Everyone knows the saying, "If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life."
I used to think this was a cliché saying, but when I graduated from my Masters program in 2018, I knew three things: 1) The traditional news setting wasn’t for me, 2) I love to create and write engaging content, 3) I don’t really enjoy working out of an office full-time. It was pretty clear that I needed a little flexibility in my schedule. It was then that I knew what I had to do. I had to turn my passion into a career.
I believe that so many of us are just showing up for a work day, not for pleasure, but out of necessity.
A study conducted by the Deloitte University Press states roughly "87.7 percent of America’s workforce is not able to contribute to their full potential because they don’t have the passion for their work." The study also reveals that "less than 12.3 percent of America’s workforce possesses the attributes of worker passion."
But, it doesn’t have to be that way.
If you’re looking for ways to turn that passion into profit, here are my six tips for making that happen:
1. Figure out What You Want
First things first, what do you want out of life? What work makes you excited and happy to contribute? I say this because not everyone wants to turn their passion into a career. For example, you can love to sing but not want to have a full-fledged singing career. You can enjoy photography, but not want to make a living taking photos of other people’s weddings or kids for the rest of your life. These are just hobbies.
However, it’s possible to turn things you love into a viable career. You have to be a bit realistic and decide that you want it. Once I decided writing was the be-all-end-all for me, I started finding opportunities — whether it be internships, freelance gigs, or blogging. You have to decide what you want to seek out these connections.
2. Treat Your Passion Like a Business
It’s hard to create a career out of something you’re not treating as such.
If you want to turn your passion into profit, there are a few things you have to do first. You need to create a business plan, devote a specific amount of time every day to said passion, attend networking events, invest in branding, marketing, and start brainstorming some ways you can fund your business. There are plenty more, but these are just a few to get you started.
3. Embrace Failure
"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure" – Colin Powell
I love this quote so much. We should never forget that failure is a crucial stepping stone to success. So many people are afraid to fail, but what they don’t realize is that failure is necessary to reach your goals. Trying and failing and trying again is what it’s going to take you to the next level.
If I gave up after I got one "no" from a prospective freelance writing client, I would have struck out and landed a boring desk job years ago. You’re going to hear the word no often. You’re going to make a lot of excuses, so it’s up to you and only you to fight against those excuses.
4. Continue your education
Workshops, online courses, even books on your passion are great ways to motivate and inspire you to keep pushing. It’s imperative to learn as much as you can about your dream career. If there are in-person opportunities in your area, try those out too. Online or offline, continued education is critical.
5. Be willing to Put in the work
Living your passion should be fun, but it will also be hard. To make anything successful, you will have to put in some serious work. You’ll be logging many hours, especially if you’re still working another job in the beginning. People say it won’t feel like work, but if you've already worked a 9-hour shift, coming home to write or work on your business will still feel like work — even if you enjoy it. It’s going to be tough, and you’re going to want to quit at one point or another. But if you’re committed to making it happen, quitting isn’t an option. That’s the only difference between the ones who succeed and the ones who fail.
6. Believe in You
As I mentioned above, times are going to get tough. You are the only one that can make or break yourself. You need to visualize where you want to go with your passion and have faith that you will get there, no matter how long it takes.
Here are a few things you can do:
Create a vision board, if it helps. Or create a one year, five year or ten-year plan for your business or goal. Take time every day to get in the zone and imagine what it will be like once you’ve finally made it. If you do all of that, I am sure that your passion will flourish into something greater.
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