How Do You Want to Spend Your Life?

I made a new friend the other day. Gina* was walking in 100-plus degree heat to the library. I found out she and her husband live with her in-laws because they’re both unemployed. When I tried to learn what Gina would like to do for a living, she came up dry. It was a discouraging way to start a job search. When I dropped her off at the library, her plan was to try to find another retail job because that’s what she’d done previously. But I could tell the prospect didn’t excite her.

If you’re looking for career direction, identifying the activities that energize and excite you should be your first step. After all, if you’re going to be doing something for 40 or more hours a week, it may as well involve something you love or have an interest in.

To identify your passions, try the exercises in this article. Then take the next step and identify your strengths so you can put the pieces together and find meaningful work.

*Not her real name.

Passion article originally published on oprah.com.