A list of over 130 passions to inspire and motivate you.

What is a passion in life?  A passion in life is something that you are strongly drawn to.

Some examples of passions are reading books, traveling, or fishing.

Passions can also be hobbies, a mission, a calling, or a purpose in life.

I remember what it was like to have no passions in life, or at least, not actively pursue them.

I know it sounds crazy, but I felt afraid and even guilty about pursuing my passions for fear of success.

It took a while, but once I was able to give myself permission to pursue my passions, my life felt more joyful, meaningful, purposeful, and genuine.

If you haven’t found yours yet, I have a list of passions that can help you:

• Learn about different types of passions.
• Get clarity about your personal passions.
• Get a sense of what you want to pursue in life.
• Develop more direction & focus.
• Create more meaning and joy in life.

I even have a free guide that you can download and print to help you find your passions and more!

Just fill out the form below and receive your guide!

Pursuing your passions can help you experience more joy, meaning, and positivity in life, according to a study.

If you stay with it long enough, your passion might turn into a profession, something you do competitively, or something you are great at.

Here are examples of passions, divided into different categories, to give you ideas of what you would like to pursue in life.

I. Hobbies and interests

Hobbies and interests are a type of passion that pique your curiosity and are usually done in your spare time.

You don’t have to be great at something to start a hobby or an interest.  You don’t even have to keep doing them if you lose interest.

I have had many interests that I dabbled in because I enjoyed them.  I’ve also started many hobbies because they looked like fun.

Did I continue pursuing all of them? Nope. It’s okay to pursue a passion and lose interest in it.

I let go of the ones that I grow tired of and continue to pursue the passions that I really love, like playing the piano. 

1. Crochet
2. Sudoku
3. Pickleball
4. Scrapbooking
5. Candle Making
6. Collecting sneakers
7. Bird watching
8. Chocolate maker
9. Hiking
10. Wine tasting
11. Jewelry making
12. Traveling
13. Cycling 
14. Comic conventions
15. Vintage clothing 
16. Antiques
17. Journaling

II. Skills and talents

Skills and talents can be types of passions that you’re either already adept at or you can hone over time.

If you have a natural ability, like singing, you have a talent.  A skill, on the other hand, is something that is acquired over time.

An example of a skill is creating beautiful pottery, which is something that takes time and effort to master.

1. Photography
2. Painting
3. Bowling
4. Acting
5. Organizing
6. Singing
7. Dancing
8. Playing a musical instrument
9. Baking pastries
10. Interior design
11. Basket weaver
12. Scuba diving

III. Dreams

Your dreams are your biggest aspirations and your heart’s greatest wishes.

They’re not always easy to attain, and you may never see your dreams come to fruition.

But they can help you pursue your passion because dreams can evoke positive emotions, keep you motivated, and give you a purpose in life.

If you stay passionate about your dreams long enough, they may even come true.

1. Being an astronaut.
2. Traveling the whole world.
3. Being strong and healthy at 100.
4. Becoming an Olympic athlete.
5. Being part of the Fortune 500.
6. Learning several languages.
7. Raising a large family.
8. Climbing to the top of a mountain.
9. Becoming a millionaire.
10. Winning an award.
11. Running your own business.

IV. Strengths

A strength is something that you have a natural gift for or something that comes easy to you.

One of my strengths is being a good listener because I am naturally curious about people and can easily empathize with them.

Naming your personal strengths isn’t always easy, which is why I have a list here to give you ideas.

1. Public speaking
2. Nurturing others
3. Seeing the big picture
4. Interpersonal skills
5. An eye for aesthetics
6. Creating systems
7. A knack for detail
8. Having precision
9. Bridging people together
10. Making people laugh
11. Caring for animals

V. Students

If you’re young and still in school, you might not know exactly what you want and that’s okay.

Your passion is something you can do for fun even if it doesn’t align with what you’re studying.

One of the great things about being a student is you’re in a good position to try out different passions without risking too much time, money, or energy.

1. Coaching little league
2. Mentoring young kids
3. Tutoring or teaching other students
4. Running for the student body
5. Writing for the newspaper
6. Doing scientific research
7. Starting or joining a club
8. Taking up a sport
9. Learning how to create and mix drinks
10. Studying abroad
11. Socializing and networking with peers

VI. Professional

A passion can be something that you do professionally, which typically requires certification or licensing.

These usually take commitment and sometimes a tremendous effort to achieve, but the reward is doing something you’re passionate about for a living.

1. Educator
2. Firefighting
3. Dentist
4. Yoga Instructor
5. Architect
6. Doctor
7. Counselor
8. Accountant
9. Hair Stylist
10. Lawyer
11. Airline pilot
12. Engineer
13. Tattoo artist

VII. Occupational

Your occupation is something you do for a living and depending on where you live, doesn’t necessarily require certification or licensing.

Like a profession, having an occupation that you’re passionate about is a double bonus because you get to do what you love every day and get paid for it.

1. Landscaper
2. Journeyman
3. Businessman
4. Author
5. Musician
6. Fashion designer
7. Chef
8. Caregiver
9. Housekeeping
10. Makeup artist
11. Florist 

VIII. Spiritual

When you think of the word spiritual, what might come to mind is religion.  While spirituality may seem synonymous with religion, it’s not always true.

Some spiritual passions can be non-religious activities that make you and others feel uplifted.  

For example, one of my favorite passions that lifts my spirits is walking in nature or things associated with nature.

1. Priest
2. Monk
3. Pastor
4. Nun
5. Shaman
6. Mindfulness instructor
7. Breathwork
8. Meditation
9. Journaling
10. Gardening
11. Martial arts

IX. Helping others

Helping others is an altruistic passion that benefits another individual, a community, or a large group of people.

It can be something you do for free, like volunteer firefighters. Or something you get paid for like being elected to your local school board.

If you don’t know where to start, you can help others in your own home or the area you live in.  You don’t have to join an organization to help other people. 

1. Organizing groups of people
2. Leadership
3. Fundraising
4. Civic leader
5. Activist
6. Hospital volunteer
7. Social worker
8. Humanitarian aid worker
9. Psychologist
10. Poll worker
11. Life coach
12. Mentor
13. Dog walker
14. PTA board member

X. Environmental

If you care about saving the planet and keeping it safe and healthy for future generations, you have an environmental passion.

There are so many ways you can help the environment.  You can start small and plant a vegetables in a community garden or join a local beach cleanup.

Or you can go big and join a club or organization like the Sierra Club or Greenpeace.

1. Hydroponic gardening
2. Peace Corps
3. Saving wildlife
4. Helping to preserve resources
5. Forest conservation
6. Helping indigenous people
7. Horticulture
8. City planner
9. Outdoorsman
10. Conservationist  

XI. Offbeat passions

Offbeat passions can seem strange to some and fun to others.  One “strange” (or so I thought at the time) passion I had as a kid was growing fruits and vegetables indoors under UV light.

I remember being embarrassed about checking out books on this subject at the library because I didn’t know anyone my age who did it.

Though I haven’t grown vegetables under UV light since then, I recognized through that “offbeat” passion that I loved nurturing things and seeing them thrive.

I didn’t understand it at the time because I was young and didn’t know any better.  For all I knew, I was a kid who had a “weird” passion.

But as an adult who is more self-aware, and has had time to process my life experiences, I was able to connect the dots.

That is the wonderful thing I discovered about passions, especially offbeat ones.

If you can step back and observe how all of your passions connect, it might reveal a pattern that underlies the seemingly random pieces.

You may be able to see something about yourself that wasn’t obvious before.

If you have a passion that is unique, obscure, or even embarrassing, don’t judge yourself.

It could lead to something greater later on or at the very least help you understand yourself a little better.

1. Riding rollercoasters
2. Tarot card reading
3. Hot dog eating contestant
4. Forest bathing
5. Gothic lifestyle
6. Fan club president
7. Conspiracy theorist
8. Sommelier
9. Energy healer
10. Sandcastle maker
11. Street food enthusiast
12. Survivalist

How to pursue your passions.

If you have an idea of what your passion or passions may be, you might be wondering what to do next.

I have 3 simple elements for you to keep in mind when it comes to pursuing your passion in life.

3 Elements of passion.

1. Your passion is something you enjoy.
2. Your passion is something you do regularly.
3. It’s ok to stop pursuing your passion if you lose interest.

If you ever have doubt or fear about pursuing your passion, remember these 3 elements.

The problems with pursuing your passion.

It’s not always easy to pursue your passion.  Things may come up unexpectedly that might bring confusion or discomfort.

Here are some problems I faced while pursuing my passion.

Fear

My biggest problem was fear, which I mentioned earlier because I was afraid of success if my wildest dreams came true.

I was also afraid of taking risks and made a lot of excuses for not pursuing my passions.

Doubt

Another problem was a feeling of doubt once I discovered what my passions were.

I remember the feeling popping up out of the blue.  I questioned whether or not I had found the right passions and if I should even pursue them.

Tips to help you pursue your passion.

Pursuing your passions can evoke fear and doubt, which can prevent you from pursuing them.

These emotions are valid, normal, and it’s okay for you to feel them.

Just remember that you don’t have to succumb to them and can overcome them by owning who you are and taking action.

Own who you are.

I heard this phrase from Cynthia “Cynt” Marshall, the current CEO of the Dallas Mavericks. It was one of the ways she gained success early in her career.

She said it’s important to own who you are, especially when you’re just starting out, because you will have fears and doubts while pursuing your dreams & goals.

Even if you have fear and doubt about your passion in life, taking ownership of yourself can keep you anchored to your passions to help you succeed in whatever it is you pursue.

Take action.

The next step you can take to pursue your passions in life is to take action. The first action step you can take is to create a life plan.

Before I start planning anything, I think about my end goal first.

I align my end goal with my values in life and plan enough time to achieve it.

Then I break the big goal up into smaller goals and plan accordingly for them.

If you need help planning your passions, I have some worksheets you can download and print to get you started. 

Other ways to find your passions in life.

Reading is one of my favorite ways to find out about anything.  If you want to read about finding your passions, I have a list of books about finding your passion that you can check out.

Another tip I want to share when it comes to following your passion is to find your bliss. Your bliss is the thing that gives you great joy and is a great way to find your true passion in life.

Lastly, find what makes you happy.  If you’re going to pursue your passions for the rest of your life, be sure it’s something that puts you in a state of happiness.

I hope you found my list of passions helpful.  If you have any to add, please share them in the comments!