When is the last time that you did something completely for yourself, and completely because you wanted to? Not for a grade, not to be paid, not because someone asked or told you to, and now because you felt like you had to. And I don’t mean the basic day to day things like “I ate a cookie because I alone wanted to” or “I went on a run for myself.” Those are both great and important things to do for yourself. I’m a firm believer that you should eat as many cookies and log as many miles as you want, do whatever makes you feel like your best self. My focus is more, however, on a project. A project that you begin simply because it’s something you find fun and it’s something you want to do.
What I’m talking about is a passion project.
A passion project is basically a creative project that you complete on the side of your regular projects.
This is a term that I had heard mentioned in the past but hadn’t really considered, but now that I’ve done the research, I can now say that I believe that it’s something we all need to delve into at least once in our lives. After all, how often do you take time to work on something simply because you truly care about it and truly want to work on it?
How do you get started on your very own?
Pick something that you like and, most importantly, that you think is fun. Something that gives you satisfaction and puts you in a state of flow while you’re doing it, meaning you get enjoyment simply from doing the activity and not from whatever result it’s going to give you.
This could be anything! From writing a book to mastering your cooking skills and compiling your favorite recipes. Maybe becoming a volunteering regular or putting your green thumb to use and implementing a garden in an empty outdoor space. The opportunities are literally endless, because the only qualification is that it’s something that gives you joy from the simple act of doing it. Pick an activity (it doesn’t necessarily have to have an end result but should include at least an end goal) and then ask yourself: “Does this sound fun?”
If the answer is yes, you’ve found your project.
The next step is to write down all the reasons why you should do your project. This step is crucial in making sure your initial excitement for the project doesn’t fizzle out. Any activity can get boring after time, no matter how passionate you are about it. You need concrete reasons to keep yourself going. These could be things like:
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I enjoy doing this.
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It will grow me creatively.
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It will make me love this thing more.
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I want to be better at this.
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I want to help these people.
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I miss doing this thing.
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It will relieve my stress
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And so, so many more things…
The hardest part will be getting started. Getting over the initial fear of perfectionism and wondering what to do will be the most difficult step. But once you implement it into your routine, a passion project can work wonders.
It can relax you, unleash your creative side, and allow you to focus on doing something for yourself and only yourself. Give it a try, a lot of people recommend 30 days, but if that’s too much just start with today.
What can you do for yourself and to put your passion to work right now?