3 Reasons Passions are Different Than Purpose

Finding your purpose is really about getting to know YOU better. Passions change with time, but purpose is steady.

Your purpose exists; it’s just waiting for you to discover it, describe it, and act upon it. It’s not an ending, it’s a journey of discovery to find your passion. With great intention and dedication, I researched and read articles on passions and purpose. I searched for what drove me passionately, and I attended workshops on Unique Abilities®.

TIP 1. Passion means different things to different people. For some, passion refers to high energy and exuberance. The dictionary describes passion as, “strong and barely controllable emotion”. Some people possess naturally extraverted emotion but that is not in my style. I really struggled with that definition along with the belief that I just wasn’t a passionate person. The following definition works better for me: ‘passion is a strong or extravagant fondness, enthusiasm, or desire for something.’ I care about some very important and real issues and principles. They change over time – today my passions certainly are not the same as passions in my 30’s. Passion is an element of Purpose – it’s the energy behind the focus on living in your purpose.

TIP 2. When you know your WHY, you know your WAY, Michael Hyatt

Your purpose is the sum of 4 elements: your values, your personality style, your passions, and your skills & talents. Your core values drive your Why – these internal, invisible motivators are your drivers – the reasons behind the decisions you make, the actions you take, and the behaviors people see. In your search for identifying your Purpose, you have to identify your core values and explore how they impact your life….subconsciously and consciously.

These core values are now my life’s guide. When faced with decisions, I consider how the options measure up against my core values. If there is any incongruency, then I take more time in pondering the choice which typically results in clearer answers in my soul.

Identify your 5 core values and use them in the next few days to see how they show up in your life. For example, accountability is a core value for me – every day I see how my strong belief about being accountable shows up. It shows up in how I hold myself responsible and how I respond to those that ‘come through with what they said they would do’ as well as how triggered I can be when someone does not follow through on their commitments. Accountability is a factor when I commit to something – do I have time, can I really come through??? This self-awareness really helped me stop saying yes to the wrong commitments and realizing that no was sometimes the right answer.

TIP 3: Own Your Distinct Skills and Energy Drains. What are you naturally skilled at? Organizing? Woodworking? Connecting meanings to situations? Cooking? Communicating? Closing a sales pitch? Being patient with others?

When I talk about this topic in workshops, many people really struggle to identify their natural talents. I think we are raised to focus on those things that we aren’t good at instead of focusing on our skills and building on them. I think many of us believe that we have to work hard to succeed and that if something comes easy, it is somehow less important or valuable. A long time ago, I decided to focus more of my energy on my strengths and less of my time on my weaknesses. I started to find ways to compensate for those skills that were important but not my strengths.

Your Purpose is centered on your natural talents and skills. Don’t spend time getting better at the things you aren’t that great at!! Look yourself in the mirror and recognize what other people rely on you for - things that you may have never considered as special. Sometimes, when things are easy we overlook their value. Make a list of those things that create dread for you – they aren’t easy – the outcomes aren’t great – or they take a lot of effort….I call these the Energy Drains that I want to be rid of… Then start thinking about how you can stop doing as many of these things as you can responsibly manage. Trade-off with someone that is gifted in that area so maybe you can help them do something you are naturally good at. Figure out a way to pay someone to do it. Get creative…and remember it’s a process.

Finding your Purpose is a big step, but it doesn’t have to be big work. It’s a pretty simple process to break down the elements that contribute to your Purpose. Then the question is ‘What Now?’. Are you wanting to focus your work on your unique Purpose and find career paths that align to your Purpose? Are you focused on teaching your children their unique purpose and helping them to learn how it can impact their life decisions and choices, even at young ages? Are you a leader trying to find your unique style and leadership voice? Are you retired and thinking about how to spend your time in the right places, with the right organizations or interests that really align to your Purpose? Do you just need to recognize how to make choices that serve you well and that make exponential differences in your impact on the world? All this is possible when you know and live within your unique Purpose with intention.

Want to learn more? contact Tammy today for your free consultation!