What Should I Actually Do For a Career?
Find a passion and from it, pave your own career path. That’s what they say isn’t it? But what does that really mean? It’s ok if you don’t have your life sorted out by the time you leave school. I know I certainly felt under pressure to figure out what I wanted to do as I reached the end of my school years. I hadn’t found my passion and I had no idea on what I wanted from a career. Now I know that there is nothing wrong with this. How can somebody without any formal work experience make such a decision? On the other hand, those who’ve found their passion in life don’t always wish to monetise it. It’s an interesting concept which is why I wanted to delve further to discover how you can determine what your true passion is and whether it’s something you should turn into a career.
First Comes Passion Then Comes Strategy
Very rarely do you hear of a success story where the person wasn’t passionate about what they striving to achieve. It’s much easier to strategise a passion to turn it into a success than it is to find your love for something to which you’re not emotionally attached. Once you’ve uncovered that thing that you’re passionate about to the point of sane obsession, you’re half way there! First comes passion then comes strategy. Realise what your passion is and then apply a strategy. That’s the basic recipe for success.
Should You Try to Monetise Your Favourite Hobby or Not?
Understandably, not everybody wants to monetise their favourite hobby. It’s interesting how some people feel strongly driven to turn their passion project into a profitable business, whereas others shudder at the thought. I can’t really say what is best for you. However, I too was dubious about monetising my personal interests for a long time. I believed that work should be something you’re logically connected to rather than emotionally bonded. I then asked myself why we spend so much time doing things we don’t love to do and leaving next to no time to do what we enjoy. Personally, I loved the idea of having the challenge of turning my hobby into a full-time income, but that’s not to say there aren’t associated disadvantages. I consider my work to be an extension of my hobbies rather than feeling as though I have lost a hobby and gained a job.
Some believe that too much of a good thing can be dangerous. While I don’t believe that it’s an easy ride pursuing a career doing something you love, because ultimately it is still a business, it can at times feel as though you’ve gained a business but lost a hobby. This is why I emphasise the importance of offering services that you enjoy and working with people who appreciate what you offer. The reason that some creatives don’t wish to monetise their hobbies is because they don’t like to put deadlines and restrictions on their pastime. They prefer to carry on with the freedom to create what they choose as and when they like, which is perfectly understandable. Another issue is not wanting to have to please somebody else but having full artistic control.
How to Discover Your Passion That Can be Turned into a Career
So what is your passion? What do you love to do? Here are a few questions that you can ask yourself to find out:
- If money was no object, how would you spend your time?
- What do you absolutely love to do?
- If you could switch places with any professional person, who would it be?
- Would you creative or logical career, or a mixture of both?
- What are your hobbies?
- Would you like to turn any of your hobbies into a business? If so, which one?
