What is one thing someone should do to find their passion in their 30s?
From putting fear aside to traveling the world, here are the 14 answers to the question, “How can you find your passion in your 30s?”
- Put Fear Aside
- Find Inspiration from Small Things in Your Routines
- Give Yourself Permission to Be Passionate
- Reflect On What You’ve Already Done
- Ask What You Would Do if You Had No Family to Care for
- Consult Your Reading List
- Find a Mentor That You Trust
- Never Stop Exploring and Trying New Things
- Look to Your Inner Child
- Follow Your Curiosity to Find a Sense of Bliss
- Take Inventory of the Knowledge and Experiences You Have Gained
- Find Your Inner Voice
- Be a ‘Yes Man’
- Travel the World
Put Fear Aside
Finding your passion in your 30s can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be!
One of the most important things you can do is to bravely put fear aside and trust in yourself. Fear prevents us from taking action and exploring different paths. Put aside the idea that you don’t have enough time, experience or skills and instead focus on what gifts you do have. Put yourself out there, seek advice from others, search for mentors, and challenge yourself.
Allow yourself to relax into curiosity about new experiences. Doing these things will help uncover the possibilities of different passions that are out there for you to discover!
Lorien Strydom, Executive Country Manager, Financer.com
Find Inspiration from Small Things in Your Routines
I personally think that the 30s to 40s can be a phase when we feel stuck or bored with our career or life, or any other things that we have tried to build since we were in our 20s. Sometimes all we need is to rediscover old passions or find some inspiration from our life.
I personally shifted my view from having to create big changes to find my passion, to discover different things in life that I have lived, or from the routines that I already have since I was in my 20s. It is quite similar to being in the present moment. I simply take different jogging tracks once in a while to see the different neighborhoods, pick up the guitar that has been left dusted in my storage, take that free language lesson trial, or catch up with an old friend. I believe that this is one of the ways to rediscover ourselves and our passion in life.
Georgi Todorov, Founder, ThriveMyWay
Give Yourself Permission to Be Passionate
Finding your passion in your 30s (or any age for that matter) can be a huge challenge. Somehow the idea of living an impassioned life seems large and dramatic. It looks impossible while we are stuck in our mundane lives filled with bills, schedules, and the expectations we’ve self-imposed over the years.
The first thing we must do is give ourselves permission to launch into this new territory. This may take practice, this will be scary and this is completely possible. Begin by instituting mindfulness into your daily life.
Once you have begun to get a habit of mindfulness you will be able to see and feel what aspects of your life that “light you up”. You will be able to allow your mind to wander and feel what you’ve forgotten about, those things that make you feel alive.
Allow yourself to have intention in doing these things and begin to move toward your own passionate purpose. Keep practicing giving yourself permission and slowly release your personal passion in life.
Melissa Mohr, Owner/ Founder, Mohr Coaching and Development
Reflect On What You’ve Already Done
One thing someone can do to find their passion in their 30s is to take some time to reflect on their interests, values, and goals. This can involve setting aside time to think about what they enjoy doing, what they are good at, and what they want to achieve in their life.
This reflection can help them identify the things that truly matter to them, and can give them a better sense of what they are passionate about. Additionally, they can consider seeking out new experiences and trying new things in order to discover new interests and passions.
This could involve taking up a new hobby, trying a new type of exercise, or exploring a new career path. Overall, taking the time to reflect and explore can help someone in their 30s discover their passion and pursue it with greater focus and purpose.
Dennis Shirshikov, Strategist, Awning
Ask What You Would Do if You Had No Family to Care for
It is challenging to decipher your true passion in your 30s. Aside from the fact that you likely have grown a lovable beard, you now also have financial responsibilities (like a family to take care of)With such critical financial pressures typical of someone in the mid-phase of their life, the most monetarily rewarding engagements easily camouflage as your truest passions.So for me. It could help to take a step back from the hustle and bustle of adult life and simulate yourself as a wild, carefree adolescent. What is that one thing people find so hard to do but you find so seamless executing –albeit not the most lucrative engagement?If you can truthfully answer this, three times out of four, you likely have your genuine passion staring shamelessly at you.
Lotus Felix, CEO, Lotusbrains Studio
Consult Your Reading List
As a recruiter, a lot of people come to me looking for a job that fulfills them, especially millennials and Gen Z. Trouble is, there are more options than ever, leaving some with decision fatigue. One trick to find your passion?Consult your reading list. Your home book shelf says a lot about you. Is it mostly fiction? You might do well looking for a role in the creative sphere. If, on the other hand, it’s mostly biographies of world leaders, search for a job with growth potential; you likely won’t be satisfied as another cog in the machine.Not a bibliophile? Check your following list on social media instead. Those you admire might provide valuable clues about the things you dream to do.
Linn Atiyeh, CEO, Bemana
Find a Mentor That You Trust
Your 30s are an exciting time when you feel competent enough to diversify your interests and explore more passions. If someone wants to do this, an excellent way is by connecting with a mentor and taking their guidance every step of the way.
A mentor will be able to nudge you in the direction of your strengths and help you discover something you truly enjoy. If you do this, make sure you find someone you truly trust and who knows you on a deeper level.
Larissa Pickens, Owner, Repeat Replay
Never Stop Exploring and Trying New Things
As a retired health professional who found my passion for BBQ in my 40s, I believe that the key to finding your passion in your 30s is to never stop exploring and trying new things. It’s easy to get stuck in a routine and think that our interests and hobbies are set in stone, but the truth is that our passions can evolve and change over time.
For example, I never would have thought that BBQ would become such a big part of my life, but after trying it out and learning more about it, I quickly became hooked. Now, I have a successful BBQ blog and have even competed in BBQ competitions.If you’re in your 30s and unsure of what your passion is, I would encourage you to take some time to experiment with different activities and hobbies. Try something new, even if it seems out of your comfort zone. You never know what you might discover that truly excites and energizes you.
Jakob Miller, Founder, Barbecue pals
Look to Your Inner Child
Try to remember the thing you loved to do the most when you were seven years old. Chances are, deep down you still adore doing that thing! If you adored dancing, consider teaching dance classes or finding a related position in the arts.
If you thought you’d be a baseball star, try coaching on for size at a local baseball club and see where it takes you. Our inner children have much to teach us when we take the time to listen and learn from them!
Kenneth Lin, CEO, BOOP Bakery
Follow Your Curiosity to Find a Sense of Bliss
Start a project inspired by something you are curious about.
Do it with no pressure nor expectation more than exercising your capacity to have an idea and materialize it.
Give yourself 7 days to have a concrete prototype before your eyes, a result you can use to analyze, observe and project into your next project.
Passions evolve as you grow and change, they are there to show you how limitless you are.
Keva Epale, Founder – creative entrepreneur , Keva Epale Studio
Take Inventory of the Knowledge and Experiences You Have Gained
Take inventory of the knowledge and experience you have gained up to this point in your life and career. What are your strongest skill sets? What have you enjoyed the most, and least? Many times, your most favored assets go hand-in-hand with things you find most fulfilling.
From there, carve out time to explore opportunities (shadow, volunteer, etc.) that may lead you to something you are most excited about. Passions are typically discovered – and likely evolve – over time, so the 30s can be a fantastic point in life to hone in!
Kristina Ramos, Reverse Recruiter, Find My Profession
Find Your Inner Voice
To find your passion in your 30s requires you to first find your inner voice, your spirit.Following other people’s well-intentioned wishes may seem appropriate, however, they could also lead you astray.It’s essential to quiet external voices and influences to allow you to hear what your inner voice is saying. This can be done through meditation, or by being in nature to reconnect with the beauty of what is all around you.Listening to your inner voice and then following your heart will lead you to your passion.
Chris Klein, Founder, AstroRover
Be a ‘Yes Man’
If I were looking to find my passion (especially in my 30s when everything is as accessible as possible) then I would just try as many new things as I can. Open yourself to the world and let it come to you through new experiences.Find ways to try as many new activities out – through friends, family, free clubs, and more – to see what clicks. Sometimes, the toughest part of something is just getting started, so if you can rip that band-aid off and do as many new things as possible, you could end up finding that passion.Have you ever seen the movie ‘Yes Man’ with Jim Carrey? That’s the mentality you must have to find your passion in your 30s – try as many new things as possible until it clicks.
Shaun Connell, CEO, Credit Building Tips
Travel the World
Traveling is crucial for your personal and professional development; you will have so many experiences and meet so many interesting, inspiring, fantastic people, which will probably lead you to your passion. You can also search for opportunities such as educational and volunteering activities in other countries; there are many funded activities that you can join for free or get paid. Traveling sharps your mind, grows your network, builds valuable soft skills, and brings you clarity for your personal and professional goals.
Markos Korvesis, Career Coach, LeadCompass Career Services
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