel genuinely content with what you're doing. Even though you might not be able to articulate it, you also can't ignore or reject those emotions.

Since motivation, passion, and goal are emotions that are highly personal and specific to each person, it can be challenging for others to identify and understand them.

I enjoy writing and spending time on this as a blogger, but sometimes I wonder why I do it. It's a satisfying feeling; I feel like I really want to do it, and it keeps me going until today.

However, most individuals who dislike blogging or creating content won't find it enjoyable, and they won't comprehend my motivation for doing it and my insistence on it initially.

So, be aware of your emotions. This is why reflection is crucial for discovering your passion and developing self-awareness.

Conclusion

Finding your passion may not be easy, but some signs can help you figure out what you love to do. You don't have to possess all the seven signs mentioned in this article to find your passion.

These indicators are merely suggestions to assist you in your search to determine whether you enjoy what you're doing. In this article, we explored some signs and indicators that point to your passion. However, the only way to find it is to try it yourself.

I hope this guide is beneficial and helps you find your passion in life.