10 ways to know if you are following your passion

So many times you hear “Do what you love and the money will follow.” Or you “Follow your passion.”

What if you don’t know what your passion is?
What if you feel stuck in your job because you can’t think of any other way to earn a paycheck other than exchanging 40 hours a week for it?
What if you are a single parent and can’t just quit your job to follow your passion?

I spent many years following other peoples plans for me. When I finally decided to follow my own plan that is when my life opened up. I decided to become a Beachbody coach part time in November 2010 with zero intention of growing this as a business or earning any income. The more I shared and helped other people the more I wanted to do it. It was a little scary but fun.

10. You have a hunger for learning and are willing to stay up late to read or watch training about what you enjoy. (photography, gaming, fitness, how to write a blog, etc.)

9. You are willing to travel and attend events about your passion. (weekend certification to teach a fitness class, cooking class, seminar about how to sell houses or write a book.)

8. Time doesn’t exist when you are doing it. Time really does fly when you are having fun. Have you ever attended a seminar that was going to last 8 hours and all you could do was look at your watch and try to leave? Have you ever attended a party and the next thing you knew it was time to go home? Perception of time.

7. You are willing to try new things to experience your passion. (Attend a meeting in a room full of people you don’t know because you know it will help you grow and learn.)

6. It is a genuine part of you. It is authentically you. Your love of shoes, fitness, food, painting, design, selling, jewelry, make up, volunteering, charity work or whatever makes you feel like YOU.

5. You gravitate toward people who are like-minded and tend to talk about “the passion” and how you can make it better or share it with more people.

4. You can’t imagine your life without “this” in it and would have no idea where your life would be if you didn’t follow your passion.

3. You don’t understand people who plug away at a job and complain about it instead of doing what fulfills them.

2. You are a shining light because you are living a fulfilled life and people want to be around you. You are invited to all of the parties and people are disappointed when you can’t attend.

1. You are in the present moment and it rocks.

#1 is huge. I realized this one today. It hit me like a ton of bricks. The day began with a work out with Autumn Calabrese. We had a light lunch and a few hours of training and it just flew by. Listening to the stories, explanations and training was awesome. I was eating it all up. It was a beautiful Saturday in Coronado CA and people were swimming in the bay, paddle boarding, and you could hear kids playing at the park. Every now and then I would see a seagull fly by and not one time did I think I wanted to be some where else. I was exactly where I wanted to be. I was learning about how to help more people and grow my passion.

Take the time to look at what you are doing now with your time. Are you too busy? Are you overwhelmed with your daily activities? I’ve heard stories from people busier than me and the stories are the same. They, we, were all tested. We all hit walls of failure and defeat. We all made it through and survived the test and came out on the other side with success. If we gave up when it got busy or tough then we wouldn’t have such a great story to tell.

Do what you love. Find a way to do it part time. Get going on it. Don’t wait until you are 80 or 90 and say wow I wish I would have. Do it now. Take the action now.