Let’s be real—”find your passion” has become one of those Instagram-quote clichés that makes most of us roll our eyes.

But if you’ve ever felt stuck in a job that numbs your soul or caught yourself dreaming of a different life while stuck in traffic, then yeah… maybe it’s time to take the idea seriously.

Finding your passion doesn’t require a life crisis or a month in Bali. It takes curiosity, a bit of courage, and a willingness to get honest about what actually makes you feel alive.

Here’s how I’ve helped others (and honestly, helped myself) figure it out—without burning everything down.

1. Start With What Moves You (Even a Little)

You don’t need a lightning bolt moment. Start smaller. Ask:

• What do I actually look forward to doing?
• When was the last time I felt lit up—not just productive, but joyful?

Sometimes it’s not what you expect. A friend of mine realized her “spark” came from hosting dinner parties—not culinary school, just bringing people together. She turned that into a micro-event business on weekends that now pays more than her corporate job ever did.

Scan your daily life. What podcasts do you binge? What aisle do you get lost in at the bookstore? What rabbit holes do you fall into online when you’re avoiding email?

That’s data. Follow it.

2. Go Back to the Last Time You Felt Fully Alive

Quick exercise: Close your eyes and think about a time when you felt proud, fulfilled, or unstoppable.
What were you doing?
Who were you with?
Was it messy? Was it perfect? Doesn’t matter.

Now ask: Why haven’t you chased that feeling again?

For me, it was the first time I gave a talk that actually changed how someone saw their future. That stuck. That anchored everything.

Don’t romanticize the past—but mine it for clues.

3. Ditch the Job That’s Sucking You Dry (When You Can)

Listen, I know—quitting isn’t always realistic. But let’s stop pretending staying in a soul-killing job is noble. It’s not. It’s slow death.

If you’re only showing up for the paycheck and dreading Mondays before Sunday brunch is over, you owe it to yourself to create an exit strategy.

Ask yourself:

• What did I want before this job happened?
• Who was I trying to become?

If money’s tight, don’t leap—build a ramp. Use nights and weekends to experiment with something that feels better. You’re not lazy for wanting more. You’re just not built for a life that doesn’t light you up.

4. Tune Into What You Actually Value (Not What You Were Told To)

So many of us inherited someone else’s definition of success. Make six figures. Get the title. Own the house. Cool… and now what?

If it doesn’t excite you, it’s not your passion. It’s pressure.

Get quiet. Journal. Walk without headphones. Ask yourself:

• What do I want to contribute?
• What do I want more of?
• What would I do if no one else had a say?

The more honest you are, the clearer it gets.

5. Get Curious, Not Perfect

Your passion probably won’t show up in one neat little package. It won’t come with a business plan or a LinkedIn endorsement.

But you’ll know it when it hits: it’ll feel like time speeds up, or like you’re remembering something you forgot.

So try stuff. Messy, awkward, what-if kind of stuff.
Take a class. Volunteer. Say yes to the random project. Launch the thing with no plan B.
You’re not wasting time—you’re collecting dots to connect later.

Final Word: Stop Waiting for Permission

You don’t need a crisis or cosmic permission slip to pursue what makes you come alive.

You just need to start listening. To your gut. Your energy. Your truth.

It won’t be perfect, and it won’t be linear—but you’ll be awake. And that beats autopilot any day.