Sometimes the most challenging part of change isn’t the leap itself—it’s asking the right question before you leap.
In Designing Your Life, Bill Burnett and Dave Evans offer three simple but profound questions:
- Who are you?
- What do you believe?
- What are you doing?
On paper, they seem too simple. But in practice, they can reframe your entire life and your work. They did for me.
I spent over three decades in corporate America. Like many of you, I climbed the ladder, collected achievements, and followed the script that I thought would guarantee success. But underneath it all, there was a quiet ache: I wasn’t living in alignment with my passions.
It wasn’t until I started sitting with these three questions that I realized just how far I had drifted from who I really was and what lit me up. Today, when I speak about rediscovering passion and purpose, I often return to these same three questions. They are a compass for anyone standing at a crossroads.
1. Who are you?
When we were children, we didn’t hesitate to answer this question. We define ourselves by what excites us: I’m a dancer. I’m an artist. I’m a storyteller.
Somewhere along the way, the answers change. Instead of passion, we substitute job titles. Instead of identity, we rattle off responsibilities.
I used to answer this question with, “I’m in operations.” True—but that wasn’t who I was. That was a role, a chair I happened to be sitting in. Who I really was—a storyteller, a teacher, a connector—was buried beneath years of trying to be who I thought others needed me to be.
The truth is, passion is often seeded in us early. It shows up in the moments when we lose track of time, when our energy surges instead of drains, when others say, “Wow, you’re really good at that.” Rediscovering who you are means remembering those sparks—and daring to claim them again.
So ask yourself: If I set aside my job title and achievements, how would I answer the question, “Who am I?”
2. What do you believe?
Beliefs are the heartbeat of passion. They’re the core values that fuel your energy.
For me, I’ve always believed in the power of inclusion, in education as a force for change, and in the strength of human connection. But in some corporate settings, those beliefs felt like background noise. I might name them, but they weren’t truly supported or valued. And over time, when our beliefs aren’t honored, we start to doubt them ourselves.
That’s why this question matters so much. What do you believe? It forces you to name your values and measure your life against them.
Do you believe in creativity, but spend your days buried in spreadsheets?
Do you believe in helping others, but feel stuck in work that isolates you?
Do you believe in growth, but find yourself in an environment where your curiosity is stifled?
Passion comes alive when our beliefs aren’t just private convictions but guiding stars. They should shape our decisions, our boundaries, and the way we show up.
Try this exercise: Write down your top three values. Then look at your calendar from the last month. How much of your time reflects those values? The gap between the two will tell you a lot about where your passion is being fed, and where it’s being starved.
3. What are you doing?
This last question sounds obvious, but it’s often the hardest. It calls us to action.
I remember sitting in yet another corporate meeting, staring at a spreadsheet that drained me, and thinking: This is not what I want to be doing. My passion wasn’t in crunching numbers. It was in helping people grow, in telling stories that moved others, and in creating spaces for connection and learning. But my daily work was out of sync with that.
And here’s the thing: Passion isn’t theoretical. It’s lived. It’s reflected in the choices we make about how we spend our hours.
If you say you’re passionate about writing but never carve out time for it, what you’re really passionate about might be the idea of writing. If you claim to value relationships but never make space to nurture them, your actions speak louder than your words.
That’s why What are you doing? is such a crucial reality check. It asks: Are my daily actions reflecting who I am and what I believe? Or are they quietly eroding my passion?
Bringing It All Together
Here’s what I’ve learned: when you align your answers to these three questions, passion doesn’t just return—it expands.
- Who you are grounds you in authenticity.
- What you believe anchors you in purpose.
- What you’re doing turns both into action.
When all three align, life doesn’t just feel lighter—it feels lit up. Work stops being just a paycheck and becomes a place where passion finds expression.
And if they don’t align? That dissonance you feel—that low-level hum of restlessness or burnout—isn’t something to ignore. It’s an invitation.
So here’s my challenge to you:
- Take time this week to answer these three questions honestly.
- Compare your answers to your current life and work.
- Ask yourself: What small shift could I make to align these answers?
It doesn’t have to be a massive overhaul. Sometimes passion is reignited by the smallest of changes: saying yes to a new project, setting aside time for a forgotten hobby, voicing a belief you’ve been holding back.
Ultimately, passion isn’t about finding something “out there.” It’s about rediscovering what has always been within you—and permitting yourself to live it.
Three questions. Endless possibilities. The only one left is: Are you ready to start asking them?
