Instead of asking yourself what you are passionate about, try using the following 4 territories to guide your career design decisions. As you answer these questions, you might start to see areas of overlap—these are the most promising directions to go in!

To make it simple, let’s call these territories The Four Cs. They are Curiosity, Creative Friction, Contribution, and Context . Let’s explore questions around each C that will help you chart your path.

1. Curiosity

Relevant questions:

What naturally pulls your attention?

What do you keep returning to?

What could you read a whole book about...or a whole shelf of books about?

2. Creative friction

Relevant questions:

What challenges you in ways that stretch, not drain?

What kinds of problems do you like to solve, and at what level? (e.g. big picture thinking vs. meticulous details)

What tasks, projects, or environments have challenged your abilities in a way that felt meaningful? (e.g. solo work vs. groups; having lots of autonomy vs. a clear plan to follow)

3. Contribution

Relevant questions:

What kind of impact do you want to make in the world, and for whom?

What do people regularly come to you for advice or help with?

What do you care about deeply, even when it’s inconvenient or unpopular?

4. Context

Relevant questions:

What season of life are you in, and what matters now ?

What responsibilities, constraints, or commitments do you have right now?

What resources do you currently have access to? (e.g. time, money, connections, skills)

Avoiding the passion trap