We’ve heard it before, “Find a job you love and you’ll never have to work another day in your life”. Considering how much time we spend at work, to actually achieve this is such a dream come true. Now comes the hard part, finding a job you love. To do that, you’ve got to follow your passion. Sounds easy enough if you actually knew what you’re passionate about.
It’s something many of us struggle with, especially here in Singapore. Culturally, passion is not at the top of our list when it comes to finding a job. It’s usually parents’ expectations or our own about finding something that pays well so that we don’t “fall behind”. If you want something different, something has to change. Get rid of that Kiasu mindset and create your own path.
Ask Yourself The Right Questions
You see, the first step is where many of us already trip up. We ask ourselves, “how do I find my passion?”. I used to ask myself this and went looking for my passion as if it was a lost puppy. I came to realise that we’re not born with a passion, it’s something we learn about, choose and develop over time. For example, you were not born with the passion to take photographs and be a photographer. It’s something you learn that you have an interest in after trying it out, you choose it and then you develop your skills in it. When you’re passionate about something, you work hard to become better at it. To start off, ask yourself these questions:
1. What is something that I enjoy doing?
2. What can I talk about for an extended period of time and not be bored of?
3. If money wasn’t a concern, what would I be doing?
Talk to People who are Following their Passion
When you don’t know what to do, don’t be afraid to ask. Talk to others who are following their passion, seek advice. Just hearing them share can be a very enlightening experience, allow yourself to be inspired.
Try New Things
It does take courage to try new things, don’t be the one to stand in your own way of learning more about yourself. Try new things, even if you don’t find something you love to do, you’ll know what you DON’T want to do. It’s a process of elimination. It brings you that much closer to your goal. You have got to keep tasting to find something that WOWs your palette. You really never know until you try.
Welcome Failure with Open Arms
As cliche as this may sound, failure is the stepping stone to success. Honestly, that’s how we learn and grow. As a toddler taking your first steps, you kept “failing” at walking, falling down time and time again. Until eventually, you learnt how to walk. As we grow older, it seems like it’s harder for us to get back up each time we’re knocked down. Again, in an Asian household (especially), failure is usually not so well-received. It does make it that much harder to stay resilient. At the end of the day, remember to tune out all the other voices and listen to the one that really matters in your path to self-discovery – yours.
Is it a Hobby or a Career?
This is important because you are not just looking for something you love to do, you are looking to make a career out of it. Say for example you love fishing. That can be your favourite hobby but to turn it into a career, that is something entirely different. Know the market and what you have to offer.
Your passion can lead to your purpose. Keep practicing, get better at it, grow your confidence and just don’t give up. You got this.
