When you wake up in the morning, do you feel inspired and excited about the day? Or do you dread your responsibilities and just power through the mundane? If you identify more so with the latter, you might want to consider starting a passion project.
A passion project is something you work on that gives you a sense of purpose—typically done on the side of your usual responsibilities and work life. For some people this might be a side hustle; for others it might resemble more of a hobby. Generally speaking, a passion project is a little piece of yourself that you’re giving to the world; it’s inspiring and gives your life more meaning, despite what other things you need to accomplish day in and day out.
I’ve been thinking about this concept a lot over the past few months, not realizing there was a term for it until a couple days ago. In addition to what I talked about in my post about finding what makes you happy to be alive, I realized I’ve been working on my own little “passion project” for awhile now.
I’ve been doing this because…although I have so many great things going on in my life, I don’t have that sense of meaning that I crave. So instead of feeling mentally dead at the end of every day and anxious for the weekend to begin, I’ve been trying to squeeze in a little time here or there to work on something completely unrelated that I truly care and feel great about.
The idea of a passion project might sound crazy to some people, because how can you invest more time and energy into a side project when you’re already overwhelmed with everything else that’s going on!? I think a lot of us think like this, but then you see someone else who is just as busy as you are…yet they seem to be accomplishing so much more and actually feel fulfilled as a result. It’s all about how you prioritize your time and needs.
For example: Sure, you could do healthy meal prep all day Sunday, but if that’s the only “me-time” you have, would it be a better use of your day to care for your mental/emotional health by dedicating yourself to a passion project instead? (I don’t meal prep nearly as much as I used to because of this exact reason.)
Just a reminder: you have the same 24 hours in a day that Beyoncé has. It’s what you do with that time that really counts!
Finding that extra time might be the hardest part, but if you actively try to make time for yourself, there’s a good chance you’ll figure something out. Depending on your interests and lifestyle, your passion project might mean something like practicing photography, volunteering at an animal shelter, training for a bodybuilding competition, starting a band, becoming a fitness instructor, or planning your next big travel adventure.
When you find a passion project that speaks to you, there’s a good chance it’ll bring you clarity, reduce your stress, and make you get lost in the process. It awakes something within you that may have been sitting dormant for a long time. If you’re lucky, this might keep snowballing into bigger and more exciting things, making a part of yourself come alive that you never knew you had.
This blog was a passion project I started five years ago, and although there have been random periods where I was just not feeling it, it’s something I feel very proud of. It has, no doubt, guided my life in a direction that I wouldn’t have taken if I had never started it that one summer. I’m so thankful I dove into this little hobby, and I’m equally excited and scared for the more in-depth passion project that’s currently in the works (that I plan to share soon).
I strongly encourage you to think about things that have always interested you that you just haven’t quite committed to doing yet. You might end up discovering a passion that you want to make a much more significant part of your life.
What’s a passion project you’ve done? Is there one you want to start?
Well you should be proud of yourself for this passion project!
Well thanks! 🙂