How to turn your passion into your career.
When you are looking for a job, or considering a career change, one of the best pieces of advice is to do what you are passionate about. Of course it's a great idea - doing what you love for a living is a wonderful way to spend your life. The problem is, how can you do that? I mean, we live in the real world and there are bills to be paid.
The thing is, no matter what it is that you're passionate about, with some time and careful planning, you can find a way to live your passion, and the paycheck will be a bonus.
So, I know what you're thinking. It's something like "The only thing I'm passionate about is collecting salt and pepper shakers, I go to work everyday so I can afford to buy more."
And I would say "Find a way to make money with salt and pepper shakers." Seriously, with some planning, you could open an internet store that sold novelty shakers and get a drop shipment supplier so you don't have to carry much inventory. Or, you could start a website designed for people who love to collect salt and pepper shakers and become a resource for all things shaker. You could even start a blog that is a memoir of all of your collections and what each piece means to you.
It's just a silly example, but to have real job satisfaction, you have to love what you do.
If you want to live your passion, here are 3 things you have to do first:
- Find out what you are passionate about - When you think about what it is that excites you, it doesn't have to be a marketable skill. Start with the first thing that comes to mind and take it from there. If you give it enough thought, you're bound to stumble on the keys to finding a career that is rewarding for you.
- Be brave - Spend time each day doing what makes you happy. Maybe it is just a hobby, still make the time to pursue it. You may not be able to build a career on it yet, but doing what you love will bring happiness and meaning to your life. It's so easy to get caught up in the daily grind and put off doing the things you enjoy. Don't let the spark die out.
- Do the math - If you are thinking of turning your passion into a career, take a hard look at your finances and determine how much you need to make in order to survive. You may have to downsize your lifestyle or moonlight, but come up with a solid plan for how to get to where you want to be. Once you know what it would take, you are a step closer to getting there.
- Give it a try - Take a chance. You don't have to risk everything. Look for others who are doing the thing you want to and find out how they got there. Consider getting a part time job or an apprenticeship in the industry you prefer. Once you start looking around, you'll find that there are many ways to do what you love. Even if you don't give up your day job right away, getting your feet wet is the just another step on the path to real happiness.
Do you love what you do? If not, what is stopping you? I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments.
By Melissa Kennedy- Melissa is a 9 year blog veteran and a freelance writer for Administrativejobsblog and Nexxt. Along with helping others find the job of their dreams, she enjoys computer geekery, raising a teenager, supporting her local library, writing about herself in the third person and working on her next novel.
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