Hey there YuBoss! Happy New Year!!

You’ve celebrated the arrival of 2018, whether you chose to party with Moet & friends or meditate at midnight, and now the question is — how do you want to SHOW UP this year?

There’s lots of talk about goal setting and action plans (which I’m a huge fan of), but I believe the missing step in the process is to first decide how you want to BE.

After all, you are a human being, not a human doing, right?!

We spend so much time in the doing (“what should I do for my job/career, where should I live, who should I date”) opposed to our being (“what’s my passion, where do I feel inspired, how do I love”) — and this is why so many of us struggle with accomplishing the things we set out to do.

The goals we set often don’t align with who we are, and therefore, we lose interest and give up on them. –  tweet this!

When I think back to the goals I set for myself in 2017 >>

+  launch a self development course for women in transition (YuSchool)

+  travel to Europe for a month in the summer (Spain, Italy, Greece, Belgium, Germany)

+  join a gym and do group classes regularly (yoga and bootcamp)

+  spend more time with family/friends/dating (hosting dinners, mtg new people…)

I realize that every goal that I set are aligned with my values, and therefore, I was more empowered to follow through and actually achieve them!

So much that I even ran a Kickstarter campaign to launch YuSchool, and I’m super stoked to let you know that we killed it! Check it out here. We’re also super GRATEFUL for how many YuBosses committed to taking on their lives with bold courage.

You have to feel connected to your goals, so that you 100% want to do them — and the only way to do this is to know what you desire (your values, what makes you feel alive, empowered and passionate).

So I’m sharing 4 steps to help you discover your passion, sourced from an article I loved in iheartintelligence by Robyn Reisch, which will help you set your 2018 intentions:

1: FIND JOY IN THE PROCESS.

Finding your passion should be treated more like a treasure hunt than a homework assignment. Consider it to be a joyful adventure. Be curious, and try out things that you would normally not do. Quiet any voice that tells you you’re too old, not educated enough, or in the right shape for a topic that interests you. By definition, nobody can be excluded from having an interest or passion. Try out photography,  write a story and share it with friends, or volunteer somewhere you’ve always wanted to go. Don’t take the search too seriously. Allow yourself to have fun. Who knows? You may discover a new interest.

2: PAY ATTENTION TO WHEN YOU LOSE TRACK OF TIME.

The greatest passions are the ones we get lost in. Often we become too wrapped up in results and fail to acknowledge the value of the experience itself. By definition, the state of flow, is “an ecstatic state to such a point that you feel as though you almost don’t exist,” and it’s often found when we lose ourselves.  This is truly when the magic happens. Achieving a state of flow promotes focus, creativity, and, with practice, optimal results. If you encounter such a state during any activity, even if you don’t think you have a natural talent for it, you owe it to yourself to do more of it.

3: REDISCOVER WHAT MADE YOU HAPPY AS A CHILD.

Did you love playing sports? Join a gym with group classes. Did you spend hours writing in your diary? Start a blog. Did you draw on the walls as a toddler? Take an art class. Childhood is when our personalities were the most pure. We had not yet been pushed in a certain direction by our parents and teachers, and had no timelines or responsibilities to hold us back. We were free to pursue our innate passions and explore our most treasured gifts. Reawaken the love you had for your childhood dog by volunteering at an animal shelter. If nothing else, the nostalgia will do you good.

4: INVESTIGATE YOUR IRRITATIONS.

What are the things people do that shouldn’t irritate you – but do? Are you annoyed by singing on the subway or the neighbor’s late-night dinner parties? Write down activities people partake in that drive you nuts, and next to them write down why. Pay special attention to when you use words like “self-indulgent”, “frivolous”, or “unproductive.” These often indicate a deeply rooted sense of jealousy. Perhaps that subway musician annoys you because you are on your way to a more practical job at an accounting firm. Secretly, you would love to spend your own day playing guitar. Take this as a sign, and enroll in some lessons.

“Don’t ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive,” said Howard Thurman.

Find the thing that makes you come alive, and kindle that fire with everything you’ve got.

Finding fulfillment does not make you selfish. It makes you whole.

Now that you’ve had a chance to think about your own passion, what’s ONE thing you want to do now? Share in the comments below, I’d love to hear.

If you have a friend who’s struggling to find their passion, share this article. It may help them get clear on what they want, so they can finally go after it too!

Remember, success starts the moment you choose to be YOU.

With lots of love.

XX,

Tonia

P.S. If you’re ready to take self discovery and following your passion to an even deeper (more actionable level) check out YuSchool. Enrollment is now OPEN. Be bold. Be confident. Be You.