If you've ever been asked, "What's your passion?" and were at a loss for words, you're not alone.
Despite how often we hear that passion should guide our careers, the truth is more nuanced.
Research from Stanford University shows that only about 1 in 5 people have one single, identifiable passion. Most of us have a range of interests, which can shift over time.
The idea that we should “follow our passion” can sound inspiring—and for some people, it is a helpful way to think about career direction. But what happens if you don’t know what your passion is? Or if your interests change over time?
Focus on — engagement — curiosity, possibility, excitement
According to Kathy Davies, a lecturer at Stanford University’s Life Design Lab, passion often emerges after we engage deeply with something. She encourages people to revisit the feelings they had as a child—curiosity, possibility, and excitement. Whether you wanted to be an astronaut or an artist at ten years old isn’t the point. What matters is tapping into the kinds of activities that made and make you feel alive and focused.
This concept aligns with research on "flow"—a concept developed by psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, who found that people experience deep satisfaction when they are fully engaged in a challenging but meaningful task. In other words, we thrive when we’re engaged and inspired.
So Where Should I Start?
Alongside exploring your passion, you can begin with the following:
What activities draw you in and make time fly?
What problems do you love to solve?
Are there parts of your week that make your feel more energised that tired?
Engagement is valuable because it’s experience-based and discoverable. The more you lean into the things that energise you, the clearer your next steps become.
According to this perspective, passion tends to emerge over time as a result of sustained engagement with activities that spark curiosity and align with a person’s strengths—rather than serving as the initial starting point.
References
Burnett, B. (2017, May 20). 5 steps to designing the life you want [Video]. TEDxStanford. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SemHh0n19LA
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1990). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. Harper & Row.
Davies, K. (2018, July 18). Keynote by Kathy Davies [Video]. UC Berkeley Events. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71aY33N_VUo
