Why "Finding Your Passion" Is Overrated—and How You Can Develop It Instead
“Find your passion.” You’ve probably heard this a hundred times, right? It sounds like great advice. It makes you picture this magical moment where you suddenly know what you’re meant to do with your life. But here’s the thing: the idea of “finding” your passion is flawed. It’s not like your passion is hiding under a rock, waiting for you to stumble upon it.
The truth is, passion isn’t something you find—it’s something you develop. And that’s a really good thing because it means you don’t have to have all the answers right now. Whether you’re in middle school, high school, or just figuring out what you love, understanding how to build your passion instead of “finding” it can take a lot of pressure off your shoulders.
Why “Finding Your Passion” Feels So Stressful
Let’s get real: telling someone to “find their passion” can be stressful. Why? Because it makes it sound like you’re supposed to have it all figured out by the time you graduate.
But here’s the truth: most people don’t have a single, crystal-clear passion at your age. And honestly, even adults struggle with this. Hell, I still struggle with it sometimes. When people talk about passion like it’s something you’re just born with, it can make you feel like something’s wrong with you if you haven’t discovered yours yet.
What’s more, the idea of having one perfect passion oversimplifies how life works. You’re a growing, changing, dynamic person with lots of interests, and that’s a good thing. Instead of stressing about “finding” your passion, focus on exploring what excites you and being open to change.
What Are You Willing to Suffer For?
Here’s the thing no one tells you: passion isn’t all fun and excitement. Even if you love something, there will be struggles. That’s why one of my favorite authors, Mark Manson, suggests flipping the question. Instead of asking, “What’s my passion?” ask yourself, “What am I willing to suffer for?”
Because every passion comes with its challenges:
Love sports? You’ll still have to wake up early, train for hours, and push through tough losses or injuries.
Dream of being a musician? You’ll spend years practicing, face rejection, and maybe even perform to tiny audiences at first.
Want to start a business? Get ready for long nights, financial risks, and failures before you succeed.
Passion doesn’t mean you’re excited all the time. It means you care enough to endure the hard parts because the rewards are worth it (and you want it badly enough). When you ask yourself, “What struggles am I willing to face?” you’ll start to figure out what truly matters to you.
Passion Isn’t Found—It’s Built
Passion isn’t something you magically discover. It’s something you develop over time.
Think about it like this: Let’s say you try out playing guitar for the first time. At first, you’re just curious about it. Maybe you struggle to get the chords right, and your fingers hurt. But the more you practice, the better you get—and you start to really enjoy it. Soon, you’re learning your favorite songs and feeling proud of how far you’ve come. That’s passion in the making.
Developing passion is about showing up, putting in the effort, and sticking with something long enough to see how much you can grow. It’s not love at first sight—it’s a relationship that builds over time.
Growth Mindset: The Secret to Developing Passion
A growth mindset is the belief that your abilities and interests aren’t set in stone—they can grow and improve with effort and effective strategies. This is huge when it comes to developing your passion.
Let’s say you’re curious about coding, but you’re not great at it yet. With a growth mindset, you’ll see every challenge as an opportunity to learn and get better. Instead of thinking, “I’m just not a coding person,” you’ll think, “I’m not good at this yet, but I can get there with practice.” And when practicing doesn’t help, you’ll start asking, “What other strategies could I try?” or “Who can I ask for help with this?”
With a growth mindset, you’ll see challenges as opportunities to improve, not reasons to quit. This attitude lets you turn small interests into big passions over time, even in areas you didn’t think you’d love at first.
Exploring Interests vs. Chasing Passion
Instead of obsessing over “finding” that one big passion, focus on exploring your interests and seeing where they lead. Maybe you’re interested in art, so you try painting, photography, or graphic design. Maybe you’re into science, so you join the robotics club or start experimenting at home.
Not every interest will turn into a lifelong passion, and that’s okay. What matters is that you’re trying new things and learning more about yourself along the way. Every experience teaches you something, even if it’s just, “This isn’t for me.”
It’s Okay to Change
Another reason to ditch the “find your passion” mindset is that it locks you into one thing. But guess what? Passions change!
Maybe you’re really into sports now, but five years from now, you might fall in love with writing or engineering. Or maybe you’re into theater today, but later on, you’ll discover a passion for teaching or helping others.
Changing your mind doesn’t mean you’ve failed—it means you’re growing. The more you explore, the more you’ll discover new things that excite you. Passion isn’t about picking one thing forever. It’s about staying curious and open to whatever comes your way.
How to Start Developing Your Passion
So, if passion isn’t about “finding” the perfect thing, what should you do? Here’s how to start developing it:
Follow Your Curiosity: If something interests you, even a little, give it a try. You never know where it might lead.
Embrace Challenges: Don’t give up just because something is hard. Anything worth doing will be hard and struggle is part of the process. Remember, every expert was once a beginner.
Learn to Love the Process: Focus on the journey, not just the results. Even if you’re not great at something yet, enjoy the challenge of getting better.
Stay Open-Minded: Be willing to explore new things, even if they’re outside your comfort zone. Your next passion might surprise you.
Be Patient: Passions don’t develop overnight. Stick with things long enough to see how far you can go.
Final Word: Passion Is About Growth, Not Perfection
Passion isn’t hiding somewhere, waiting for you to “find” it. It’s something you grow by being curious, putting in the work, and sticking with things—even when they’re hard.
So stop stressing about having all the answers right now. Focus on exploring, learning, and enjoying the process. Over time, you’ll build passions that matter to you, and they’ll grow with you as you grow.
Your future isn’t about finding one perfect path. It’s about creating a life full of discovery, growth, and meaningful experiences. And that’s way better than chasing the idea of “finding your passion.”
And if you’re looking for inspiration, check out our post on “If You Have Stellar Grades, But No Extracurriculars, Read This.” If the last post has too many options, maybe read “Choosing the Right Extracurricular Activities” to help you narrow down which ones to try first.
Alternatively, if you’re looking for someone to guide, mentor, and cheer you on through this process, reach out and we’d make it happen!