Forget Passion Projects; try a Commitment Project Instead

This week I want to share a spark that will help you commit to a project idea for 30-days so you can discover if you're passionate about it or not.

You're always told to follow your passion, but what if you're not passionate about anything?

For many people, this is a reality. You might have interests and hobbies, but nothing that feels like a true passion. 

This is tough to live with because it can feel like you're missing something crucial in your life, especially when you see other people happily "following their passion" towards success and you don't "have a passion".

Finding your purpose without a passion for guiding you can be challenging.

Some people can find their purpose without having a specific passion for guiding them. But for many people, passion drives them to find their purpose and live a truly meaningful life. 

Passion is often the result of being immersed in something for a while.

We tend to view passion as being like being hit by a bolt of lightning, especially in passionate relationships. The love-at-first-sight model created by Hollywood is one we all strive for, but not something everyone experiences.

"Passion is not something you go after as an end in itself. It’s rather a symptom of your engagement with anything into which you are fully immersed."—David Allen

The good news is, as author David Allen points out, passion is often the result of being fully immersed in something. In other words, you must commit to a project to see if you're passionate about it. 

Commit to a project for a period of time to see if you develop a passion for it.

If you're wondering whether you have the potential to be passionate about something, the best way to find out is to commit to a project for a set period of time and see how you feel after you've put in the work.

Of course, there's no guarantee that you'll fall in love with the thing you're trying to be passionate about, but you won't know unless you give it a shot. And even if you don't become passionate about the thing you set out to do, you may find that you enjoy the process and the satisfaction that comes from completing it, and you can tick it off your list of shiny objects.

Here's the step-by-step breakdown of the process

Step 1: Create a shortlist of project ideas you're interested in.

Generate a list of potential project ideas by either writing down the kinds of projects you want to work on or the topics that interest you. 

You might also brainstorm a list of new skills you would like to learn, as learning is the fastest way to engage with something.

Step 2: Choose the easiest project to get started.

Sometimes, the most straightforward projects are the best ones to start with. 

It can be overwhelming when you start looking at the resources you need or the time you will need to devote to something.

Look at your list and rank them from easiest to most difficult. Start with the easiest. You only need to devote 30-days to this process to knock off 12 of these project ideas yearly.

Step 3: Block out the next 30-days for your project.

There is a reason that monthly challenges are so popular on Instagram. 30-days is long enough to find out if you are passionate about something but not so long as to get completely bored of it if the passion isn't there.

30-days will give you plenty of time to complete the work but also give yourself some breathing room, so you don't feel too pressured or overwhelmed about all that needs to be done each day. So, could you put it on your calendar now? Then, schedule a daily block of time to get immersed in your new project.

Step 4: Plan out your project goal.

It's essential to start with a clear goal of what you want to achieve with this project, but conversely, focusing on an outcome is counter-productive when trying to develop a passion for something.

It helps instead to focus on a metric you can measure, such as committing to writing 1000 words every day for 30-days or spending two hours practising the piano. 

Step 5: Set up your accountability framework.

If you can, seek support from other people! If you have friends who share goals or who can act as cheerleaders for this project, having them around can help with motivation and accountability.

Another way to do this is to commit publically on your social media or join in with global challenges. This public accountability will give you the proper pressure to show up daily.

Step 6: Commit to your project for the next 30-days.

Once you have blocked out the time and made a public declaration, it's time to focus on your project. 

You will only cultivate a passion if you are fully immersed in your project, so it is time to commit to it 100% for the next 30-days. 

Ready, set, go!

Takeaways

—Purpose comes from passion, but not everyone has one

—Passion can come from being immersed in something

—If you seek passion and purpose, try aiming for a commitment first

—Learning a new skill helps you become engaged in a topic

—Time-based projects help build commitment and engagement

—Create a time-based project where you learn something new to see if it leads to passion.

⚡ I hope this sparked for you why to commit to a project first so you can see if you're passionate about it. 

Please tag me on Instagram and let me know if you found the template useful.

What project or challenge can you commit to for the next 30-days?