Having Passion and Purpose in the Work You Do Is Everything
Having passion and purpose in the work you do is everything. It allows you to make a positive impact in the world, feel fulfilled and potentially build a legacy. You don’t necessarily have to quit your job and start a company like I did (unless you feel compelled to do so yourself), but you can find ways to incorporate your passions and purpose into your current job, volunteer work or other projects you may be working on or would like to work on.
I’ve been passionate about health, wellness and fitness for as long as I can remember. What started out as a hobby and side-hustle, turned into a full-fledged career. After I experienced burnout as a busy working mom and wife, I left my job at Google and corporate America after 16 years, in search of greater work-life balance and the ability to pursue my passions and purpose. I then took a risk and huge leap of faith seven years ago and became an entrepreneur and launched my health and wellness company.
My mission is to empower women to flourish both personally and professionally through wellness. My vision is to continue to build and grow our local and global online wellness community, where women can have fun, make friends, feel supported and be encouraged to achieve their dreams and goals. I’m so grateful to have created the career of my dreams, as I truly love what I do. The good news? I believe it’s something that is within reach for anyone.
Here are five ways to find and incorporate your passion and purpose into your life and career:
Write it down.
Grab a journal, go to a quiet place and write down what activities, causes, concepts or ideas really matter and light a fire in you. Are you passionate about science, art, women’s rights, music, sports, technology or something else? Are these passions and interests new or things that have been in your life for awhile? Why do they matter so much to you? Take the time to dig deep and do some soul searching. Writing out your thoughts, feelings and desires will help you to crystalize what it is that really makes you tick.
Imagine it in your life.
Determine if you can bring these passions into your current job or if you want to start something new. For example, if you’re passionate about technology, does your current job allow you to build technology products to make people’s lives more efficient or teach others about various types of technology? Could you join a technology committee within your local chamber of commerce? Are you interested in developing your own tech start-up to innovate, provide jobs and solve a problem? Imagine what it would be like if you had more opportunities to infuse these passions into the work you do or other areas in your life.
Plan.
Come up with a short and long term plan. Determine what resources you’ll need. Understand the time commitment involved and be prepared for any obstacles that may arise along the way. Having a solid plan in place and a realistic picture of what would be involved can make it more likely for you to create passion and purpose in the work you do. It will take organization, hard work, patience and persistence. But your efforts will be worth it if you’ll be more motivated, excited and happy.
Execute.
Once you have a solid plan in place for the present and future, then make it happen! Simply having an idea and plan won’t take you very far unless you can take the bold step to execute. Once you’re regularly working in your job, on side projects or within your own company on endeavors that bring you passion, purpose and joy, you’ll see the positive impact you’ll have on others, yourself and your abilities. You’ll be inspired and will inspire others. You’ll have a reason to get up in the morning. And you’ll keep going, even on those tough days, because you truly believe in what you’re doing.
Refine and evolve.
As life circumstances, interests and priorities evolve and change, refine your plans as needed. Incorporate your passions and purpose in new ways or include new passions as they develop throughout your life. If you’re always being honest, authentic and true to yourself, what you believe in and what you want to work on, you’ll find ways to create the fulfilling career and life of your dreams. And you’ll inspire others to do the same!
This guest post was authored by Reena Vokoun
Reena is the Founder and CEO of Passion Fit. She is an entrepreneur, author, public speaker, content creator, marketer, media spokesperson, personal and professional development coach and consultant and certified health and wellness expert through AFAA, ACE, IDEA Fitness and Gallup. Reena is a TEDx speaker and featured regularly as a health contributor on the Fox KTVU news morning show and NBC California Live TV show and writes for outlets including Shape, Working Mother and Thrive Global. Connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube or Twitter (@passionfitllc) or visit her blog.
