Here’s one of my all-time favorite quotes…
“Your vocation in life comes from where your greatest joy meets the world’s greatest need.” -Frederick Buechner
What Frederick is talking about is most commonly referred to as the “sweet spot” in business. It’s somewhere in the middle of what you most want to give (sell) and what your customers most want to get (buy).
So the question is: how can you build a meaningful (and profitable) business around your unique set of passions?
First you have to think about:
What do you love so much that you could do it all day? What are the natural gifts and skills that you have that you love to share with other people?
Then you have to think about:
What’s your customer’s ideal solution as it relates to your product or service or industry? What would make them say, “Wouldn’t it be so cool if THIS existed?”
For me, it wasn’t this simple. I had to actually dig a bit deeper to find my passion. Growing up, with a traditional education, I wasn’t taught how to discover and foster a passion, but rather how to be an active and engaged member of society, working in whatever career I was able to land, based on my strengths of course, but never based on what I truly loved.
Here are a few ways I was finally able to find my passion and cultivate it:
- Rather than thinking about intellectual abilities and knowledge, think about passion from a general standpoint. Do you have an affinity to nature or movement? Do you enjoy teaching? Are you linguistically oriented? Do you have a spiritual side? What speaks to you about any element of life, of any skill or ability you’ve acquired or that comes naturally to you.
- Prioritize self-care. Once I finally prioritized my well-being, I was able to get closer to myself in deeper ways. Spend time alone, daydream, meditate, make art, or do anything with yourself that you enjoy simply because it feels good and because it makes you feel like you’re being nourished and taken care of. This will help you get better acquainted with your innate passions.
- Dabble. As an entrepreneur in the marketing industry, I’ve tried just about everything. I’ve worked with agencies. I’ve taught at workshops and seminars. I’ve hosted and coordinated large scale events. I’ve worked with a variety of clientele, and I’ve offered almost every service imaginable. Dabbling allowed me to get clear on what I liked and didn’t like and led me closer to discovering what mattered to me.
And of course, you can utilize The L.I.F.E. Method to help you discover your purpose or cultivate it once you’ve found it. It will help you clarify your designed lifestyle, identity, feelings and expression – four areas of your life that you can control.
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