When you establish a connection with doing what you love, then your passion can take you places beyond your wildest dreams. The late Steve Jobs once said, “People with passion can change the world for the better.” When you’re passionate about something, it can drive you to get through the day, to achieve certain tasks, and move mountains.
It might seem futile in this crazy world we live in, but achieving change, in any field or through anyway, can make an impact more than you know. Here are 8 ways your passion can accomplish this change.
1. Connect with Similar People
Passionate people have the ability to change their society or community because they make an impact and inspire others to change, especially if they work together on achieving that impact. Changemakers at TRVST believe that collective action and collaboration are key in making a significant difference. And there are so many ways you can connect with other like-minded individuals who share a common goal, as well as a diverse network of other changemakers to help bring forth the change we would all like to see in the world.
A large group of people working towards the same goal is definitely something not to contend with; the strength of a group can always be found in numbers. When you meet similar people, you have the power to connect, share ideas, enhance, and improve these ideas, and act. You’re supporting each other as a group, and you share the excitement and passions over the same cause.
2. Cultivate Your Interests
Meeting similar people is one way to bring forth change and build on your passions. Another way is to discover on your own where your passions truly lie. Ask yourself: What would you like to change the most? What are you interested in? How can you make it better?
When you find this interest, you’ll be able to work on cultivating that interest by improving your skills, learning everything you can about it, find other opportunities to make it grow, and you’ll become more educated about it. When you’re knowledgeable, you’ll be able to educate others as well. Being passionate means you’re a lifelong learner who is eager to get their hands on any information relating to their passions.
3. Develop a Career
Passion is doing something that you love, so why not make a career out of it? Many people strive to find a day job they love; they want a job they can enjoy and make an impact, not just sit on a boring desk all day. When you wake up in the morning motivated enough to head off to work, you’ll be able to embark on the change you so desire.
Doing what you love can be a rarity sometimes, but achievable. Make it your ultimate goal in trying to connect your career with that you’re truly passionate about. If you feel your job is mundane, then consider the possibilities of making a transition to another career. It might be difficult at first, but you’ll reap the rewards later.
4. Reinvent Yourself
Inspiring change can only come if you’re a well-rounded person; a person who’s flexible enough to stretch beyond their limits. There are times when your passion has changed, or you feel more inclined to another one; you should know that it’s okay to reinvent yourself continuously.
Starting over, educating yourself about other interests, or even switching careers doesn’t mean you’re a person who doesn’t know what they want; on the contrary, it actually means you still haven’t found your true calling. By starting over, you’re readjusting your mindset, which should be open to newer possibilities and not limited by what you can or can’t do.
5. Find the Problem
Passionate people tend to see the problem for what it is and find a solution to fix it; they don’t just sit around complaining or throwing blame. Focus on your passion for building something better and much more improved. Following your passions is great, but to truly make a change, you need to be able to find a solution to a common problem and fixing it.
The whole point of being passionate about a cause is to move the process along and watch your efforts grow. Problem-solving changemakers are eager to stop at nothing until the solution is implemented, and they don’t mind dedicating their whole lives to it.
6. Create a Plan
Change will never come overnight, and many people advise that the way to truly influence a society is by starting with yourself. Create a mini-plan for yourself as to how you will implement this change, and then go bigger.
Devise a several-step plan which organizes for you, how exactly you’re planning to change your community. You also need to plan for any setbacks, financial constraints, failure, success, as well as your energy and realistic abilities in achieving said plan.
7. Establish Balance
You won’t be able to take care of a cause without taking care of yourself first. You need to create a realistic balance in your life by devoting the right amount of energy to your cause to avoid any burnouts or exhaustion.
You need to be able to take breaks and recharge so you can truly fight the good fight. Changing the world is quite an exhausting task, so learning to take time off is crucial in preserving your energy.
8. Manage Your Expectations
As mentioned before, change is a long process. If you’re passionate enough, you’ll know that you’re in it for the long haul. You need to manage your expectations in a way that won’t turn you off your passions or discourage you from achieving your goals.
Set realistic expectations, expect failure, and accept whatever happens. Dust yourself off and know that the fight will extend to another day. Don’t give up; it might seem hard, but all the successful changemakers never quit on the first try.
Being passionate isn’t just a character trait; it’s a true gift bestowed upon yourself and the world. Not many people are able to find their passions and use them to bring change to the world or even their own lives. Find ways to cultivate your passions, your interest, and be sure that whatever you’re doing is life-changing.
