ruk·si
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Passion

Updated at 2018-02-21 09:38

Do not life your file in the hope of a better tomorrow. Live with a purpose today.

"Work on what you love and you will never have to work". Doing the thing you are passionate about for money is the best scenario but it is not possible for everybody. Passion is not about the money, but it is a nice extra.

Structure your life so that you have the time and money to do what you love.

You can stay content by doing something you love as an avocation; something less than career or hobby.

What is your passion? Doing a thing for its own sake is a strong indicator of passion. But here are some more detailed rules how to notice a passion.

  1. Talent: You should have natural feel for it. You don't need to be especially good at it.
  2. Love: You should really love doing it. Liking doing it is not enough.
  3. Attitude: Does your own mindset allow you to do it?
  4. Opportunity: Does your own culture allow you to do it? Without right opportunities you may never get your passion to bloom.

Passionism can be learned. Some people seem to be lacking passionate behavior, but it can be learned. All people can learn to be passionate things they care about.

All people are passionate about their health to some degree, you can start from there.

Learning a new passion is slow. If you execute your passion 6 hours a day for 3 years, you will be top 200 in almost anything you can imagine. Top 300 in anything will sure make you a basic living. Few years more and you should be top 50.

Passions can be combined. If you have multiple passions, combine them and you will probably become the master of that combination.

"There is no career path related to my passion!" When you get really good in what you do, you can start outsourcing it. You still get to do your passion, but you also have to manage other people that exercise the same passion. You will learn a lot from others.

Ikigai

Find your Ikigai. The reason to get up in the morning. It the single most important thing in life to find. Some people find it early, for some it can take decades and some people never find it.

  1. That which you love.
  2. That which you can be are paid for.
  3. That which you are good at.
  4. That which the world needs.

The Scene

A scene is a community around a specific topic. People that find what their passion is usually get connected to other people that love the same thing.

Join the scene. Being in a group of people with the same passion will drive your personal development forward. Note that:

  • You do not need to like those people.
  • You do not need to like what those people do.
  • They only need to share your passion.

Why groups improve your development:

  • You can bounce your ideas.
  • You are getting feedback about your ideas.
  • You are sharing ideas, learning new ones.
  • You are comparing techniques.
  • You can get advice.

The Flow

The flow or zone is a state of high productivity:

  • Your attention is highly focused.
  • Your breathing changes.
  • Your mind and body work as one.
  • Time seems to run more quickly.
  • You are free of minor distractions and seem to forget everything else.
  • You feel more confident to go your way, you do not fear failure.
  • When you realize being in the flow, you usually flow out.

It is usually the easiest to get in the flow when you are alone. Other people in your sight, or even knowledge of other people, might easily break your focus.

Being in the flow in fact gives you energy so you can work longer. However, it is mental energy and you can still get physically tired. Working normally drains both mental and physical energy.

Getting into the flow usually requires:

  • Some kind of a challenge.
  • You must have skills to meet the challenge.
  • Full attention to the process of completing the challenge.
  • A clear goal for the challenge.
  • Feedback on the progress.

Things that can make it harder to get into the flow:

  • Fear of failure.
  • Disturbances e.g. loud noises.
  • Working in an unfamiliar environment.
  • Working in a physically dangerous environment.

Many people have personal rituals how to get into the flow:

  • Meditation; clearing your mind.
  • Physical activity e.g. walking.
  • When having a sense of progress.
  • When there is risk involved e.g. gambling.
  • When there is a competition.
  • Doing mathematical calculations.
  • Listening to specific kind of music.

Sources