When a new year starts, many of us often find ourselves reassessing our lives, goals, dreams, and passions, but when we go through this process, we might realize that we are feeling stagnant and that something needs to change.
If you’ve been feeling stuck in a rut lately, and that the same passions that once fulfilled you are no longer serving you, you’re not alone.
Oftentimes, our passions come to be such a big part of our lives that, when we realize that they are no longer serving us, it can feel intimidating — and may leave us questioning who we are.
But here’s a secret: We’re allowed to change.
In fact, the only constant in life is change, and if we don’t change, we don’t grow. The world changes. The human species is constantly changing, and we as individuals are always changing throughout our lives. We grow and adapt, we meet new people, we learn new things.
So it’s OK if what once brought you joy no longer does because you’re not the same person you were last year or last month. Heck, you’re not even the same person you were yesterday.
If the person you are today wants to change direction and pursue a new passion, go for it! Find the next thing that satisfies your spirit so much that you could just burst.
Here are some of my best tips for making it happen:
1) Give yourself permission to follow a new path.
Giving yourself permission to try something new can be incredibly difficult. It can even feel scary. And when you’re used to following the rules and doing what you have to do–and what is expected of you–it can be easy to forget that you have a choice.
Yeah. There’s a little something called free will, which means you always have a choice, especially when it comes to your passions and the hobbies you pursue, but when you’re not used to owning this–that you have a choice–it makes it that much harder to allow yourself to act on it.
If you’re a perfectionist, following a new path can provoke a fear of choosing the wrong one. You might get caught in that dreaded black and white thinking and feel like you’re being forced to choose between life and death.
Just remember that no one can force you to pursue a hobby or passion that no longer serves you. In fact, you have all the freedom in the world to explore new interests. You only have to let yourself do it.
2) Talk to people.
Throughout the course of our lives, we cross paths with countless people who affect us in all different ways. Some may hurt us, but others may deeply inspire us, and it is when we meet those people that we might discover new parts of ourselves.
If you’re feeling a bit lost, and like the passions that have brought you so much joy for so long no longer do, get out there and talk to people. Talk to your friends. Talk to your family. (You might feel like you know everything there is to know about your closest friends and family members, but you probably don’t). Talk to your cashier at the grocery store. Talk to your local librarian. Talk to the barista at Starbucks.
When you talk to other people, a few things can happen. First, you can start understanding their perspectives and what life looks like through their eyes, which is valuable in itself. But when you talk to people, it also exposes you to new things that you never would have known about otherwise. You can learn about their hobbies and passions and what brings them joy. Your local librarian might be a rock climber or a beekeeper who makes her own honey. Maybe your mom used to write songs when she was young but you never knew that about her, and maybe you’ll realize that same love for music runs through your veins too, but you never gave it room to surface before.
So talk to people. It might change your life.
3) Get out of your comfort zone.
That darn comfort zone. We all know the definition of our own comfort zones and where the boundaries are that keep us feeling safe. And I’m sure we can pinpoint the times when staying in our comfort zone held us back, as much as it sucks to admit.
Sometimes, though, we really need to break out of it, as uncomfortable, and–let’s face it– unnerving, as it might seem. It’s often how we see the most significant growth in ourselves.
Exploring past the boundaries of our comfort zone allows us to challenge ourselves, which, although daunting, has so many benefits for our overall happiness. If we never challenged ourselves, we wouldn’t grow and we wouldn’t discover new passions.
Break free from the chains that are holding you back! You never know what’s waiting for you on the other side.
4) Follow that spark.
While you might be finding that the passion you’ve had for years isn’t doing it for you anymore, you might also know exactly what you want to try next. Maybe just thinking about pursuing that new path is already lighting you up inside.
You never want to deny yourself of something that has the potential to make your soul smile, and feeling that spark within you? That means you’re excited about it. And that’s a very good sign.
So don’t deny that call. Be sure to answer it!
Life is too short to feel stuck and uninspired. But when we make the choice to take action and pursue new passions that satisfy our spirits, leaving behind those that no longer serve us, we are honoring ourselves, and that is one of the best ways to live.
