How Do I Find My Niche or Passion?

Bymayor

I received this question via AskJoelComm.com

Joel, I can’t find my passion. I have been a workaholic my whole life in areas that I do not enjoy. I don’t even know what I enjoy doing. To make matters worse, my experience is not something that can become a product unless I compete with the top corporations. I have gathered and researched a lot of information on how to market, sales pages, setting up websites, etc. but still have not found that niche that meets my passion and others. Is there any insight you can provide to help someone find that niche and passion to get started with an online business?

Exploring your passion is one way to find a niche. But having a specific area of knowledge can also provide clues to what kind of product or site might be a good fit for you.

I recommend grabbing a pen and piece of paper, and writing down twenty things which you think you have some knowledge about. Feel free to write down the first thing that comes to your mind.

Then, go to three people who know you fairly well and ask them to allow you to be narcicistic for a few minutes. Family members, friends, associates… try to get with a variety of people you trust. Ask them to make a list of twenty areas of knowledge or passion that they have observed in you. Oftentimes, others who know us see things that we might not see.

Compare the lists and look for overlaps. Be open-minded. You might just find the niche that you can scratch. 😉

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  1. I am so glad I’ve stumbled upon this site! I too am a serial niche searcher and yet to find my passion. I am interested in a lot of things but find myself becoming overwhelmed with choice and then end up not trying anything. Or I have an idea but then change my mind or procrastinate. I also find that I put too much pressure on myself to enjoy life and do everything that if I am not enjoying myself or meeting people/going out/enjoying work I get angry with myself, which defeats the whole purpose, really. It’s a vicious circle. I have started listening to Bill Harris’ Holosync technology. This has helped me to become aware of these self-sabotaging behavioural patterns, which helps in recognising when I am actually in the “dark side” and knowing how to manage it. Often you don’t know why it’s there, and making yourself aware of it is the biggest hurdle. I highly recommend it. Good to read about other people’s experiences and helpful knowing that there are others who face similar challenges. Often we are feel we’re alone with our thoughts and that no-one else could possibly be feeling like this! Just keep trying new things and research as much as you can. The trick is to not get overwhelmed, and let everything be ok.

  2. Personally I believe that just finding your passion or niche isn’t enough. Call me cliche but I do believe what Napolean Hill said in “Think and Grow Rich”, and that is you must have a burning desire your achieve whatever passion or niche you choose to pursue.
    If you don’t have a burning desire, that you are already setting yourself up for failure. I have a passion for basketball, but don’t have a burning desire to pursue this niche business wise at all.
    Cheers,
    Eugene

  3. We are close in age……and yes we love to make recommendations….can I? I think it is great you are not afraid to Ask for direction ….we don’t always have to be the confident, in control leader, with unshakable posture… I have some books that I had picked up at the library that may be of interest…..I see there is plenty of advice on here that will get you started. Just give your self this week to try some of the suggestions….then pick something….It only takes 2 yrs to go from nothing to something when you start and get driven by your choice….if the word passion scares you just make a choice. I have battled a huge change in my life, with many past successes but went for a new search…I believe I know how you feel. Can we connect??~~Peace…Kris

  4. I know what my passion is – that is not the problem. My problem is I don’t know what to do with the passion I have. My passion is creating – whether it is with wood, metal or paint – I love to create. I live in a small town where the people buy their “art” from Walmart. I’ve tried Etsy, ebay and local stores. Nothing, nothing, nothing. I don’t know what other avenue to take. I would love to own my own gallery/gift shop, displaying and selling my work as well as other artist’s works.
    That’s not going to happen in this town. I can’t afford to move anywhere. I’m not even sure that I will have a job next month.

  5. What an interesting subject. I have several niches and I am pretty sure I cannot convert them into a way to earn my livelihood.
    I enjoy my job in the office, although it restricts the time I would have to invest in my niche activities, it offers me the financial stability to pursue these activities for the fun of it rather than biting my nails at the end of every month, Lucky me!

  6. i’m graduate in Arts stream subjects(history,pol.sci,english,hindi) now i want to do further study & am working in retail last 4years i enjoy my work i always eager to learn but till the time i dont know what is my passion and how do i convert my passion into my profession since from the childhood i play alot.. but in younger age i spoil my self due to bad habbits may be due to that my talent is gone but one talent which i can easily visible ability to speak rest nothing else i dont know anyting what do i do i have a dream to study india,s top most b-schools like iims or fashion wch i really enjoy do i need to take step forward in fashion world.
    sir heartly waiting for an answer

  8. What do your friends go to you for? What do you typically talk about? If you had to write a series of small articles on something what subject matter comes to mind? Thats your niche. You don’t need to have a degree or even be an expert. You just need to know more than the next person and overtime your continued interest and learning and application in that subject will make you the expert. Start it. If you can keep it up and still enjoy it then that has to be better than wondering what your niche is while taking no action.

  9. Well it is nice to know I am not alone. All my life I have done a lot of things but none I would call a passion as I always eventually lost interest. I have taken all the test and came out as a scanner, a person that has many interest. I have a gift of being able to fix anything using scrap materials but this is something that cannot be taught. The only thing I began to be passionate about was retiring early, I achieved that, created a web page about it, but after some research(after I built the site) not many people are interested in retiring early. Since then I have been trying to find a passion to be able to build another site that I can monetize and be fun to run. Everything I now know about building web sites has already been flogged to death.
    Still looking Bob

  10. David, if you love computers and electronics, yet it is too competitive for you then maybe it is not your niche. You niche should be something you love to do and strive to be better at. You will find something. There is only you.

  11. I respect your effort,
    Many people success,
    Before they think they can do and from their hand, keep mind.
    They work hard,
    So if you ask yourself you need knowledge about something
    you should keep your like then learn more on this,
    get more knowledge about them.
    Your process don’t need school so maybe via book,
    information from other people…
    All things give you knowledge more.
    With your passion,
    Do you have think will take full time and your effort for them?
    If you make sure yes.
    I wait your success on day future soon.
    Best wish for you.
    Nam Chu
    http://tofinancialsuccess.com

  13. Hi Rick, I use PayPal.com to process my orders. When you get back on your feet financially, you can change to a shopping cart, etc. Also, I’ve been told once you file bankruptcy, the credit card offers come out of the woodwork. Good luck.

  14. Thank you Joel, I like your ideas very much.
    Today I posted 29 Thought Provoking Questions to Help You Find YOUR Passion.
    One is…A state of FLOW is when you are doing something and you lose all sense of time because you are so engulfed and stimulated by your current activity. When was the last time you worked on something until the wee hours of night? Or missed an event because you could not break free of something you loved doing?
    You can read the 28 others at http://wp.me/p1os3b-7L
    Hope this is a helpful resource for your readers and community.

  15. Forget about the degree Vicki! If you have a passion for something you absolutely do not have to be an expert and you dont need a degree to start your website on “public speaking” just start looking for the questions people ask about public speaking and create your website around the answers. Then engage with recognized speakers and interview them

  19. Toastmasters is a great place to help you with the speaking as well as leadership. This could be a place that may help you to fine tune all this. in addition, a degree is great and can still be achieved. However, I truly believe that a degree is not always needed to turn your passion into a career. Keep searching and praying it will be revealed in due time and at the right time.

  21. Hi Kevin, I am really interested in “helping Others” as well and I have been doing it for years and love it… but as you, I found out that not everyone reciprocate… I usually say to bad for them.. but deep down I feel bad that they are so selfish… did you find any solution to just forget what others say or do AFTER helping them?
    Please reply when possible..
    thanks

  23. Most of you have had some sort of deep long term experience or some degree, however for me I was not that fortunate. I am in my mid 40’s,mother and wife and I manage a retail store and have no particular passion. I do like taking photo’s at every occassion, and I am very organized and a timely person, but that’s generally it. What direction would you suggest that I take?

  24. same here. Im 42 a mother of 3 young children and owning n running a retail store. I started internet mting since march last year. No significant achievement worth mentioning here. Im beginning to lose interest in this and yes i believe that once you find your passion it wont feel like work. Sadly i havent found my passion yet…

  25. Many times there is not just one interest or passion, there are nore than one, I tend to think that focus should not be given to find out what is the one ranked no#1 – I would say spent time to each one according to the gravity you give, so if you will write 20 things you think that is most suitable for you according to your expertise, so to get sort of ranking. Liked the “overlap” suggested!

  26. After reading thru these posts, I realized that most of them speak of ‘finding’ their passion. Its not lost, you just haven’t tapped all the way into it. The rest of life has put your passion on the shelf and pushed it into the back corner until you come back to it when you get tired of just the mundane of life or saved enough to just go for it.Most of us, I am included, need an income and we do a ‘job’ to fulfill that need. We don’t particularly have a strong like for it, just a need to pay bills and such. Nay sayers have us convinced our true passion won’t make us wealthy so we don’t pursue it or get bored before we accomplish our desired effect or we get started and in the midst, realize it will take a whole lot of time and effort to become a ‘top seller’so we give up and shelf the ‘passion’ and search for another easier to achieve passion. Degree or none, your passion is what you will go to all and any lenght to achieve, all obtacles can be climbed, removed somehow. Getting to the top of our mountain is all we see and until we reach deeper inside our true desire to accomplish, we are just ‘dreamers’.

  29. I heard this one time:
    if money was no issue what would you do with your life?
    if you knew you couldn’t fail what would you do with your life?
    what do you like to do for fun? what hobby, past time, interest do you get excited about just THINKING about it?
    Most people can find a good niche or two they are passionate about using these questions.

  30. My problem is a little unusual. I have lot of education MBA in finance, certification in financial planning …… But I have not worked as much since past quite a few years and since my kids are older now I want to work. I really don’t know what my passion is? I am to good in computers or writing. I don’t know where to look into.

  31. hey fred that is an interesting point, I haven’t been in the game long and also do not really have my niche picked out but you are right there are tons of other people who will pay you commissions to sell for them.
    Great comment

  32. Please do not let not having a degree stop you dead in your tracks. You do not need it. The whole college thing and having a degree is bunkers. If you have the background and the experience in something then you are light years ahead of the crowd anyway. All you have to do is establish yourself as an expert on the subject. Build a website today and start filling it with content based on what you know in your field. Start posting on forums and guest blog on sites similar to your area of expertise. Start answering questions about it on YAHOO questions. Best of all sign up to write for the Enquirer. And post a lot of articles on http://www.ezinearticles.com. I not kidding. Get your name out there as an established author and you are on your way. I feel sorry for so many people that have wasted years getting a degree and then never get to use it.

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