Defining your purpose and passion in business equates to stronger fulfillment in life, but many don’t know how to pinpoint what drives them.
You can already be successful, having already designed a business that’s profitable, but if it’s incompatible with your goals, you won’t be content.
On the other hand, you may not have the slightest idea of where to begin. Either way, there are some strategies, tips, and tricks you can use to help you navigate the business world!
Today, we’re bringing you how to find your purpose and passion in business (even if you have no idea what you’re doing). Let’s get started!
Start With Why
by Simon Sinek
⏱ 15 minutes reading time
🎧 Audio version available
Give Yourself Permission to Dream
Even if you don’t have the slightest clue as to what you want to do, chances are you have a dream lingering in the back of your mind. A best-case scenario you picture every night to help yourself fall asleep. It can be as simple as wanting to your idol hand you an achievement award or as elaborate as launching the next Google.
You can wield this imagination, let it run wild, and remember that this is your livelihood. It’s up to you to live whichever way you choose.
So, answer this question: in a picture-perfect world, if you had no financial limitations, no fear, and all the connections in the world, what would your ideal business look like? Where do you picture yourself the most content?
It may take a little soul searching and digging. Another helpful tip is to look to your past. At which point of your career or schooling were you the happiest? What did you enjoy doing the most? The answer to those questions doesn’t necessarily have to be a job, but it can guide you towards an aspect of a job that you can enjoy.
Your passion, that purpose that makes you wake up before your alarm clock and launch yourself out of bed, isn’t likely to hit you like a bag of bricks. If it did, you’re lucky! But that sense of purpose is likely to settle over you with a feeling of peace and commitment.
There might be some bumps in the road, but everything will just flow easier. Success isn’t a guarantee, but the road ahead is clear. Business decisions will come easier and faster to you. Once you find your answer, your life will dramatically change.
Explore What You Love to Do
Often, your purpose isn’t making itself clear because it’s not something you need to make up. It may have been there all along. You can find out what it is by exploring the things you love doing. Add another step and see what comes easily to you.
Innate talent may help you establish yourself first, but it takes hard work to develop your talent further. But when you pursue where that talent leads you, the flow should be natural.
Envision Where You Want to Go
Still having trouble developing a clear vision of your dreams? Consider visualizing it. Literally.
Do you picture yourself sitting at the head of a conference table? Sitting in the front row at a conference? Crunching numbers in first-class seats? Opening up your own store? Working with partners?
Use external sources such as vision boards to help you picture your purpose. Once you do this, you’ll find yourself coming up with creative ideas, jumping at the right opportunities, and before you know it, chasing that passion with gusto because that corner office you’ve been envisioning is right within your reach.
The Passion Test
When in doubt, see what the experts are recommending. Chris and Janet Attwood are game-changers in the business world; they created the Passion Test. The Passion test is simple and stress-free. All you have to do is fill out the space behind the following statement: “When my life is ideal, I am…”
The next word you’re supposed to add must be a verb. And that’s it! Let your imagination run wild.
For example, you can say, “When my life is ideal, I am…helping others.”
Or “When my life is ideal, I am…working with numbers, animals, makeup, fashion. See where your train of thought leads you.
Alright, now it’s time to pay extra attention to the top choices. There’s a reason why these specific sentences and verbs popped into your mind first. Look at the first and second statements and compare them to identify which one is more important.
Then check out your third statement and see whether it matters to you just as much as your first option. By using this process of elimination, you can sort out your passion.
Think About the Happiest Experiences of Your Life
Take a few minutes and make a list of all the times where you have felt the greatest joy in your life. This is called a joy review, and it may just be the key to discovering your passion.
Was it when you were a young child, playing with building tools—toy-sized hammer and nails and all? When you were planning for your future wedding? Was it during summer camp when you were a leader?
Write all these moments and then look for a pattern. Reminiscing may just inspire you—or even empower you—to find out how that goal that pushed you years ago can encourage you now.
Look for Your Niche
Instead of just focusing on turning a hobby into a business, be more creative. What are your unique skills, interests, or even quirks that you can transform into a business?
Are you passionate about recycling and always scolding litterers? A green consulting career may be in your future. Do you enjoy exercise? Can you apply this enjoyment to a business such as fitness-related retail, personal training, opening a gym, even checking out corporate health consulting?
Brainstorm
When in doubt, consider the old-fashioned brainstorming session. Brainstorm ways you can improve a market, change a service, or add value to an existing sector.
You don’t have to do brainstorming sessions alone! Ask a trusted family member, friend, or colleague where they see your business heading? Your personality and behavior may have been giving people hints as to what your passion is, but you haven’t realized it yet.
Determine a Mission Statement
Every business needs an epic mission statement. Write what impact you want to make on the world. How do you want to affect those around you? What will be your legacy? Take all these visions and values and write a statement that’s as simple or as elaborate as you want. See which part of the statement resonates the most with you and start there!
Network with Like-Minded People
It can be a struggle to pinpoint your purpose in business, especially if you have been working at it for some time with no results.
What’s the solution? Meeting up and networking with like-minded people. Talk to them about their passions, their purposes, their dreams, and how they realized which direction they wanted to take their business.
With this interaction, you will have new opportunities presenting themselves to you. Whether that will be that person offering to teach you about their passion or if you get a “Eureka!” moment, you’re closer to reaching that fulfillment you’re looking for.
You can even go to the extent of joining a group, a book club, a running club, etc. and seeing how your views change.
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