Five Ways To Discover Your Passions

One of the Most Honest Ways to Discover Your Passion? Start Here.

I’ll be honest—this isn’t something I thought I’d be doing in my 40s: sitting with myself, reevaluating what lights me up, and wondering where the spark went.

But here I am, at a strange, quiet crossroads with one question that’s getting harder to ignore:

What do I even love anymore?

If that question feels familiar—you’re not alone.

Maybe it started after a major loss. A relationship ended. A job fell through.

Or maybe it wasn’t one big thing—just a slow fade of joy. The kids got older, the routine took over, and one day you realized you’re on autopilot, not really living.

This is one of those overlooked but powerful ways to discover your passions — pausing and getting honest with yourself.

And the truth is, if you’re asking these questions, it means something in you is ready to shift.

• You’re not broken.
• You’re awake.
• And that’s a beautiful beginning.

Whatever brought you here, your story matters.

Now let’s explore five practical, powerful ways to discover your passions — even if you’re starting from scratch.

Go for a Walk—Literally, Think Figuratively

Solvitur ambulando.— Latin proverb (It is solved by walking.)

✅Why it works:
Research from Stanford University shows that walking outdoors boosts creative thinking by up to 60%. Walking clears mental clutter and deepens introspection.

Step-by-step guide:

1. Choose a green trail or quiet street—e.g., Green Lake in Seattle.

2. Set your phone’s voice memo and ask:

   • “What did I love doing when I was younger?”

   • “When was the last time I felt fully alive?”

3. Walk for 20 minutes, then journal or audio-record your reflections.

✅Local Tip:
Seattle’s Burke‑Gilman Trail offers varied scenery and mental space to breathe.

Revisit Your Childhood Curiosity

“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” — Pablo Picasso

✅Why it matters:
One of the most overlooked ways to discover your passions is by revisiting your childhood interests, which often hold key clues—a connection supported by research from Psychology Today and Harvard College on introspection and self-discovery.

How to dive deeper:

• Make a “Past Joys” List: all the things that made you lose track of time as a kid.

• Circle what still gives you energy.

• Schedule “Childhood Replays”: dedicate one weekend to revisit one activity—whether building forts or drawing comics.

Journaling prompt:

What feelings arise when I do this old favorite again?

Brainstorm: Make a List That Speaks to You

Sometimes, clarity begins with a simple list. Grab a notebook or open a blank doc, set a timer for 10 minutes, and just start writing—no editing, no second-guessing.

Here’s how to do it:

✅ Step-by-Step:

1. List anything you’ve ever been interested in
   (No matter how random—baking, comic books, psychology, interior design, crystals… anything goes.)

2. Be brutally honest—this list is just for you.
   Write down what actually excites you, not what you think should excite you.

3. Look for patterns.
   Circle any words or ideas that pop up more than once. Is there a theme?

4. Spot the emotional hooks.
   Highlight anything that makes you feel warm, nostalgic, proud, or curious. These are your clues.

5. Ask: “What did I used to love that I forgot about?”
   Sometimes the things that made you feel most alive are the ones you dropped when life got too busy.

Build an Intentional Vision Board

If you can see it in your mind, you can hold it in your hands. —Bob Proctor

✅Why it helps:
Vision boards act like visual nudges, helping reveal patterns. Elle Luna’s work (Crossroads of Should and Must) shows alignment grows when visuals resonate emotionally.

How to make it impactful:

• Source images: old magazines, Pinterest, photo screenshots.

• Organize by emotion (e.g. “peace,” “freedom”) instead of categories.

• Add captions: “This excites me because…”

• Place it somewhere you see daily—for subconscious reinforcement.

Share your work:
Post to Instagram Stories with #MyTrueSelfBoard for community inspiration.

Read Books That Challenge Your Lens

You will be the same person in five years except for the books you read and the people you meet. —Charlie “Tremendous” Jones

✅Why diversify reading matters:
Moving outside your usual genre sparks unexpected inspiration. It’s all about the intersection of novelty + resonance.

Recommended reads:

• Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert — for creative courage;

• The Crossroads of Should and Must by Elle Luna — for realigning your life;

• Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer — for poetic reconnection.

How to engage:

• Read one chapter weekly and journal:

  • “This resonated with me because…”

  • “How could this apply to my passions?”

Start Again: Give Yourself Permission to Begin

Let’s be real—sometimes discovering your passion means pressing the reset button. And that’s not a failure—it’s a power move.

Whether you dream of going to med school or starting a weekly sewing class, it doesn’t matter how big or small the passion is.

What matters is that you start. Because the truth is:
⏳ The time will pass anyway. Why not spend it doing what excites you?

Try This:

• Write down one thing you’ve always wanted to do but never gave yourself permission to try.

• Take one step this week—sign up for a beginner class, watch a YouTube tutorial, or buy the tool you need.

• Tell one trusted person what you’re doing. Saying it out loud makes it real.

Create Your “Passion Book”

You’ve explored different ways to discover your passions — through journal entries, brainstorms, reflective walks, and honest self-inquiry. Now it’s time to pull it all together.

Create a book that celebrates you—your thoughts, your desires, your ideas, your progress. It doesn’t need to be perfect or polished. It just needs to be real.

How to Start:

1. Grab a blank notebook or open a doc;

2. Add sections: Childhood Clues, Flow Moments, Values, Dreams, Experiments;

3. Paste in photos, quotes, doodles, or anything that feels “you;”

4. Keep it somewhere you can revisit during low-motivation days;

✨ This isn’t just a scrapbook—it’s your personal North Star.