Sometimes, dedicating yourself to something can be difficult: there are so many options in life, it can be easy to want to try everything! But the good news is that that’s exactly what you need to do in order to discover what you’re passionate about. You can choose what hobbies you want to try. You can decide what lifestyle you want to commit to. You can involve yourself in whatever sparks your interest—and a spark can rage into a fire. You might find that one initial inkling of curiosity has opened the door to a new world.  

Being introduced to this new world may leave you with more questions. Now you are looking for videos to watch, music to listen to, workshops to attend, and reading articles. You pay an insane amount of attention to what’s going on. You are passionate about this new world you have discovered, whether it has to do with a hobby or a lifestyle or something else entirely.

So, what are you passionate about these days? Oh, you’re not sure? That’s fine! There’s no rush to find the answer. A lot people aren’t sure what their passion is. Others have many passions and don’t just stick to one. Whether you’re trying to find your first passion or dipping your toes into something new, you can follow the tips below for discovering what makes your heart sing.

1. Try it out. Before you can decide if you are passionate about a hobby or lifestyle, you should decide if you enjoy it! How will you know without a trial run? Try doing a new hobby on a couple of different occasions, or living a lifestyle for at least a week. This will give you a better idea of how you feel.

2. Find out more about it. Find all the content you can about your new interest! Watch videos, attend events, and soak up all the inspiration. Explore what’s out there—if something is related to your passion, check it out!

3. Ask questions about the process. When you are discovering a new passion, you should know what you are getting into. You should be curious about knowing how it works, and how it is done. Get a handle on the details, find out more about the background, and build yourself a foundation so you can continue to explore your passion.

4. Get yourself out there. Find ways to involve yourself with the community of people who share your new interest. Put yourself in engaging environments. Search for teachers you want to learn from. Reach out to people you want to work with. Also, try making some friends—find people whom you can connect with over this lifestyle or hobby.

5. Experiment. Everyone has their own style. It is time to find your own. Experiment with how you can tweak and refine the process of pursuing a new passion to fit how you work. This part is the most fun, and may be the most frustrating. Don’t get frustrated. Feel out how you can mold the process to your own. Figure out how you can best express your passion. Creation is the greatest form of participation.

The more you learn about a topic you’re interested in, the more likely it is that your obsession will transform into full-blown passion. No one should live without a a passion. Even if you are not yet sure what lights your fire, you should try to find something that interests you. Once you find your passion, it could help improve your focus, motivate you, and serve as a stress reliever—not to mention that passion just plain makes life worth living.

feature photo courtesy of Tumblr