Gettin Dialed: Prioritizing your passion

The two biggest objections I here when I talk to people about living the Zesty Life, and enjoying your passions, “I don’t have time.” or “I don’t know what my passion is”. Both of those statements are b.s.

When you evaluate exactly how you spend your average week, I assure you that you can carve out at least two to four hours to spend for yourself. And what is your passion: it’s what you’re talking about, the topic or activity or idea that dominates a significant amount of your thoughts and time. It’s what floats around in your subconcious without pursuing it or looking for it.

Why you shouldn’t go to the gym

One of the biggest things I realized by pursuing my own interests was that willpower is no match for emotional investment. I’ve always wanted to learn a few languages, but never got very far. I’ve also always wanted to play guitar and after a year of practicing almost every day, I can get through a handful of songs and chords.

The difference between these two ventures is the emotional gratification. Learning Spanish didn’t really resonate with my emotions and the idea of speaking another language meant more to me than actually learning it. On the other hand, I get swept away with guitar, it allows me to express myself and I feel emotionally rewarded—even if I’m not super talented, I love it and I love the process! The same goes for sports I enjoy, I would much rather hit the trails than hit the gym.

Whether it’s going to the gym, learning a language, changing your diet or learning an instrument, most people quickly fail. This is because if you’re not being emotionally rewarded for something, you are eventually going to give it up, no matter how much willpower you have.

Willpower is discipline. It means doing things you don’t always want to do. It means setting your alarm clock for an early run because you tell yourself you should. —and 5am rolls around and you say what the F*ck was I thinking! *snooze*

Passion is the dream. With passion, you cast you head up to the sky and reach a little higher. You always find a way to go that extra mile, stay up that extra hour learning to play your favourite song or put in the extra bit of zest in whatever you’re doing! Passion means having a goal in mind that inspires you. It turns work into a mission and mundane details become a proving ground filled with lessons and opportunities for growth.

Many people get depressed when they lose focus or motivation because they think that successful people have some unstoppable passion and willpower that they seem to be missing. The truth is, you just need to do things that are emotionally rewarding to you.

Passion is an abstract word and the process of “discovering your passion” has become way too complex. Passion = feeling excited about what you’re doing. If you want to be in the best shape of your life for example, then the only way to reach that result is to fall in love with the process of eating healthy and exercising consistently. Try finding a sport or activity you enjoy, rather than telling yourself you must go to the gym.

If you want to become significantly better at anything, you have to fall in love with the process of doing it. You have to fall in love with the journey, rather than merely dreaming about the results that you want.

https://vimeo.com/zestylife