December 13, 2011
8 Days to Action: DAY 2, Invest in Resources That Massage Your Passion
We challenge you, in this eight-day series, to get in the driver’s seat of your life so that you can direct it where you want to go. Based on The 8 Cylinders of Success,â„¢ this series will help you discover ways to align those cylinders and thus create the most powerful vehicle possible from your life. The more cylinders you are able to align, the more powerful your personal movement.
DAY TWO: Passions = Your Keys
Your passions are the keys that get your vehicle started. On the journey of life, passions are the activities that ignite you and get you fired up when you do them, hear about them, see them or talk about them. Only you hold the key to your passions. The ultimate goal is to find the right set of keys that set your vehicle into motion.
Like your keys, the best way to recover your passions is to retrace your steps by asking, “Where was I when I last had them?†This process usually requires going back to your childhood. Much like the way you recover your keys, you can recover your passion for life with a few simple steps.
Passions begin as interests and one interest can lead to another, which leads to another until you finally find an interest that you’re committed to making a passion.
Your passions unlock vital doors and you should use them every day. By making the same commitment to your passions as you do to your car, they will take you places that cars can’t go. If your passion is photography, then shoot at least one photo every day. If your passion is interacting with customers, then shift as much of your work schedule as possible to doing that. The only way to make a passion into a valuable skill is to use it so often that people around you begin to recognize you and rely on you for it. People who are the best at something in their company or community typically create and capture the most value in terms of money and long-term opportunities. Aligning your passion and profession is the ultimate form of job security because it makes you hard to replace.
Activity: List five to 10 classes, conferences, or organizations that will help you crystallize your passion into a skill and/or allow you to network with other people who share your passion.
Example: As a pubic speaker and motivator, I participate and invest in organizations and resources including ToastMasters International , Tony Robbins’ Unleash The Power Within, The 5 O’Clock Club, The Manhattan Comedy Club’s introductory class and the Net Impact Conference.
DAY ONE: Principles = Your Dashboard
DAY THREE: Problems = Your Fuel
DAY FIVE: Positioning = Your Lane
DAY SIX: Pioneers = Your Direction
DAY SEVEN: Picture = Your Road Map
Jullien “Purpose Finder†Gordon is founder of The Department of Motivated Vehicles, a personal and professional development company that specializes in motivating individuals, employees and teams. In addition to The 8 Cylinders of Success featured in this series, he has written four books on career advancement, goal-setting and procrastination, and maximizing college. He serves as consultant and speaker to companies, colleges and other organizations across the nation.