When it comes to choosing a career or a work-at-home business model, its often said that you should do what you love and the money will follow. But do we all know what it is that we "love", and at what point in our life are supposed to know for certain what our 'passion' is?
There are obvious benefits to doing what you love or choosing a field or product that you are 'passionate' about. First, it is going to seem less like 'work'. There is nothing better than getting paid for something you truly enjoy doing.
You will also be more likely to go above and beyond, doing more than is expected of you or going that extra mile for your clients. These characteristics are what sets a business or an employee apart from the rest, which will open endless opportunities for you.
Passion shows, and it's one of those things that is hard to fake 😉
Not everyone is born knowing exactly what their passion is, or experiences some magical moment where an epiphany is dropped in their lap with their 'passion' written out in detail for them.
Growing up I was most interested in science and was debating heavily between archaeology and anthropology. I never would have imagined myself as a computer geek, a business owner or a work-at-home mom. But then, computers were just barely being introduced in the educational system at that time.
Passion is something that you feel. And feelings can change according to environment, experience and circumstance. Perhaps a better way to put it would be to say: find out what you are exceptionally good at, and focus on that one thing. Figure out how you can use your best traits as an individual to choose or create a career that is a perfect match for you.
Debra Davenport, in an article titled Find Your Career Passion, outlines 8 ways that you can identify your best traits or your 'passions'. She offers some very solid advice, including having a career assessment and considering your hobbies and interests.
Hobbies, interests and personal experiences are a great place to start because you can easily assign the 'passion' factor based on how you feel about those things. Keep in mind too that passions dont just come in positives. Consider the negatives as well.
For example, if you passionately dislike something about a product or service then you can develop a better solution that will make a difference in the lives of others.
Still, most people struggle with pinning down something they are both passionate about and experienced with that they can successfully turn into a business model. Walking through Debra's steps will help you to brainstorm basic ideas and make a list of possible options.
But perhaps one of the most important things to know upfront is that you can keep things flexible and continuously experiment until you find the right solution for you.
Plan to change and grow with your industry, or with your target market, and refine your process or your business model as necessary along the way.
You never actually fail when you operate in this mindset. You simply grow, change, and improve.
My own business has been a good example of this process. I am now in my 11th year as a full-time "work at home mom" and I can truly say that I am doing what I love. I didnt wake up one day and decide that my passion in life was to be an Internet Marketer. My business model simply evolved over the years.
Initially, my passion was to create a better life for my family and get out of a dead-end situation. Once I successfully started my first business, I knew that I was on the right track. After I successfully got my second business off the ground, I was absolutely sure of it.
I spent several years just 'doing what I loved' as a business model before my culmination of experiences inspired a true "epiphany" for what I wanted to accomplish long-term.
The point to take away is that you may not know what your "passion" is upfront. It may be something that you find out along the way, while pursuing other goals. Dont let that concern you in the initial phases.
Your first objective is to identify your values, explore your personal talents and traits, and then research your options.
Go with what you know, start somewhere (anywhere) and then learn and revise as you go.... because there is no better way to find out how you like the water, than to get your feet wet 😉 .
Best,
p.s. If you are on the fence and not currently "living the live you love!", your next click should be this candid journal entry from Jason Moffatt about Demanding More From Life, Demanding More From Yourself. I have personally watched Jason go through a complete life transformation in 2 short years... and his advice in this entry is spot-on!
Technorati Tags: do what you love and the money will follow, changing careers, find your passion, business models
About Lynn Terry
Excellent post Lynn. It's so true that sometimes you end up going in a completely different direction than you originally planned!
I like your views on just "spending time doing what you love" and then letting that guide you.
Hi Lynn,
Nice article. I find my passion changes all the time. Think about it, at 18, I was a very different person. Many years later, I have different interests!
Exactly. Many people get stumped on choosing a business model based on their current passions or hobbies. But the more important decision to make is that of just getting started.
It is usually after you have taken risks and pushed yourself beyond imaginary limits that you begin to see your true strengths and weaknesses.
Its my opinion that this is one of the major perks to becoming an entrepreneur - you have the flexibility to explore the ways that you can live up to your full potential as an individual.
There's monetary success. And then there's LIFE success.
I've found my passion keeps evolving. First it was just to be home with my kids, then to teach other moms how to do what I did (telecommute), and recently it has grown beyond just that.
I wish my husband could locate his passion in life. I hate to see him struggle in a 9-5 doing something that drains him.
Had I not stumbled into what I do now I might have still been working a draining 9-5 also though. I feel very blessed I came upon something I love doing everyday.
Lynn,
Very true. The business model and passion evolve along the years. Attracting different opportunities can change your course.
I also felt it won't move away too much from the big purpose of your life. Passion may change, purpose remains more or less the same.
Hi Lynn,
I just found your website and blog. I've struggled to find what makes me tick and this article has sparked something in me to search for it and find it. Thank you for the links to the other articles. They were great, too.
I plan on going back to the archives and seeing what other bits of wisdom I can glean.
Thanks again!
Mara
http://momstalkbiz.com/biz.html
You are most welcome, Mara - glad it was helpful to you!
Great post Lynn. You always seem to hit the spot with the topics - every time i read - it gives me food for though :o)
I wanted to add two points to your post if I may:
1) Don't be afraid to quit a dead end venture, job, life direction - I think you already said that, but I wanted to re-emphasise it - it's criminal to waiste your time, and it makes you more unhappy.
2) Find out what your strenghts are, and build on your strenghts not your weaknesses. Building on your strong traits will bring your spirits up and give you confidence. It will also make you look at the world and the opportunities in it in a different way.
A good strenghts test to take - if you want to - and it's not expensive for the results it will give you: http://www.kolbe.com/all_kolbe_indexes/all_kolbe_indexes.cfm
Just don't give up on looking :o)
and sometimes that direction comes from someone else. For me, it took a business coach making suggestions that helped me see my strengths... and when I changed directions everything changed for the better.
Sometimes we can't see the forest for the trees.
I couldnt agree more, Carrie. There have been countless friends, inspirations, comments and mentors in my life that have helped me to find and keep direction.
That is why I suggested Jason's article in my PS. It is super important to have a mentor or a brainstorming group where you can share ideas and get valuable feedback along the way.
Otherwise, you have to rely solely on your own perceptions...
foundthis website really useful - http://www.theonequestion.com/index.php - the actual test helped me to gather a better idea about my values and life's purpose.Now i just got to find that job.... also another page worth reading not alot of info but it helps, is http://www.purposefulgrowth.com/2006/05/31/being-or-doing/
bye for now
Relying on your perceptions isn't a bad thing sometimes because those perceptions are translated into representations and then integrated in desires to promote your passions from the inner-self to the social enviroment you live in.
You have to know what you want of your life. I am amazed how many times people say that they want to be happy but when i ask to tell me what is their passion in life, they are hard to find an answer. It is not enough if you just want to be happy.
Finding out what your purpose is in life is a very difficult question. I think many people settle for something they don't like cause they don't know what to do in life or don't know what they are good at.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts and views. This is a challenging topic but one that needs to be explored. Much success in all you do.
Great post. I believe that people should do what they're passionate about. I think it's so sad that so many people are doing things because it's what their family/friends want them to do. This post has some great tips. Thanks for sharing. Keep up the great work!
Life is so incredibly short, why not make it count? Why not, do work that you truly enjoy and that really matters to you. It’s a lifelong process, but fortunately we have the answers available to us when we learn to listen the that quiet inner voice that’s tugging at us, ready to guide us to a life of meaning, purpose and passion.
I completely agree– all the productivity in the world doesn’t matter if you haven’t connected to the deepest and truest part of yourself (the part that is connected with God) and discovered your true passion and purpose in life.
I created a simple questionnaire that has helped lots of people discover their own passion and purpose for themselves. It is available for free at:
http://www.360degreesuccess.com/2011/04/how-to-define-your-true-purpose-and-passion-in-life/