Finding your passion and purpose – it’s a pretty big idea, and it can be hard to know where and how to start. But I guarantee that once you have it, you won’t look back.

Lots of people talk about their job or career being something they enjoy or even love. For a lot of women though, it is still just that: a job.

No one tells you how to find your passion and purpose, or your ‘why’, they just tell you that you should find one. You can tell when someone has found theirs, but how do you find yours?

Here are a few easy steps to follow to find your passion and purpose in life.

Give yourself the space and time to dream and create

This first step to finding your passion is the most important, so do not rush it. Keep an open mind and give it the time it deserves.

Giving yourself the space to dream and create doesn’t mean taking a holiday to unwind. You will eventually just go back to what you were originally doing anyway.

You need a pen and paper for this one. You need to sit and relax in a quiet place. Let your mind wander. Ask yourself the questions:

• What do I really want, professionally and personally?
• What am I good at?
• What do I enjoy doing?

Write it down, no matter how big or small the idea. Do this as if money, time, or circumstances were not an issue. You can create anything you think about.

You need to play with these ideas, and you need to do this every day for a few weeks. Sharpen, refine and perfect these ideas until you have a clear picture in your own mind.

Eventually, this should whittle down to just one package of what you really want, both professionally and personally.

If it takes longer, that’s fine, do the process for longer. Be true to yourself. You’ll know when you have landed on the idea that you hold most dear. It’s been there all along; you have just refused to give it any attention.

It’s the thoughts and ideas that have you waking up in the morning full of excitement, happiness and anticipation of the awesomeness that is you and what you are going to pursue. It is your essence and your spark, and you already have it.

Put your time and energy where it counts

Now that you have a clearly defined idea of what you really want, there’s probably going to be nagging thoughts in your mind.

You might be thinking, “How can I do this?” or “I can’t do this; the time is not right, I don’t have the time, or the money”.

That thinking needs to stop. These are called ‘limiting beliefs’ because you are limiting yourself. While you will naturally have these thoughts, it’s important not to give them energy or time. When they do recur, recognise them and start moving forward anyway.

Remember that picture you formed in your mind? Keep it there. See it, feel it, live it, breathe it, and go to sleep thinking about it. This is what you really want.

That is what I mean by putting your time and energy where it counts. When you do this, you will naturally start taking steps towards your goal. You will be making small changes as you start moving in the direction of a future you create for yourself.

Keep moving forward and trust the process

When you set your mind on your passion and purpose, you won’t know all the steps needed to get there. You are, after all, taking a leap of faith.

If you have truly followed the first two steps outlined above, you may still have no idea how you are going to get there. But what you do have in mind is the end game.

You won’t necessarily know all the steps needed to achieve your purpose, but you now know ‘why’ you need to achieve your purpose. This I know for sure because I have followed the process and continue this practice every day.

Once you have this clarity, keep your eyes and mind wide open. You’ll notice things, you’ll hear things, you’ll see opportunities that you were never attuned to before. When you see them, you need to act, almost instantly. They have always been there, but you have never given the time or energy to those thoughts before.

Once you follow these three simple steps, you are well on your way to discovering your passion and purpose in life, your true desires and calling, your ‘why’. Trust the process; it works.