How do you find your passion in life?

Humans are peculiar in that we enjoy doing what we do well. It’s the cause of someone finding themselves stuck in the same job for twenty or thirty years, even if they don’t particularly enjoy it at the time (or even now). The reason for this is that there is an excessive chance of their quitting and trying something else, which they might not be as good at first.

Human beings find purpose in being confident about their skills, regardless of the area of expertise.

Cal Newport explains this concept perfectly in his book, So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love.

Even the title captures the essence of the conflict. We enjoy doing what we’re good at. Consequently, we develop more socially acceptable skills or those that those around us support us in developing, to the point that these finally take precedence over our other skill sets. Furthermore, we find it difficult to advance in the direction of our original goals and dreams because it is more difficult to develop such talents. They are frequently neither promptly reimbursed nor supported by others.

As a result of spending all of their time doing something they don’t truly love, people eventually lose sight of their passion and purpose. They put in eight hours a day at a job they never wanted to be their main skill set, and after enough time, they grow competent and self-assured enough to feel, yes, a little uncomfortable doing something new.

What we’re told is that our passion or our purpose is immediate. “You’ll know as soon as you feel it.”

That’s not true.

It is by doing that you discover your mission or your passion. As we practice something and develop our skills, we get passionate about it. We feel more innately that thing is a part of us the better we get.

The true lesson, then, is to understand that you have to put in the time necessary to develop your talent if you genuinely want anything to be a part of your life—for example, an artistic pastime or passion you hope to one day make your primary career. You won’t have somebody to remind you to put in the time each day. No one will pressure you to pursue your passion in the same way that they will not encourage you to put in more effort at work or pursue a promotion.

You must act if you wish to centre your life on your passions, or even if you are having difficulty discovering what your passions are in the first place. Progress should be evaluated annually rather than on a daily or weekly basis. You have to allow things time to work out and for your proficiency to rise.

But if you start doing something that sounds fun or interesting with the assumption that you’ll immediately be talented at it, you will say to yourself, “I’m not passionate about this.”

That’s a lie.

You’re simply not proficient at it yet, and if you were to invest the time and practice the craft, chances are you would feel very differently a year later.