34 Best Books on Finding Your Passion so You Can Live Out Your Purpose in Life

There I was with essentially no idea how to move forward. The vision I had for my life was suddenly different. I always knew what I wanted to do with my life, but then I had a change of heart and I was left feeling totally at a loss.

I honestly wasn’t sure what interested me anymore. And I was kind of far removed from the things that used to light a fire in me. My passion, my purpose, and my joys were muffled and blurry.

I actually hadn’t even thought about opening any books on finding your passion. I wish someone handed me this list years ago so I could gain a little bit of clarity and direction.

After reading this post, you’ll feel more centered and clear about how to uncover your purpose and passion in life which will allow you to move forward in your pursuits with confidence.

This post may contain affiliate links which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my links, at no extra cost to you. Please read full disclosure for more information.

Top Inspiring Books on Finding Your Purpose: How to Find Your Passion

There are a handful of ways to niche down and uncover or narrow your purpose in life.

You could journal, get a life coach, or backpack through Europe. 😉

But you could also cozy up on the couch with a blanket and your fave drink and dig into any of these books on finding your passion. 

The rad part about reading books on finding your passion is that the experience of discovering your passion and eventually your purpose can be as active or passive as you want. 

You can read books on finding your passion to simply expand your perspective and learn a few helpful strategies or you could read and actually start in on the actual work to genuinely figure out what you’re path is in this life.

| Related Reading: 4 Important Questions you Should be Asking Yourself Before Taking a New Opportunity

So without further ado, here are some killer books on finding your passion.

Best Books On Finding Your Passion

My Personal Favorite Books on Finding your Passion

1. Own Your Everyday by Jordan Lee Dooley

Read my summary “Own Your Everyday”– an incredible book on finding your passion and purpose.

In short, this is probably one of my absolute favorite books. I don’t say this lightly, but this book changed my life in a way. It changed my entire perspective on my purpose.

I always thought my purpose HAD to be tied to my career. This book turns that idea on its head and is a seriously wonderful shift of perspective. 

Totally eye-opening and if you don’t read any other books from this list, read this one!

2. How Are You, Really? by Jenna Kutcher

Read my thoughts on “How Are You Really?” and why it’s super helpful for self-discovery.

Basically, through lots of personal storytelling and real-life situations, Jenna Kutcher helps you dig super deep within yourself so you can figure out what the heck actually makes you happy.

3. The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

This book is about the idealogy that we live based on agreements we make with ourselves. The four agreements are:

• Be impeccable with your word. 
• Don’t take anything personally. 
• Don’t make assumptions. 
• Always do your best.

(Taken from https://www.thefouragreements.com/ )

I’m including this book in the list of books on finding your passion because it’s a lot easier to focus on discovering your passion and purpose when you live your life by these agreements.

This book is for you if:

• You prefer reading short books that are a quick read
• You are open to the “woo woo” a bit, or you love “woo woo”
• You love super tangible tips to take into your day
• You need a basic guide on how to live life with a better perspective

Popular Books on Finding Your Passion and Purpose

4. Man’s Search For Meaning By Viktor Frankl

Originally published in 1946, this book has some wisdom! The author, a psychiatrist, discusses his own and his clients’ experience in concentration camps.

The author’s goal is to teach that you don’t have the power to change what you go through, but you do have the control to change how you cope. You can find meaning and new purpose through hardship.

| Related Reading: Powerful Words of Encouragement for Hard Times + 6 Action Steps to Help You Overcome Them

Read this if: 

• You are struggling through something hard and want to find a deeper meaning in it
• You want to understand how to find a new purpose within hardship

5. 12 Rules For Life: An Antidote To Chaos By Jordan Peterson

Psychologist Jordan Peterson has an intriguing perspective that happiness is a trivial pursuit. Instead, he tells readers to focus on finding meaning.

Yes, life is crazy-chaotic, but the author offers 12 wise truths that are key to building a meaningful life despite the crazy.

| Related Reading: My Top Strategy for Finding Comfort

Read this book on finding your passion if:

• You like the use of stories to get a point across
• Psychology interests you
• You like a direct yet fresh tone
• You’re ready to take responsibility in your life to find meaning

6. The Alchemist By Paulo Coelho

From the late 80s, this fictional story recounts the tale of a boy in search of treasure. But instead, he finds something much more important and valuable.

Themes in this book include:

• Noticing opportunity (I’ve also written on how to know when to take an opportunity)
• Actually following your desires and dreams
• Listening to our own wants

Read this book if:

• You like fiction and can draw parallels to apply lessons to your real life
• You like magic, wisdom, and self-discovery

7. The Passion Test: The Effortless Path To Discovering Your Life Purpose by Janet & Chris Atwood

A key feature of this book about finding your passion is living according to what actually matters to you. The test in this book will help you uncover your top 5 passions.

What’s nice about this book is that it provides an action plan. (We know I love those!)

Read this book if:

• You want to live a full and fulfilling life
• You need help aligning your life with your passions

Action Plan to Help You Set Goals so You Can Find Your Passion and Purpose

Sometimes you just need a step-by-step, broken-down version of what you need to do so you can get to where you want to be- in this case, get to living out your purpose!

I’ve created an action plan that helps you set goals- any goal you want! Grab it below!

Be sure to check your junk or promotional folder in your email for the free action plan!

8. The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything By Ken Robinson

Picture you when you’re the most yourself. You’re in the flow. That’s the focus of this book- how to get THERE.  Ken Robinson shares how the “element” is where you’re talent meets your passion.

There’s humor and stories from famous people in this book to show you how to access this wonderful state where your skills and your passions align.

Read this book if:

• You need help matching your talents to your passion
• You need inspiration to achieve what you set out to
• You like humor in a personal development book

9. Find Your Passion: 25 Questions You Must Ask Yourself by Henri Junttila

Want to find out what you were truly meant to do? This book has a set of questions to help you with that.

You’ll get a clear process to skip the confusion and go straight to clarity!

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Read this book if:

• You need help getting on the right track
• You need help using creativity to problem solve
• You don’t know what’s really holding you back
• You want to finally uncover your pasion and purpose in life

10. The Happiness of Pursuit: Finding the Quest That Will Bring Purpose to Your Life by Chris Guillebeau

If you want to make your life “count” this book is for you. Chris Guillebeau shares stories from his quest around the whole world about people who are working toward their dreams.

This inspiring book discusses how being on a quest toward something is related to happiness. The author also discusses what happens after you’ve accomplished that thing (something we don’t always hear about when it comes to finding your passion in life).

Read this book about finding your passion and purpose if:

• You want your life to “matter”
• You want to take control so your life is actually about something
• You really need to be inspired in terms of self-discovery

11. The Renaissance Soul by Margaret Lobenstine

Of all the books on finding your passion, this is really the only one about how to plan your life if you’re a multipassionate person. 

(Here’s a great podcast episode if you’re multipassionate and need some balance.)

Multipassionate means you’re interested in and excited by things from all areas of life. 

Read this book if:

• You want to know how to go about life when you’re pulled in so many different directions (more about finding balance)
• You need help navigating pursuing a passion even if it doesn’t pay
• Have dreams but also have a day job

12. Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert

The author shows you how to take on what you love and take on what you’re scared of on your journey to be our most creative self.

I believe that when we lean into our creative side, we’re more able to step into our passion and purpose.

Read this book if:

• You don’t feel inspired to pursue your passion or purpose
• You want to be more creative
• You want to live with more passion and feel more present

13. You are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen Sincero

This book will help you move through what’s holding you back from your dreams so you can identify what you want, then actually go get it.

Jen Sincero writes playfully and will definitely give you the fire under your butt that you need to finally start leaning into what you love.

Read this book about finding your passion if:

• You have tendencies of self-sabotage 
• You need help building a life you really love

Here’s a list of a bunch more books to check out:

14. Finding Your North Star: Claiming The Life You Were Meant To Live by Martha Beck

15. Mastery by Robert Greene

16. Flow: The Psychology Of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihayli

17. The Big Leap: Conquer Your Hidden Fear And Take Your Life To The Next Level by Gay Hendricks

18. The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, Jeffrey Zaslow

19. When Things Fall Apart: Heart Advice for Difficult Times by Pema Chodron

20. Love Does: Discover a Secretly Incredible Life in an Ordinary World by Bob Goff

21. The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself by Michael A. Singer

22. Miracles Now: 108 Life-Changing Tools for Less Stress, More Flow, and Finding Your True Purpose by Gabrielle Bernstein

23. The Crossroads of Should and Must: Find and Follow Your Passion by Elle Luna

24. Unwrapping Your Passion: Creating the Life You Truly Want by Karen Putz, Janet Attwood, Debra Poneman

25. The Life You Were Born to Live: A Guide to Finding Your Life Purpose by Dan Millman

26. I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was: How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It by Barbara Sher, Barbara Smith

27. The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brené Brown

28. The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

29. Fearless Passion by Yong Kang Chan

30. No Opportunity Wasted: 8 Ways to Create a List for the Life You Want by Phil Keoghan

31. Chillpreneur by Denise Duffield-Thomas

32. The Artist’s Way by Juila Cameron

Books on Finding Your Career Path

33. The Art Of Work: A Proven Path To Discovering What You Were Meant To Do By Jeff Goins

This book focuses on the work you were born to do. Work as in your vocation. Jeff Goins discusses how pinpointing your passion is just the first step of the process.

You find your purpose when you connect your passion to a need in the world. I love this and really resonate with this idea.

He covers research on motivation, uses his own life experience, and case studies to show you how to move away from the status quo and toward the work you were totally meant to do.

| Related Reading: How to Get a Better Job in Just 3 Steps

Read this book on finding your purpose if:

• You’re confused about what career path to take
• You don’t know what you’re passionate about and don’t know how your passion can connect to a job

34. Do The Work By Steven Pressfield

I love how this book focuses on helping you pursue a long-term project of some sort with intention and purpose. 

This book is a step-by-step guide for actually completing a project. 

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Read this if:

• You have a tendency to resist actually getting to work on something
• You tend to start and not finish work projects
• You’re not sure where to start when it comes to work

What is the Best Life-Changing Book?

The best life-changing book is the one you actually read!

Don’t pick a book from this list just because your best friend or your favorite influencer has read it. And don’t even pick a book from above based on just my little summary of it.

The best life-changing book is the one that you’re actually interested in! Don’t pick The Alchemist (a fictional book) if you really don’t love mystical magical and fiction. Don’t pick a book about how to pursue your purpose in terms of career if you’re really not concerned about your career.

Pick a book from the list above that actually resonates with you and the areas you want to work on or grow. 

And read books on finding your passion that you will pay attention to and finish! Because reading it is only half the battle. The important work begins when you start to implement what you just read.

Advice to Remember & Things to Consider for Your Journey to Find Your Passion

Don’t Get Frustrated; Finding Your Passion is a Journey

Okay, real talk. You’re not going to read a book from the list above and then BAM have it all figured out. 

That’s not what this post is. This is not a list of books you can read to totally find yourself.

Reading books on finding your passion are just a way to get your thoughts flowing. A way to open yourself up to new perspectives, introduce you to new ideas. But reading alone is just part of the journey.

Uncovering and then participating in your passion, and living out your purpose in life is an ongoing process, as with most things in the personal development space.

You’ll always be working on fully embodying your purpose. And you’ll have to be intentional about engaging in your passion.

So be patient with yourself. Things don’t become clear as you turn the last page of the first book you read.

Finding your passion takes time and living your purpose is a journey.

What Does Finding Your Passion Feel Like?

I want you to consider what it feels like so you know what to expect as you read books on finding your passion.

When I feel most connected to my passion and purpose, I feel light and I feel inspired. I feel excited about new projects and have a zest for life that’s been made anew.

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I think that finding your passion feels like you’re living in alignment with your values. And this allows you to be fully present in the moment while looking forward to what’s next.

How Do I Find My Passion and Purpose?

I truly believe there’s unfortunately not a one size fits all answer here. Sure, books on finding your passion are helpful, and a great place to start, but I believe that finding your passion and living out your purpose is much larger than reading books.

The magic is when you start living and experiencing and trying things out. Maybe your passion is teaching seniors how to use technology, but if you don’t step out on a limb and engage in things related to that, you may never discover that passion.

Or maybe your passion is rehabilitating animals, but unless you start volunteering at a shelter or walking dogs in your neighborhood, that passion won’t be unearthed in you.

I am a strong believer in dabbling in things that pull you toward them. You have interests and curiosities for a reason. Indulge in them and you might find out that you LOVE something you never knew!

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Why Is it important to Find Your Passion?

In short, it’s important to find your passion(s) because if you just go through the monotony of life without spending time engaging in things that light you on fire, life is going to be pretty unenjoyable!

There’s beauty in intentionally and actively experiencing things that light you up. There are a lot of things lin this life we HAVE to do. Lots of responsibilities that call for our attention. It’s important to mix the responsitiblities with hobbies and passions so that your life is balanced.

Tips to Help You Overcome Your Fears About Finding Your Passions in Life

I bet your main fear about finding your passion and purpose is that you don’t have one, right?

You’re worried that nothing really interests you enough to spend time on it and pursue it, whether professionally or personally. Or maybe you’re nervous because your peers seem to have it all figured out, but you don’t.

| Related Reading: Exactly What to do When You’re Feeling Behind in Life

Make a List of Things that Interest You

I currently have a running list in the notes app on my phone of random things that interest me. 

I suggest you do the same if you worry that you have no actual interests. I had that fear, so I started writing topics down every time I thought of something I liked.

The items in your list can be completely random and weird! The fun of this is that the list includes tasks, objects, topics, and more. All the things you like!

After you have a handful of items on your list, start to look for themes. Maybe you notice that 3 items on your list have to do with organizing. Maybe organizing is something you could do to relieve stress or even make money!

Want a sneak peek at my list? I’ve added text in parentheses for you so you get the gist of how much or little these things interest me and understand that literally anything can go on this list.

My Personal List of Things that Interest Me:

• SEWING (only very basic skills, haven’t touched my sewing maching in probably 7 years)
• PLAYING THE PIANO (don’t do it nearly enough, but when I do I’m in love with it; very basic skills)
• HEALTH AND WELLNESS (love this topic so much I write regularly about it and spend lots of time consuming content related to this)
• BODY IMAGE (love it so much I created a workshop about it and talk about it all the time to anyone who will listen)
• MUGS (I have a big collection in my cabinet and can’t help buying them)
• SOCKS (too many to count, my drawer is overflowing and I’m obsessed with getting more)
• OUTER SPACE (has always interested me since I was a kid, haven’t consumed any content about it in years or done anything at all with this interest, but I still love it)
• LOOKING AT LANDSCAPES AND NATURE (in nice weather, I take rides to the bay for alone time)
• GOING TO BED EARLY (I do this 5 nights out of the week)
• DANCING (not professionally by any means, I have dance breaks at home with my dog at least once a week)
• NON-TOXIC LIVING (I’m just dabbling in this and making slow changes)

Let’s Bring it Home

We’ve covered a ton of books on finding your passion, and I can’t wait for you to dig into them!

Here’s your reminder that you don’t have to take what you read in a book as absolute truth. Take what you like and leave what you don’t. 

And remember that these books are just to get your juices flowing! I’m sure that after reading one (or more) that you’ll have a clearer idea about how to discover your passion and then live a purposeful life. 

When you live within your purpose, you have so much more confidence, boldness, and bravery for your next pursuit.

COMMENT BELOW TO LET ME KNOW WHICH BOOK YOU’LL READ! 🙂

Related Reading:

6 Personal Development Books that will Totally Change You (in a seriously good way!)

How to Feel Truly Fulfilled in Life

17 Ways to Visualize Your Highest Self and Start Showing Up as Her

19 Easy Ways to be More Patient With Yourself