Adedoyin Owotomo: How to Discover Your Passion

Finding the right career can be one of the most daunting goals to achieve as a young Nigerian; but once you find what you have a passion for and can figure out a way to make a career of it, you are on your way to living the dream life.

Now the million-dollar question is: what is your passion? How you discover it?

The first thing you need to understand is that discovering your passion is not an easy task. Absolutely NOT! There are many people who never figure out what their passion is in life is, talk less of how to make it work for them.

Here are some things young people in Nigeria must do to discover their passion and jumpstart the journey to living your best life in due time.

Start Early
Knowing what your passion is, and succeeding in it, is not an age factor. There are children as young as 9, who know what their purpose in life is and are living it. Unfortunately for us all, the Nigerian educational system, especially the higher institutions, presents more than the fair share of challenges and does not adequately prepare and equip young people for success and thrive in the real world.
However, it is important to focus on what drives and moves us when we are young. People that have been fortunate enough to harness their talents at a young age tend to be successful faster than those that are not as lucky.
Staying focused and an early start working towards success during your time in school, especially university can help in finding your passion and building a career in it.

Your Future is In Your Hands… Get Creative
Our world today is fiercely competitive. So, how creative you are will determine how successful you will become.
We are looking for the most efficient, creative, effective ways to get things done but with the aim of adding value.

A lot of young adults nowadays are not adding value. They feel too entitled, do not want to hustle, are lackadaisical about responsibility, lack initiative or are not ambitious enough, yet they want to be high rollers and big spenders. {Apologies for the generalization}

REALITY CHECK: Your success is NOT going happen without getting your ‘hustle on’.

Yes, it is good to want to be successful, but not putting in the work to achieve the success is what leads to failure. You have to desire success and see a dream that is far bigger than your reality. Then, do all it legally and morally takes, to make it a reality.

Most of the successful people in Nigeria are able to do so because they have utilized the resources available to them in our economy of very limited resources. This is all part of creativity.

Learn & Develop the Best Habits
The greatest currency a man can have is his character.
Your character is developed through values and experiences you are exposed to.
It is highly imperative that you demonstrate the behaviours and take actions that project you positively.
You have to do ALL IT TAKES to increase and/or maintain the value your character currency.
It is the ONE major factor that can sustain you in achieving your dreams, even if you are not lucky enough to find your passion early in life.
Make sure you surround yourself with positive, like-minded and ambitious people, who will motivate you to be a better person. Also, you can take up any opportunity that may seem challenging. It helps you to learn faster and develops your personal growth.

Discover Yourself
What are your hobbies? What do you enjoy doing? What gives you a lot of joy when you’re achieving it? You have to be brave enough to explore. It may, not always be by choice as the economy and our culture does not necessarily encourage it. However, it is absolutely imperative for all young people to spend their free time trying out new things. You discover yourself by doing.

Read a book; start a new hobby; learn a new skill; explore new places in your locality; join or start an organization that supports your interest; go on overseas exchange programs in your field, if you are a student and can afford it; travel, especially around Africa.
This way, you have a better chance of finding your passion and turning it into a potential, fulfilling career

Do Not Let Money Be Your Focus
While no one should settle for just any job or career, your main focus needs to be on having a career that you love and that makes you happy. If money is a main motivation for choosing a particular career, then consider it a suicide mission.
Here’s why: if the money does not come as fast as you anticipated or does not meet all your needs, you will be discouraged, lose interest in that job or career and start looking for another opportunity with higher pay.
You would have lost so much time ‘managing’ a job that you did not entirely like or were not suited for in the first place. Focus instead on developing and honing the skills required to effectively do the job you are passionate about.

Get Experience
One major factor that can also help with identifying one’s career path early is getting some work experience. Your work experience can be paid or unpaid and can be in form of an internship, a holiday or a volunteer job. You need to draw up a list of potential organizations you are interested in working at and apply to them.
Constantly conduct targeted research on companies that have positions open to students to work during the summer. You can also get a job via family members and friends, who have well-established businesses, or get one through several student organizations that may have corporate sponsors willing to hire interns during the holidays.

Consistency is Key
Never forget that success is a journey and it will take time. Whether you find your passion early or not, make sure you keep your eye on the prize. You can and must hone the talent and skill required to develop your passion into something valuable for others.

Do not be discouraged by obstacles and naysayers, stay the course and continue to be hardworking, focused, determined and most importantly, never give up.

Photo Credit: Dreamstime |Robert Kneschke