Finding your passion is crucial if you want to live a happy and fulfilling life.
Earlier, I described how embracing my childhood helped me rediscover my passion and described the 3 x 4 formula for job satisfaction.
I proposed a dual model for passion: passion has an intentional component plus an accidental component. If those components meet, you’re on your way to finding your passion.
Let’s have a look at what passion is about.
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What is passion?
Nothing great has done great in the world without passion – Friedrich Hegel
Passion strongly contributes to our psychological well-being. Psychology defines passion as “a strong inclination toward a self-defining activity that people like (or even love), find important, and in which they invest time and energy on a regular basis.”
From a philosophical standpoint, passion is more of an emotional or even primitive drive of human behavior.
In everyday life, however, passion is a powerful feeling or an extreme interest in doing something.
Anyway, the best books on finding your passion will help you to live a more fulfilling life.
What are the best books on finding your passion?
Here are my top picks for the best books on finding your passion:
- The Art of Work by Jeff Goins
- The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
- The Happiness of Pursuit by Chris Guillebeau
- Find Your Why by Simon Sinek, Peter Docker & David Mead
- So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport
- You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero
- Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
- The Passion Test by Janet Bray Attwood & Chris Attwood
- The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything by Ken Robinson
- Find Your Passion: 25 Questions You Must Ask Yourself by Henri Junttila
- Miracles Now: 108 Life-Changing Tools for Less Stress, More Flow, and Finding Your True Purpose by Gabrielle Bernstein
- Unwrapping Your Passion by Karen Putz
- The Renaissance Soul by Margaret Lobenstine
- Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
- The Quarter-Life Breakthrough by Adam Smiley Poswolsky
- Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Héctor García & Francesc Miralles
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
- The Untethered Soul by Michael S. Singer
- Fearless Passion by Yong Kang Chan
- Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware
- The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz
1. The Art of Work by Jeff Goins
Jeff Goins, a Padawan of Michael Hyatt, describes the path as well as the steps to find your passion and calling. I love Jeff’s voice; he’s always fresh & engaging.
Jeff argues in his book that your calling is the reason you were born. He brings up stories to identify a common theme that may help you find your life’s purpose.
About the author: Jeff Goins, author of Goinswriter.com is a great writer and teacher. I’ve completed different writing and blogging courses hosted by him. He’s also the author of five books including Real Artists Don’t Starve.
Formats: Paperback, Kindle, Audiobook
2. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle
Bestselling author Eckhart Tolle will take you on a spiritual journey to show you that living in the present is a superpower. The essence of the Power of Now dates back to the ancient Stoics, who were big advocates for living in the moment.
Watch your mind and inner body without criticizing it; accept things as they are or change them for the better, but don’t ruminate on the negative thoughts; channel your thoughts in the right direction—these are central to Tolle’s philosophy. To figure out how, read the book.
About the author: Eckhart Tolle is a world-recognized spiritual teacher and a New York Times bestselling author. He is referred to as the most popular spiritual author in the US. Oprah keeps Tolle’s book at her bedside.
Formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle, Audiobook
3. The Happiness of Pursuit by Chris Guillebeau
My reading list of the best books on finding your passion couldn’t be complete without mentioning The Happiness of Pursuit.
The author visited every country in the world over 11 years, and what he found surprised him: ordinary people throughout the world have long-term & challenging goals, which ultimately make them happy. (By the way, this has long been backed up by psychology research—consider the Flow theory from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, which is also on this reading list.)
Chris interviewed hundreds of interesting people about their goals and purpose. The results? A good book revealing personal experiences, motivators, bottlenecks, and documentation.
About the author: Chris Guillebeau is a New York Times bestselling author. He teaches people how to live a more fulfilling life at ChrisGuillebeau.com.
Formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle, Audiobook
4. Find Your Why by Simon Sinek, Peter Docker & David Mead
Simon Sinek is a leadership expert and a bestselling author of Start With Why. Now he’s back with a sequel to his first book.
While Start With Why failed at providing a step-by-step guide on how to find your passion, Find Your Why is a testament to feasibility.
This great book is a practical guide to finding meaningful work and your true purpose in your career & life. It’s fully packed with exercises, implementable action steps, and illustrations.
About the author: Simon Sinek is a leadership expert and author of five books, including Leaders Eat Last. He’s known for his TED talk about the WHY concept, which has been viewed over 60 million times.
Formats: Paperback, Kindle, Audiobook, Audio CD
5. So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport
Cal Newport, as a scientist, tested his hypothesis on whether passion comes first, or whether we must develop a passion for our jobs downstream. The passion hypothesis assumes that you first figure out what you’re passionate about and then find a matching career. It’s highly unlikely, Cal argues, that you’ll find a matching job to your passion.
Cal proposed a top-down approach instead: first you should build a career capital with deliberate practice so that you will be so good they can’t ignore you in your job. Passion will then follow.
This is one of the best books on finding your passion with evidence-based argumentations, case studies, and more.
About the author: Cal Newport is a computer science professor at Georgetown University and a bestselling author of several books, including Deep Work and Digital Minimalism. He’s famously known for not having a single social media account.
Formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle, Audiobook
6. You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero
You probably heard about this #1 New York Times bestseller self-help book, which was so successful that it resulted in three “Badass” follow-ups. It has been so popular that You Are a Badass® is now a registered trademark.
The book is written in a highly provocative & entertaining style. (Just refer to the “Your Brain is Your B*tch” or “My Subconscious Made Me Do It” chapters.)
You Are a Badass will help you understand yourself better, alter your self-sabotaging behaviors, and create a more fulfilling life.
About the author: Jen Sincero is a motivational speaker, coach, and writer whose name is attached to the Badass brand. Her energetic voice and personal experiences helped her to transform countless people’s lives for the better.
Formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle, Audiobook
7. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
Elizabeth Gilbert’s New York Times Bestseller book is a guide to a more passionate life. The author motivates the reader to live a creative life that is driven by curiosity rather than fear. Not only does she inspire, but she’ll show you the exact habits and approaches to uncover your passion and creative living.
About the author: Elizabeth Gilbert is an inspirational teacher and author of many books, including Eat Pray Love.
Formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle, Audiobook
8. The Passion Test by Janet Bray Attwood & Chris Attwood
What could be more exciting than finding your true passions?
The Attwoods (wife and husband) teamed up and proposed a step-by-step guide to identify your passions and channel your efforts towards those passions.
This self-help book is all about what the title implies: a passion test that will uncover your hidden passion and talent. You could retake the test every year to fine-tune your life purpose and align your life with your passion.
About the authors: The Attwoods regularly interview the greatest leaders about their passion. The Passion Test comes from those findings as well as from their personal experiences. They’re the co-founders of the online magazine Healthy Wealthy ‘n’ Wise, one of the most influential magazines in the world.
Formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle, Audiobook
9. The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything by Ken Robinson
The element is where your passion meets your talents producing wonderful outcomes. Robinson reveals the journey of successful people and identifies the common themes behind finding their passion. One of those common themes is the importance of mentors.
With inspirational stories from Paul McCartney, Meg Ryan, Arianna Huffington, and more, you can rest assured that this book will elevate your mind and heart.
About the author: Sir Ken Robinson was a teacher, writer, researcher, and speaker. He was listed in the Thinkers50 list of the world’s top business thinkers. He authored multiple New York Times bestsellers.
Formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle, Audio CD
10. Find Your Passion: 25 Questions You Must Ask Yourself by Henri Junttila
This is a short book that will walk you through 25 life-changing questions to find your passion and true purpose in life.
Don’t read it as other self-help books. The author will coach you through all the questions as if he would sit next to you in Starbucks. This coaching approach will challenge your thinking and lead you to the ultimate question: What do you want, and what is your inner voice whispering?
About the author: Henri Junttila is the author of the Wake Up Cloud, a blog dedicated to finding your passion and inner peace. He helped people come alive since 2009.
Formats: Paperback, Kindle
11. Miracles Now: 108 Life-Changing Tools for Less Stress, More Flow, and Finding Your True Purpose by Gabrielle Bernstein
If you want a book not only for reading but truly embracing and implementing what you read, this is it. If you don’t have much time for self-care during the day, Gabby’s book will help. It contains 108 simple techniques that will lift your mood and help to find your purpose.
About the author: Gabrielle Bernstein is a New York Times bestselling author of multiple books including The Universe Has Your Back. She is an acclaimed spiritual teacher frequently appearing in mainstream media. She’s on the list of Oprah’s SuperSoul 100 list of “innovators and visionaries who are aligned on a mission to move humanity forward.”
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle, Audiobook
12. Unwrapping Your Passion by Karen Putz
Karen Putz is a living example that it’s never too late to find your passion. She rediscovered her passion at the age of 44. Fully packed with fascinating stories, this self-help book is based on 200 interviews with people who found the right direction in life.
If you want some inspiration and motivation along with actionable advice to discover your passion and change your life, then this is a must-read.
About the author: Karen Putz is passionate about finding someone else’s passion. She is known as the Passion Mentor, helping people achieve their big dreams and unwrap their passion.
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle
13. The Renaissance Soul by Margaret Lobenstine
If you always want to learn new things, have an insatiable curiosity about the world, and often feel something is wrong with you, you should have been born some 500 years earlier: you’re a Renaissance Soul. And this is the ultimate self-help guide for you.
Margaret Lobenstine will show you that nothing is wrong with you. She will give you a life-planning strategy to find and get paid for your true passions.
With inspiring interviews, practical exercises, and helpful resources, Renaissance Soul will teach you how to live a more fulfilling life as a multi-passionate individual.
About the author: Margaret Lobenstine was a writer, life coach, and teacher. Although Renaissance Soul was the only book she published, it’s among the very best books on finding your passion.
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle
14. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Flow is a classic book by the late psychology professor Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. The flow theory explains why we are in the moment and what happens to us when we perform best.
This book will show you how you can enter the flow state more often so that you can live a happier and more fulfilling life. This is one of the best books on finding your passion: a must-read for everybody who wants to bring more enjoyment, creativity, and passion into their everyday lives.
About the author: Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi was a Hungarian psychologist, who emigrated to the US and became famously known for his Flow theory. The theory explained why people are happiest when they are in the zone when they experience total fulfillment and engagement in what they’re doing.
Formats: Paperback, Kindle
15. The Quarter-Life Breakthrough by Adam Smiley Poswolsky
Does your well-paying job make you miserable? Don’t you want to contribute to the world and create value by doing more meaningful work?
If this sounds like you, this great book will speak to you.
The Quarter-Life Breakthrough will walk you through inspiring stories and practical exercises to find your life purpose and dream job.
If you wanted to change jobs, change careers, or simply seek more meaningful work, read this highly actionable book. And please don’t skip the exercises.
About the author: Poswolsky is a keynote speaker, author, and workplace belonging expert. He helps attract and retain talent in organizations and create a culture of belonging. His famous TED talk on “the quarter-life crisis” has been viewed 2 million times.
Formats: Paperback, Kindle, Audio CD
16. Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life by Héctor García & Francesc Miralles
This book will help you find your own Ikigai so that you can live a more fulfilling life.
Ikigai is a Japanese word that stands for “a reason for living.” You’ll find your Ikigai when you can match all the followings: what you love, what the world needs, what you can be paid for, and what you are good at. When all four things overlap, you’ll find the purpose (and motivation) that propels you out of the bed in the morning.
Ikigai doesn’t only cover your passion; it will also address your mission, vocation, and profession.
About the authors: Both Héctor García and Francesc Miralles authored multiple books on their own, but when they teamed up to write Ikigai, they enjoyed unprecedented success. The Ikigai book has been an international bestseller selling 1.5 million copies worldwide.
Formats: Paperback, Kindle, Audio CD
17. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
If you’re searching for the best books on finding your passion, The Alchemist will pop up on your reading list sooner or later. This isn’t an ordinary self-help book, but a tale about a shepherd, Santiago, who went on a spiritual journey to follow his dreams. His odyssey thought him many life lessons that finally elevated his spirit.
It’s kind of an epic poem about man’s search for meaning. What Santiago found at the end of his journey was kind of typical of classic poems: everything he wanted was right in front of him.
About the author: Paulo Coelho is one of the most acclaimed writers in the world with 30 books under his belt. He’s the founder of the Paulo Coelho Institute providing support to children and the elderly.
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle, Audiobook
18. The Untethered Soul by Michael S. Singer
This is a seminal book about finding inner peace and knowing yourself better. You’ll better understand your emotions and thoughts which will help to develop your consciousness.
While this is a spiritual book about mindfulness, Singer doesn’t stop at this point: he delivers practical tips on how to take a step back from your inner voice and examine your thoughts from a distant perspective.
Each chapter comes with easy exercises to help you implement what you read.
About the author: Michael A. Singer is a spiritual teacher and New York Times bestselling author. The Untethered Soul has touched a million lives and became a household name in spiritual writing.
Formats: Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle, Audiobook
19. Fearless Passion by Yong Kang Chan
In this practical, easy-to-digest book, you’ll learn how to find and leverage your passion, how to overcome the fears that drag you down, and how to break free from the rat race.
The author shares his personal story as well as other stories to help you take action, find your dream job, and chase your passion. And he goes way beyond that—he’ll teach you time management, goal setting, and other tools to find time to pursue multiple passions.
About the author: Yong Kang distills complex ideas into simple forms. He blogs at nerdycreator.com and helps people find their passion and live a mindful life.
Formats: Paperback, Kindle
20. Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware
This isn’t a typical self-help book on finding your passion. Top Five Regrets of the Dying is a life-changing experiment—you owe it to yourself.
The author worked with dying patients and recorded their stories and regrets. She then identified a common theme that she later distilled into a book.
Top Five Regrets of the Dying will authorize you to find your life purpose and personal passion so that you can live a happy life without regrets.
About the author: Bronnie Ware gained success with her book, Top Five Regrets of the Dying, which has been translated into 32 languages. She helps people to find the courage to live life on their own terms.
Formats: Paperback, Kindle, Audiobook, MP3 CD
21. The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr & Tony Schwartz
The authors propose that managing energy, not time, is the key to performance and fulfilling life.
This practical guide will teach you how to balance stress and manage your energy so that you can be more productive and happier both within and beyond your 9-5. The authors identify four pillars of performance: physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.
With this guide, you’ll learn how to balance all four pillars to become fully engaged in what you’re doing.
About the authors: Dr. Loehr is a performance psychologist and co-founder of the Human Performance Institute. Tony Schwartz is the founder of The Energy Project, which helps individuals and organizations perform at their best. They teamed up to write The Power of Full Engagement, which became a Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestseller.
Formats: Paperback, Hardcover, Kindle, Audiobook
What are the best books on finding your passion, anyway?
Here’re the very best books on finding your passion:
- If you want something actionable, read The Passion Test by Janet Bray Attwood & Chris Attwood, The Quarter-Life Breakthrough by Adam Smiley Poswolsky, Fearless Passion by Yong Kang Chan, Find Your Passion by Henri Junttila or Miracles Now by Gabrielle Bernstein.
- If you prefer the scientific approach, give it a try to Cal Newport’s So Good They Can’t Ignore You.
- If you want something more spiritual, consider The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, The Untethered Soul by Michael S. Singer, or The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
- If you’re eager to expand your knowledge, read Flow from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Ikigai by Héctor García & Francesc Miralles, or the Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware.
References
Vallerand, R.J. The role of passion in sustainable psychological well-being. Psych Well-Being 2, 1 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1186/2211-1522-2-1
Cover photo by Xan Griffin on Unsplash
