Regain Your Passion

How to feel excited about life

Written by Joachim Bartoll, February 1, 2015 – previously published for online publication
Re-published in Classic Muscle Newsletter, January 2016 (issue #16)

We live in a world where we go from doing one thing to another without much of a thought. We rarely stop to think and reflect about what we have accomplished, what we have contributed, and what get us excited and keep us motivated. We simply move on with our tasks like sheep, going from one pen to another. Completing task after task. And when we take a break, we’re usually on our phones or web browsers, checking social media and reacting to stuff other people do.

Remember when you felt really excited about something? When you were really ambitious, motivated and every little thing you accomplished got you fired up and hungry for more? When you came home and actually sat down and thought about the cool stuff you did during the day? Perhaps you shared it with your family or friends? How about when you got excited over something as simple as a new book, a concert or a movie, and you actually sat down and thought about it? Visualized it and got lost in the moment for a short while. That’s where passion comes from. Slowing down and actually take time to think and dream about the things we have accomplished, the things we love and care about.

If you’re one of many that has to drag yourself out of the bed in the morning only to go through the motions, how do you re-discover that passion? That fire? How do you get back to being energized and motivated about your career, business and your daily life?

Rest and sleep

Considering the pace of daily life, the first step is rest and relaxation. You need at least 6 hours of sleep each night, preferable 8. However, quality of sleep is more important than duration. The science is unanimous. Your ability to process information, to handle stress, to remember things, and to simply concentrate on a task declines rapidly if you don’t get sufficient amount of quality sleep. And if your ability to think and focus declines, so will your ability to stay motivated and excited about things.

So, make sure to dim or turn off the lights before 8 PM., and turn of all screens and other gadgets that emit blue light, which will block the release of melatonin. You could also use glasses that filters out blue light or apps for your computer or phone that changes your screen to mostly emit warm colors.
And if you still have problems with getting enough sleep, then learn to meditate for 10 or 15 minutes a day or take a power nap or two. Just do something to rejuvenate yourself.

Visualize and dream

This is something we all did as kids and teenagers. We would daydream and get excited just about anything. You could simply sit there and think about various stuff and get really fired up. Somewhere along the way many of us lost or forgot about this simple and natural ability.

Very few of us do this today. There’s not enough “white space” in our lives where we can sit back, relax, and just think about stuff. Instead, it’s all cluttered. We’re checking our phones, our e-mails, and constantly replying to somebody – never giving ourselves a few minutes of our time.

Here’s something simple you could try. Just close your eyes, sit back for a moment, and just think about stuff you get excited about. Visualize and dream a little. Connect with your passions. That’s it. Schedule and set aside a few minutes every day, create your own “white space” – and get excited!

Remind yourself

It’s difficult to have long-term emotional experiences about anything unless you remind yourself about those things. It’s way too easy to get lost and buried in all the stuff that needs to be done and are going on around us on a daily basis. That’s why you need to schedule time with yourself, just as you would schedule time for other people. For most of us, our emotions during the day flare up because they are triggered by something. You don’t get angry or upset out of the blue. Something has to trigger that response. Unfortunately, it’s the same thing with happiness, laughter and passion. If we don’t have a trigger for feeling passionate about something, we usually won’t. Instead, we’re typically too caught up in everything else that goes on around us, and before we know it, another day has passed. And like sheep, we return home to the fold, feeling empty and unfulfilled.

Triggers can be anything that motivates you, anything that reminds you of what you’re passionate about. It can be music, short motivational videos, inspirational people and friends, quotes, or even a picture. Keep these things around you and also make sure to set aside some time every day for yourself. Take a few minutes to think, visualize and dream.

Celebrate and reward yourself

As we get caught up in our daily lives and routines, we seldom celebrate or reward ourselves when we complete a task or when we achieve something great. Instead, we’re already busy with something new.

Remember when you were a kid and you accomplished something great? Remember how it felt? When you talked about it with your friends? How proud you felt? The confidence you gained? And when you thought about it, you got even more fired up and passionate about it.

If you don’t take time to celebrate your wins, your passion for those things will fade. Doing and completing those things will become mundane. You’ll be going after one thing after the other and so on, and never taking a pause to really appreciate what you have accomplished and contributed. Going on nonstop without appreciation will put out your fire. Your emotions and your passion will flatline. Don’t let that happen. Reward yourself. Acknowledge what you have accomplished, and regain your passion!