Passion. The word alone evokes an emotional response from most people. Ask 100 people what they are passionate about, and you’re probably going to get 100 different answers. Some people will give you a sentence or two while others might go into a long talk about the who, what, and why of their passions. A few people might even give you a whole list of their passions.
Everyone has a story, and everyone has a reason behind their passion. So what’s on your list of passions?
In this post, I created a list of 73 passions. To make it easier to follow, each passion is listed under a category. The categories themselves could probably be counted as passions, but I’ll leave that for you to decide.
And as a bonus, I’ve added a short exercise at the end of this post to help you discover your passions.
What is Passion?
The definition of the word passion in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is “a strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something.” For example, someone passionate about helping others would look for ways they could fulfill that passion. They might look to volunteer their time, start a non-profit, or make regular donations to the charity that fits their passion and values.
Why Passion?
Going through daily life without any passion is dull. We have to do things that excite us and get us taking action. It’s nice to feel an enthusiasm and a purpose to something. Whether it’s a passion for family relationships, a hobby, health, or anything else–it’s important to feel the passion.
List of Passions
On to the featured part of this post: a list of passions. For ease of reading, passions are divided up into six categories:
- Relationships
- Health and Wellness (Physical and Mental Health)
- Personal Development
- Purpose
- Fun
- Service
Category 1: Relationships
The first category on the list of passions is relationships. Great relationships make all the difference in life. Relationships are such a critical topic that one of the best-selling books of all time, How to Win Friends and Influence People is all about creating a maintaining great relationships.
- Family
- Spouse
- Children
- Grandchildren
- Friends
- Siblings
- Co-workers
- Acquaintances
- Extended relatives
- People We Run Across
Category 2: Health and Wellness (Physical and Mental Health)
Category two is health and wellness. Without our health we don’t have much. A couple years ago, I had serious back pain where for several weeks it was hard to walk, exercise, work, and even tie my shoes. One day in particular I couldn’t even get out of bed for a few hours. I already knew health was everything, but that was a very real and painful reminder of how true that is.
If you are someone who has had a serious health issue, or any health issue–chances are you are passionate about health and wellness. Not just avoiding pain, but an active seeker of healthy activities that will maintain optimal physical and mental health.
- Living in the present
- Valuing time
- Creating simplicity
- Eating healthy
- Competing in sports
- Running
- Hiking
- Biking
- Weight training
- Swimming
- Recreation
- Exercise programs
- Quiet time
- Optimal sleep
- Rest
- Time away
- Self-care
- Taking a day off
- Extended time away
- Making healthy food
Related:
Category 3: Personal Development and Life
The next category is about getting better and living your best life. I’ve heard this category called self-help, but I prefer the name personal development. The combination of words “personal development” is very powerful. It’s about taking aggressive action to better your life and move toward your goals.
Personal development benefits everyone no matter who they are or what they do for a living. A basketball player who shoots 80 percent from the free throw line one year and shoots 500 free throws every day during the offseason to improve his percentage to 87 percent is engaging in personal development. Same with a computer programmer who expands her skills to new programs and industries.
An individual in debt who reads personal finance books and makes changes to his financial situation is engaged in personal development. No matter what you do for a living or what your goals are, personal development is a way to improve your current situation. Small daily improvements add up to big things. To quote the great Jim Rohn: “Don’t wish is was easier, wish you were better.”
- Reading
- Writing
- Maximizing potential
- Learning new things
- Adding value
- Taking action
- Actively listening to podcasts
- Masterminds
- Getting out of comfort zone
- Focusing on the big things
- Acquiring wisdom
- Improving personal finances
- Expanding skills
- Learning
- Doing things that matter
- Being intentional
- Journaling
- Getting organized
- Pushing your own limits
- Taking calculated risks
Category 4: Fun
A list of passions without fun is an incomplete list. There’s plenty of time for life’s serious moments–it’s important to remember to make time for fun. It’s easy to get caught up in the daily grind. Next thing you know weeks and months have passed by without taking the time to do something fun.
Pause, take a break, and do something fun. There are tons of activities–both free and paid that anyone can do for fun.
- Travel
- Hobbies
- Recreation
- Weekend away
- Vacation
- Night with friends
- Sabbatical
- Playing with kids
- Sporting events
- Playing with a pet
- Daily activities that bring job
- Road trip
- Going to a park
Related:
104 Things to do That Don’t Cost Money (or Very Little Money)
Category 5: Service
One of our biggest legacies is the service we bring to others. Whether it’s teaching others a skill, donating our time, or just brightening up someone’s day–serving others makes life better not just for the person or people you are serving, but for you as well.
- Volunteering
- Adding value
- Helping others
- Creating abundance
- Bettering others
- Brightening up someone’s day
- Giving a specific compliment
- Providing honest feedback
- Donating time and/or money
- Mentoring
Bonus: How to Discover Your Own List of Passions
To discover your passions, try this short and simple exercise. Make sure you have about 20 minutes without distractions.
- Grab a pen and paper.
- Set a timer for 10 minutes.
- Write down everything that could be a passion. Don’t think too much, the point of this step is just to get it down on paper. Write down anything that comes to mind, even if it doesn’t make sense at first.
- After 10 minutes, circle the passions that most speak to you.
- You’ll probably have about three or four things circled, these are your top passions.
- Keep the list or take a photo of it–you might want to revisit this list from time to time to see if your passions have changed.
Conclusion
It’s important to have passions. It’s easy to get caught up in the day to day tasks and move from week to week, month to month, and year to year. Sometimes we forget about the things we enjoy and are passionate about. There’s an old saying: “The days are long, but the years are short.”
Life isn’t just about the daily grind and getting ahead, there’s a lot more to it than that. Taking a step back to create a list of passions brings a pause to the everyday tasks. It’s a great reminder of what is important, what we enjoy, and what we’re passionate about.
What’s on your list of passions?
