I’ve always been curious about the word “passion.” I remember when discussions of “find your passion” became popular in University career centers and the topic of blog posts and career conference presentations. Employers got on board and introduced the question “What are you passionate about?” during interviews. An employer’s assessment of a candidate giving verbal or non-verbal prompts of their passion became a factor for being a top contender for the job.

As I prepare candidates to include verbal or non-verbal expressions of passion during interviews, anxiety often slips into the conversation: Did I choose the right occupation? What if I’m not sure what I want to do for the rest of my life? How do I know if I found my passion?

While I don’t care for the added pressure on my clients to know their life passion, their questioning was a gateway for rich and meaningful conversations, for I was in the position of helping them reflect on their life experiences, interests and motivations. We talked about the people in their life who inspired them; favorite books and movies and the characters they most identified with; experiences that piqued their attention and disappointments or failures that opened new doors.

The Realities of Finding Your Passion

During my 22 years of working with clients in search of meaningful and interesting careers, here is what I learned about one’s search for passion:

• A high GPA with University awards and honors is not always the baseline for knowing one’s passion and career path.
• Adults with 15–20 years of career satisfaction and success need to know, again and for new reasons, what their passion is.
• What feels like passion at 23 years old can change at 35 years old, again at 50 years old, and again at 73 years old.
• Coming to know your passion is a process fueled by a strong work ethic and a Yes! Can Do attitude. Add your openness to explore and pursue interests, and hang in there when work you don’t like to do shows up.

After countless conversations with professionals about pursuing meaningful work, I have to come to understand passion as a correlation of emotions, cognition, and work ethic.

Emotional characteristics:

• the feelings associated with being fascinated or curious
• a sincere and heartfelt desire
• a genuine and wholehearted approach

Cognitive characteristics:

• the process of making sense or meaning from life experiences
• a growth mindset for continuous learning
• a belief in self for being able to accomplish a new task
• skills, knowledge, and talent for a particular work.

Work ethic is:

• perseverance
• strength of character
• a positive approach to problem solving
• a resolve to learn from failure and work through difficult situations

Stay Alert to How Your Passion Might Appear in Your Life

You may find your passion expressed in a variety of ways. Sometimes it is the motivation for graduate school and a PhD dissertation. It can be the motivation for volunteer work in your community, such as coaching or leading a scout team. It can be the motivation for working without pay as you give vision and substance to a new medical device or drug therapy.

And here are a few more important considerations about how passion might show up:

• You feel a calling to a particular work or vocation.
• You sense a soulful or spiritual dimension and motivation for work.
• You’re emerging from an experience that has interrupted and forever changed your life, and you’ve begun a new journey as a result.

People who feel called to their work can be found in any occupation, career, or job.

Listen

Listen to your thoughts and emotions when you find yourself on the mountaintop of great happiness and in the depths of discouragement or distress. What do you hear? How do you make sense of these contrasting life experiences? What is the narrative you tell yourself about yourself during the good times and the tough times?

…And Be Patient

Beware of searching the Internet for help on finding your passion. The results suggest there is a secret, a formula, or an 8-step plan for knowing your purpose and passion. Life is complex and complicated so it makes sense that finding your life’s work and passion may emerge and develop over time.

For this present moment, however, here are a few mindsets and actions you can incorporate into your life today:

• Become comfortable and take ownership with the enthusiasm and curiosity you have today.
  Live into them.
• Learn as much as you can.
• Work hard and don’t give up. Embody the Yes! Can Do attitude and work ethic.
• Connect with people who inspire you.
• Keep a journal and write your story of how your passion has emerged and changed over time.
• Stay curious!

Still feeling overwhelmed or unsure on how to move forward? Seek professional help. When it comes to finding your passion, sometimes you first need to find the right launching pad.