Cut the fluff.

The reason you can’t find your passion is you don’t know yourself. And you’re not self-aware because you're distracted. Let me explain: you don’t spend time with yourself. Not physically, but mentally. You’ve left no room in your life to wonder. You don’t let a fleeting moment pass without indulging: as soon as boredom sets in, you escape to the virtual company of others, your Snapchat feed, or an episode (or seven) of Modern Family. Yet, you discover the greatest ideas about yourself in moments of wonderment. You’re no longer “bored” in the right sense.

You complain endlessly about not knowing what to do with your life, yet you don’t spend meaningful time thinking deeply about it. Even worse, you know more about others (friends and celebrities) than you know about yourself. It doesn’t take much to figure out who you are, but you’re not willing to set aside 5 hours of your year, grab a pen and paper, and ask yourself the tough questions. No distractions, no phone, no people, nothing. Find yourself first before you find your passion. Find yourself, and inadvertently you’ll find your passion.

Don’t just work in your life, but on your life.

Originally published on LinkedIn.com