What’s your idea of a great night?

Pizza, cider, a white board wall, and a room of geeky friends = an awesome night of problem solving, intellectual banter, and mind blowing ideas that can change the world. Well, at least in my head this is a really fun night. I’m not sure everyone enjoys spending so much time solving large scale strategic problems but I find it invigorating. It’s like figuring out a not-yet solved puzzle and finding out that the picture is totally different than you expected.

What energizes you? What keeps you up at night that makes you so excited you can’t sleep? Finding ones passion can seem like a daunting task but there is an actual method for how to do it that doesn’t just involve aimless wandering through life without any idea when or how you’ll find your way. The method is like this:

First, try many different experiences. Second, watch yourself in each of these experiences. Do any of them make you feel like you have more energy? Do any of them spur you to ask questions? Want to learn more? Want to talk to other people about it? It doesn’t have to be the entire experience – only a portion. It’s like a breadcrumb. Once you find a small part you like, follow it to another. Every time there will be more to search but each time you will be closer and closer to those experiences that energize you.

Passion is defined as those experiences and topics that make you feel more alert, more alive when you do them.

Everyone has a relative passion. Find it. Be fearless in your pursuit of those energizing experiences. Trust that you will find a way to fund your passion and your ability to have work-life balance will be greatly increased. Your mental and physical health will thank you.