The Eleven Steps to Passion(摘录自 work from passion)

The following are summaries of the eleven steps to passion and the eleven passion secrets. If you look at these two lists regularly they will become affirmations that prepare your mind for success.

The Eleven Steps to Passion

1. Learn to feel as well as you think, then your mind and heart will work as a team to solve your problems. Remember that feelings are slower than thoughts, so be patient as you become aware of them. Acknowledge the value of all your feelings, even those that make you feel uncomfortable. Become familiar with the six basic fears that block the expression of your feelings: the fear of poverty, the fear of criticism, the fear of losing love, the fear of illness, the fear of old age, and the fear of death. Face these fears head-on and they will lose their power over you.

2. Write your autobiography, beginning with a description of your grandparents’ beliefs about money, work, sex, gender, religion, and love. Starting your story with your grandparents will give you more objectivity about your parents, which sets you free to be yourself. You may require professional help in taking this step if you have never done any therapy or other personal-growth work. Allow plenty of time for this project. Understanding the past takes time, so be patient with yourself.

3. Identify your top-five strengths and values: material, intellectual, and spiritual. This step builds on the self- knowledge you gained from writing your autobiography. Remember that what you do, not what you say, reveals your values.

4. Make a list of the goals you’d like to achieve by the end of the next six months. Then narrow these goals down to ten wants. Write a description of these goals as if you have already achieved them. Be realistic; make sure to word these goals in such a way that you and you alone are responsible for what you want. Are your desires in line with your top-five values? Make a collage of images and words that you cut out from magazines. If there is a conflict between your written want list and the images on the collage, write a list that matches the images on the collage, since they reflect your deepest desires.

5. Research your areas of interest where you live using the Yellow Pages or an Internet equivalent. The phone book may seem like a low-tech tool, but it is local, and the information is updated every six months. Some of your categories of interests will be hobbies, not your passion. Your passion allows you to use your top-five strengths serving others and making money. Narrow your categories of interest down to your top-six interests. Rewrite as insight comes about whether or not this category is personal, what you want to do for others, your company’s customers or clients, or your own customers or clients.

6. Discover your personality type by observing what you do when left to your own devices. Do your choices indicate that you are a partner, team, or solo type? It is vital that you be true to your type and temperament, since authenticity attracts the work and relationships that are right for you.

7. Research the marketplace to pick the company or activity that suits your personality type and temperament: Are you at home in a large, medium, or small company? Would you be happy working with a small group of people, working alone, or working for yourself?

8. By email, telephone, or letter, contact people who are doing what you want to do. Ask your friends and family members about the people or companies they know in your areas of interest. Each situation has its own rules, so use your instincts. Practice makes perfect; as you meet people and express your interests, you will grow in self-knowledge. This part of the process is much like shopping for a new wardrobe; it may take several trips to get it right. But once you know yourself you select what is right for you at this stage of your life, rather than repeating the past or following the latest trend.

9. Make advice calls (also called informational interviews or networking) with experts or individuals in the field in which you have an interest. If you are changing positions or careers, you may need to upgrade your skills. You may find that you already know how to do what you want to do but that you need to update your computer skills or your understanding of the terminology in this field; or you need to figure out how to make use of your skills in your own business or client-based service.

10. If you are independent and self-starting, consider entrepreneurship as a partner, as part of a team, or solo. Start your search with people you know: local businesspeople and the chamber of commerce are good places to begin. Use a low-key approach, since it puts people at ease. Attend meetings and seminars in your area of interest to learn about present and future possibilities, as well as problems (problems are where the jobs are!). Now that you know your strengths and values, look around in your company. Is there a way you can make better use of these strengths that will reflect your values? Often the solution to your career dissatisfaction is in your own backyard.

11. Celebrate when you “get there.” When you find your passion, teach what you know to others who are coming along behind you. Remember it is the journey, not the goal, that matters, so encourage others as others once encouraged you. When you reach your goal celebrate your victory; your achievement will inspire others to persevere in their efforts.