16 | ❤️‍🔥 How to follow your passion(s) in 5 steps

July 26, 2021

Yo guys,

Something I'm currently trying to work on, is regret. The regret of time going by too quickly, not making the most of opportunities, and worst of all, inaction.

If you enjoy this post, please don’t forget to subscribe for more of the same every Monday 👍🏼

One thing I know I'll regret is not trying out as many things as possible. So, I watched an amazing video this week by Sruthless. In it, he talks all about inaction when it comes to 'following your passion'.

Often we're told to 'follow our passions' when it comes to choosing what to do with our lives.

As the saying goes, if you do what you love, you never work a day in your life. We all know that's not quite true - but at least you're doing something you care about.

Thing is, it's not easy. Otherwise everybody would be doing it. So how does one actually 'follow their passion'?

The first issue is - it's not always easy to name what exactly you're passionate about. Some don't have a specific passion. Others have passions that they can't exactly 'follow', as such.

Me, for example. I am passionate about football (Man City in particular). But I'm not going professional any time soon.

So how do you follow your passion?

Step 1: What am I interested in?

This is the first place to start. Write down everything - and I mean everything - that you're interested in on a piece of paper.

For me, some examples are dogs, football, running, video games, self-improvement, learning.

Again - this isn't always easy to start with, but it's important not to self-edit while you write them down. There's no such thing as a wrong answer - no interest isn't viable.

Step 2: Pick an interest to try out

Keep it simple. Just pick one. If I would never fail at any of these, which would I start?

Step 3: Try it out!

Make a plan to do something every day for 30 days that is in line with this interest. a 30 day trial period isn't too much pressure, but it gives the interest a fair shot.

The reason for this is to give yourself a proper chance to learn and experience the new interest - e.g. writing every day. By showing up every day for a month, you'll learn the ins and outs of that given interest.

By the end of it, you'll know if it's a viable thing to continue with, or if you should drop it and move on to the next thing.

This is the most important bit. Not doing something will never teach you whether or not it would've been a success.

The very act of picking a path - any path, even if it's the wrong path - will lead you so much faster to a more correct path, than doing nothing. Doing nothing will not move you forward.

Inaction is like staring down a long corridor.

Just picking something - [Action] - is like walking down the corridor. Even if it's the wrong action, by walking down the corridor, you see opportunities and rooms - new experiences and perspectives - that you would've never seen had you have stayed still [INACTION].

In the corridor there's only 2 directions - staying still, and moving forward. By starting, you create more options than staying still.

Picking any direction is the right direction.

picture here from jack butcher

Inaction is not a vantage point from which you can assess your options.

Step 4: Jump into the feedback loop

By trying it out [ACTION], you start to do it more often [QUANTITY], you get better at it [QUALITY], which makes it easier and more satisfying [MOTIVATION], which allows it to develop into a [PASSION], which makes you take [ACTION] in the first place.

As opposed to the inaction loop: you don't try it out [INACTION], which stops you from knowing what to do [CONFUSION], causing you to be scared of changing or trying something new [FEAR], which of course leads to [INACTION[

Step 5: Pursue your passion

Recently, I've tried YouTube after around 5 years of inaction, running, and writing a weekly newsletter.

Things I want to try: starting a business, uploading to YouTube once a week, 15% body fat (or more the process to get there), public speaking, minimalism, learning to DJ (mix / produce), podcasting, veganism, counselling (mind), regular physio (body), triathlons. And lots more. I’m sharing these because they are interests that I think could become passions - but they don’t have to always be money making.

What are you going to try next?

Thanks! 🚶🏻

If you’re new here - thanks for joining 👍🏼

I think you should share things online if it can help or entertain at least one other person. If that’s you - consider sharing this with a friend 🤝

How am I 1% better this week? 📈

This week I'm aiming to finish my current book so I can catch up with my reading challenge of 13 books in 2021.

What have I learned this week? 🤔

Nobody makes decisions for you - only you can take proper action to change your life.

This Week’s Recommendation 🔝

TV 📺 - Clarkson's Farm - I finished watching this on the train back from Manchester over the weekend. It's bloody brilliant - Jeremy Clarkson is a bit of a marmite figure but most of the time I think he's great. In this though, he reveals a much different side to himself - one that shows he's willing to take advice on board, learn about something new and a huge lover of nature. It's also a fascinating look into one of the hardest jobs in the country - farming.

This Week I’m: ⬇️

This Week’s Quote 💬

Never be a prisoner of your past. Be an architect of your future. You will never be the same. - Robin Sharma

This Week’s Video 📺

This post was based entirely off the content of this video.

There we have it!

Looking forward to catching up next week.

In the meantime, find me on Twitter, Instagram and YouTube, and have a look at what I’m reading on Goodreads. Ciao!