Forget Finding Your Passion

Sick of all the so-called experts telling you to find your passion? They make it sound as if all you have to do is find this elusive thing you should be doing, and then everything is easy from there. A whole industry of conferences, courses, and podcasts have sprung up to cash in on people's vulnerabilities about this issue. The promise seems to be if you buy what they're selling, then suddenly your passion will appear, the money will flow in, and all will be well.

Don't get me started!

In my experience, our passions evolve over time. I've worked with clients who were once deeply passionate about something, and then that passion faded, and they moved onto their next thing. Here are a few examples of dozens I could share:

• FBI agent to photographer

• TV news reporter to podcaster

• Hollywood stylist to coach

My own story mimicked this path. I was once so interested in marketing that I got my MBA at night while working full time, would read branding books in my spare time, and couldn't wait for the latest edition of Fast Company to arrive in the mail. Nerd alert, I know! And then that passion began to wane, and my long-term interest in personal development kept growing, and the idea of coaching began to percolate.

And for myself and others, I've noticed that these new passions take some time to grow.

So if you're feeling the pressure of finding your passion, don't worry. If you remain open, your passion will find you!