10 Things That Will Inspire More Passion and Joy in Your Work and Life

Are you looking for ways to define what brings you joy, and identify your passions? In this article and podcast episode, I’m sharing 10 things that will inspire more passion and joy in your work and life.

Two Ways to Define Your Passion

1. Revisit your values.

If you haven’t defined your values recently, check out this exercise by Brene Brown.

In doing this exercise recently, I discovered that my business and personal values are: integrity, magic, and expertise. This allowed me to better understand what my passions are, and how to focus on the things that make a difference for me.

2. Take a look at the pros and cons of what you like and what you don’t like about your current work.

After you’ve listed these pros and cons, take some time to consider how they align (or don’t align with your values). It was eye opening for me to take a look back on jobs that had not felt like a fit. For some of my pros, I could see that the things that I liked about my past jobs were places where my expertise was honored, where I could be in integrity, and where I was doing something fun, mission based, or interesting (magic.)

10 Things That Will Inspire More Passion and Joy in Your Work and Life

Introspection – Using the tools above, or working with a coach, a mentor, or a journal can provide a lot of insight for you. It’s also important that you take time to heal any sort of past trauma or issues that might be making it hard for you to define or get in touch with your passions.
Just start moving and working on things. Lots of times people think that they need to have everything all figured out before they can take the first step. Instead, think of the first logical step and give it a try.
Let your passion stand on it’s own. If you’re interested in something, give it a try. Sometimes, instead of taking a first step, you may think that you need to have a plan to monetize a hobby, or have an end goal in mind for why you’d begin working on it. Passion and creativity are often most joyful when they are done for the sake of being fun and playful. You don’t need an end “result” on the horizon to begin.
It’s OK to make bold moves. You often learn the most when you try something that is out of your comfort zone. Many people worry that they will “fail” when they try something they haven’t done before. What if you removed that idea from the equation, and decided that there was no such thing as failure when it comes to following your passion?
It’s OK to “go back” to something if your first try doesn’t work the way you’d planned. If you are working on building a business, and it doesn’t work the way you’d envisioned the first time, it’s OK to go back to work that supports you and your family. There’s no shame, and nothing lost in continuing your quest as a side hustle, or starting over with a new focus.
Notice if you’ve had “enough.” You might discover that something that once brought you joy no longer does. Or, you might realize that you’ve had enough at a job that isn’t serving you, or that you’re no longer interested in continuing a hobby or a business that you once enjoyed. This is natural and part of being human.
Look for the pivot points. I also call this being “well planned and loosely held,” but notice when you see something shifting before your eyes in your plans. Often times, as you begin to build something your focus changes. You can also shift your business or your hobby or your interests to match those changes.
Follow what feels right. If you’ve grown tired of doing something, stop. If something else feels interesting or bring you joy, do that. Resist staying with something just because you “should.”
The universe will give you opportunities to show you that you can do it. As you begin to grow your hobby or your passion or business, you’ll see that the universe will show you that you’re very capable of doing something. Looking back, you’ll be able to see that you overcame challenges to get to where you are. Stop to celebrate those wins. You grow and change as your interests do, and it’s always good to notice that you did something you once thought might be impossible.
You’ll get more of something when you’re ready. This may have to do with manifesting, or with growth. You’ll see that once you’ve got a grasp of how to do something, you’ll often be faced with opportunities that allow you to grow. Be intentional about the growth. You might find that old versions of what you thought you wanted resurface. It’s OK to say no to things that don’t fit you, anymore.