Stop Talking About Your Passion, Make it Your Career!

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Let’s get right to the point.

Most of us work to make a living, because we must. We have responsibilities, bills, children to take care of. We know that those are our priorities, as they should be. We go to work and we mold ourselves to the expectations that are required. We work hard and we feel good about our accomplishments. We have reconciled ourselves with this notion of adulthood.

But stop for a second!

Think about what nourishes you, what feeds your creativity and your passion. If you are in a role or career that does those things, you are extremely lucky. If you are not, does that mean you have to give up on those pursuits or you can only enjoy them in the little spare time that you do have? We are here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be that way.

We’re not suggesting that you quit your job tomorrow to follow your dream, let’s be realistic. We want you to consider that there are ways that you can start taking steps to transition into doing something that you love. The reality is that it is a good idea to diversify your skills and talents. The working world has changed and continues to change rapidly with the ubiquitous prevalence of automation and off-shoring that can be found in many industries today. Those days where you got a good job that stayed relatively consistent with career longevity and progression are now often the exception to the rule. Experts say that, on average, the majority of workers today will experience a job change more than 10 times in the span of their career, whether due to their choice or due to restructuring or a layoff.

So, if you are going to learn to do something new, why not try to use what inspires you and see if you can make a living out of it?

So how do you get started? Here are some tips for you to think about:

Make a plan:

You may have a great idea or a great passion that you want to explore but you’re not going to get from A to Z just like that. Make sure you create a plan and give yourself realistic timelines to achieve each step in your plan. Be cautious as you are entering new territory. Have a trusted friend or influential person in your life review your plan and encourage them to be honest with you – you will only benefit through their objective analysis of what you are trying to achieve and the steps you want to take to do so.

Take baby steps:

Speaking of A to Z, you have to get through the entire alphabet to get to the letter Z – keep that in mind on this journey as well. Small steps will lead to big steps so remember that every little bit counts. If you are really invested in making your passion a financial reality, know that you are running a marathon, not a race. Pace yourself and keep going.

Do your research:

Researching information will be critical to your success. Make sure you know the type of market you are entering, the credentials you need to enter that market, the profit and loss margins, the options or alternatives out there that are similar to what you are offering. For example, if you love to bake and you want to start selling your goods, you should figure out who your target audience is and what products they might like, how you are going to get to them, who is your competition and how much do they charge for their products. The more expertise you build, the more prepared you will be.

Use social media:

We all know the power of social media in our world today. Use that influence to inform people about you and what you want to do.

Be innovative:

Being creative with how you market your idea or your product is key. Think of ways you can spread the word physically and virtually. There are many avenues to explore – don’t limit yourself.

Create your brand:

Do not underestimate the appeal of a strong brand – having professional and polished marketing tools such as business cards, labels, websites all go a long way in projecting substance and savvy. There are many affordable avenues to explore when creating your marketing tools.

Network Network Network

Take every opportunity you can to spread the word on your business or your new venture. Put yourself in situations where you will meet new people or organizations, attend local gatherings, volunteer your time to different ventures where you can speak about what you are doing. As mentioned earlier, every little bit helps.

Do not give up!

This one is pretty self-explanatory. Keep going, be focused and get back up if you encounter an obstacle. Your efforts will pay off.