“Who am I exercise” to find your interests

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So, you’re now on Part 3 of the Who am I?  journey and you’ve reached the next stage, the “Who am I exercise” to help you start finding your interests. It might seem a little backwards at first, but consider how often your interests stem from your identity (or who you think you are).

Analysis of your interests

In part 2 of the who am I series, you did a great job of self-reflection and analysis. But there’s always going to be parts of you to discover that you haven’t tapped into yet. One of the best ways to discover other sides of yourself is to explore your interests. I call this an Interest Analysis.

The first step to doing an analysis of your interests is to think about what you currently feel strongly about. I’m going to be very sparing with the word passion, because sometimes it can feel a bit offputting, especially if you have no clue what you’re passionate about.

Help, I don’t know what I’m passionate about

Have you ever been asked what your passion is and come up blank? Some of us just aren’t overly passionate personalities. Maybe you’re more introverted or self-reflective. Maybe you haven’t found out what your interests are yet. Maybe you have multiple interests and hobbies and keep changing them.

A passion doesn’t need to be something major or world-changing. Most passions start with an interest in something that you develop and refine. You don’t need to live, eat, and breathe your interests. But you do need to think about what interests keep you coming back for more – and keep you interested enough to make you want to invest significant time and effort into them.

When you engage in things that interest you, you light up your creative energy. The more you do that which interests you, the better you become at it. As you explore that interest more and more, you get more expertise and confidence in yourself, which grounds your sense of identity.

Blue-footed Booby Success Formula: “Who am I exercise” to find your interests

  1. Ask what you’re really interested in, enough to invest significant time and effort into it. Write down anything you can think of.
  2. Is there anything in this list that you could enjoy doing regularly, or even every day (and can imagine yourself doing it)? Circle this.
  3. Is there any cause, innovation, or development you feel strongly about? Write this down too.
  4. Now write down anything that you currently do outside of work that invigorates you (if you don’t have anything that invigorates you, look back to your answers to q1-3 and see if there’s anything on there that would motivate you to find the time to explore it (even if just once or twice a week).
  5. Try and think about what you’d like to be remembered for. Can you tie any of your interests to this?

Finding your interests in this “Who am I exercise” requires some thought and a willingness to explore and refine. Remember that your identity is dynamic, and you can constantly shift to explore different aspects of who you are. Experiment with different interests and ideas (not just the ones that fill time, but the ones that provide shape or meaning to your life).

The “Who am I exercise” conclusion: Stop trying to find your passion!

Screw finding your passion says Mark Manson and I tend to agree with him. Rather reframe your thoughts to finding your interests. You’re not going to miss out on anything if you don’t have one singular passion that defines you. Instead, try your hand at projects and hobbies that are fun and interesting to you.

By doing this, you’ll be harnessing your growth mindset as your journey towards more clarity on who you are.

Keep your eyes peeled for part 4 of the series: Who am I? Questions to help you find your people. For anyone who missed it, you can read part 1 and part 2 of the series while you wait 🙂

If you liked this “who am I exercise”, feel free to leave us a comment below, and please go ahead and share it.

Lastly, remember to join the blue-foot flock! We’re always looking for thinkers and dreamers like you to be part of our little clan. Blue-footed, left-handed, foot stompers and anything in between.

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