Do you feel stuck in your career? Are you in a job you don’t enjoy, guided by managers you don’t admire, feeling a daunting sense of helplessness? Or are you a recent graduate experiencing fierce competition in the job market, which then makes you feel incompetent and without direction in life?

If you fall into one of these categories, you have probably already started doubting most of your life choices. And as a result, you may also wonder what your “true” passion is.

Facing the fear

You fear that you don’t want to waste your life doing something you are not enthusiastic about and never discover this special thing you were born for.

I have been there. And it’s not a pleasant feeling. But it’s a trap, and there is a way out.

You see, in this case, introspection is not your friend but your almighty enemy. You don’t lack thinking. You lack immediate action.

That’s why I suggest 4 steps that you need to follow to get out of this loop:

1. Embrace the uncertainty and stop looking for your “passion”

This is the first and most crucial step.

Have you noticed that I use quotation marks when I mention the word “passion”?

That’s because you shouldn’t fall into the trap of what we call “passion”. Yes, some people are lucky enough to find what they love early on in their lives, work on it, and be successful. Others have so much talent in something that you can’t possibly ignore it.

But most people don’t fall into one of these categories. The reasons can vary; family, environment, character traits. We don’t care what the reason is. The important thing is to change your mentality and stop stressing about finding your “one true passion”.

Then you need to take action.

2. Pick 1-2 skills in which you are better than 80% of people

Not 80% of people in a specific niche, 80% of the general public.

Don’t tell me you can’t find at least a couple of skills. I am sure you are better than 80% of people in more than a couple of things. But for now, you need to find only one or two at maximum.

And even if you say you can’t find anything, ask your friends and relatives. They will tell you exactly in what you are good at.

3. Learn everything around those skills and practice

After you have found those skills, you need to get down and work on them. Relentlessly.

What you should do:

• Find the best books in the niche and read them
• Search for specialists in that niche and follow their journey and tips. If you can afford it, ask for their consulting/coaching services
• Find relevant online courses and complete them

Knowledge alone is not enough, though. You need to practice those skills. Depending on your niche, do the following:

• Find a relevant job or traineeship
• Build a blog
• Start a consulting service
• Sell a product

That’s a non-negotiable.

4. Commit for 12 months

Now you reach the breaking point. It’s time to commit.

Commitment is one of the greatest struggles of our society. We live in the era of instant gratification; you can have almost anything you want, anytime you want.

It has never been easier to acquire something. But to maintain it, it’s another story.

The truth is you can never achieve anything meaningful in life without committing to it. Whether it’s your career, your personal relationships or anything else.

That’s why you need to stick with the 1-2 skills you picked for a 12-month period. Building skills and becoming competent in them takes time. In 12 months, you won’t become an expert, but you will be good enough to be competitive in your niche and develop self-confidence.

Others may tell you that 6 months are enough, but I am here to give honest advice, not to go viral. Needless to say, to achieve your goal in 6 months, you would need to disappear from everyone and have no social life. You don’t need to do that. Seriously.

Action creates momentum

Finding your “passion” is a delusion. The sooner you realize it, the better.

What’s most important is to have a framework (like the one I tried to give) and then take immediate action. The journey won’t be easy; you will struggle, doubt yourself, and wonder if this is the right path. But you need to persevere.

Unlocking your potential takes time. But eventually, everything gets better when you start noticing your progress and how much better you have become after those 12 months.

Give this step-by-step framework a try, and please reach out if you have any questions. I am more than happy to help.