“Passion” Inventory

Wouldn’t it be great when you feel low, depressed, down in the dumps, bored or just stuck in life to be able to pull out an “instant” list of what it is in life that makes you most passionate?

You know the feeling, when you get down in the dumps it’s hard to think of anything other than negatives…how you have no true friends, you are behind on your bills, the weather is grey, your kids aren’t calling you, you haven’t had a date in three months, your job is going nowehere….

But, against that are a number of positives that can immediately counter those feelings of negativity, despair, frustration and boredom, the challenge is coming up with them when you are in one of these negative periods.

So, why not come up with a “Passion Inventory” right now. 

Go ahead, take 10-15 minutes to inventory things that make you happy.

How do you know what you are passionate about?

Use these criteria:

• Time flies when you are doing something you are passionate about
• You are most comfortable when you are doing something for which you have a passion
• You are typically attracted to people that share your passion so look at what you share with those you admire most around you
• You are often good at your passions
• Passions don’t take effort…they feel like they come naturally to you

Here are some examples to get you thinking:

• music
• reading
• writing
• talking 1:1 with a best friend
• helping people solve problems
• learning new things
• seeing new places – traveling
• playing a sport like football, basketball or hockey
• selling or running a business
• a hobby such as woodworking, sewing or radio control airplanes

Of course, the potential list is much longer than this, you should be able to come up with at least 3-4 of your own (and perhaps many more).

Once you have your inventory, it is good to write a few sentences under each one about how those make you feel – so that you can actually place yourself in those situations nad describe how they make you feel, what you see and hear.

Next time you feel down, need an escape from something you don’t like doing or are feeling depressed, pull out your passion inventory so you can break out of your rut quicker and live a happier, more productive and fulfilling life.