How to follow your passion & do what you love

This is a bit of a different post for me today but as this Blog is about me following my passions, I thought it may be helpful to share some of the things I've done in order to figure out & pursue what I love doing.

 

I am really passionate (excuse the pun) about helping others to figure out and follow their passions because I believe we are here to live as the best version of ourselves, be as happy as we can be, and contribute our unique skills and enthusiasm. It's essential that we feel good about our lives in order to do this.

 

You deserve to be doing something that excites you, so that when you wake up in the morning you are filled with hope and excitement and not dread or fear about doing something that doesn't satisfy you.

 

What do I mean by passion? I think the urban dictionary sums it up best when it says:

 

"When you put more energy into something than is required to do it. It is more than just enthusiasm or excitement. Passion is ambition that is materialised into action. To put as much heart, mind, body and soul into something as is possible."

 

You might be thinking B***ER off. WHAT is my passion? I don't even know what that is!

 

That's okay, you don't have to know because that is part of your journey. I didn't know my passion was healthy living, raw cakes or helping others create more time in their lives. I learned that along the way.

 

I learned to listen to my gut, which told me when I was excited and helped me recognise those things that make me happy, the things I could easily do ALL day every day and it wouldn't feel like "work". Don't get me wrong, I do want to turn these things into a business, but that wasn't my initial intention. To figure this out I did a lot of personal development, had some life coaching, spoke with a lot of people and learned to listen to myself more.

 

Here are some things that really worked for me in pursuing my passions and I hope they help you too:

 

1. Figure out what your passion is ....

Ask yourself questions such as, if I could do one thing right now and get paid for it, what would that be?

 

What do I enjoy doing more than anything else, what gets me out of bed in the morning and makes me feel excited? What do I sit and google all the time and watch/read about?

 

Still not sure.... think about who you admire, what do they do? Is it something you'd like to do yourself? 

 

Still not sure...

 

There are lots of exercises you can do to figure it out. A good starting book that helped me was "The Power of Self Confidence" by Brian Tracy.

 

Alternatively, you could hire a life coach. I've used several fantastic coaches who I'd be happy to recommend.

 

2. Look for others who have done what you want to do ...

Seek out other people online, Instagram/Facebook/YouTube or in your community.

 

The chances are, there will be others who have made a livlihood out of what you want to do. Follow them, reach out & seek advice, send them an email or ask if you can take them for a coffee. Most people will be flattered and happy to share their passions with you.

 

3. What steps can you take right now?

There will be something you can do right now that will move you in the direction you'd like to go.

 

Write a list of all the things you could do.

 

Is there a course you can go on to learn more, a networking event you can join, a Facebook group you can join? Can you set up an Instagram account or start practicing the thing you want to get good at.

 

For me I started making my own healthy treats and cakes at home, researching how to do that and practiced. I also started an online nutrition course. You don't have to give up your job or anything else you are doing right now in order to start...

 

4. Share your dreams with people you know will be open and supportive...

Think of people you know who will encourage you to follow your passion. Whatever you do, don't share your dreams with anyone who is negative or doesn't have your best interest at heart or is unlikely to support you changing or bettering yourself. Share your ideas with the right people and get excited.

 

5. Read/Listen...

Find inspiring books to read and audios to listen to. I can not over estimate how important this is. In order to feel empowered and confident you MUST fill your mind with positivity and belief and the way to do that is to hang around others who've been there and have knowledge to share.

 

You might not know anyone who's followed their passions personally but that's okay because you can find plenty of audios and books of others sharing their success. "The Success Principles" by Jack Canfield is a great book which helped me grow confidence in myself.

 

6. Find a vehicle

Not everyone needs this step but I did. I needed a means of creating an additional income to allow me more time to figure out my passion. You may need time to figure it out and space to build your ideas. Maybe you're in a negative working environment that doesn't make you feel good or creative. Fortunately I've always worked around positive people doing something I enjoy, but I did want more time and flexibility and not to be confined by a 9-5 job. If that is the case for you and you're financially dependent on your full time job, you may want to find a more flexible way to work. I'd recommend looking into social marketing or anything that allows you to build a residual income because that is the best way I've found to allow flexibility.

 

I partnered with a social marketing company called Arbonne (you can read more in my "about" section), to build an additional income, so that I could work part time in my day job. It has become part of my passion and inspiration and a means for me to help others achieve their goals.

 

7. Figure out how you can create an income from your passion...

Initially you may not be thinking about this at all but simply enjoy doing something outside of your other commitments. There may come a point when you decide that you want to turn your passion into a business or it might happen naturally.

 

When a new cafe opened near my house I saw that as a sign to do something with my cakes. Then I was asked to make cakes for a couple of local cafes. This brought in a small amount of money but more importantly it gave me confidence to try things. It didn't work out in terms of time and profit but it was part of the journey. Right now I have many ideas I am working on, but I'm not fixed to any one particular thing. I know and accept that I will make mistakes and switch things up if they aren't working and because I have my Arbonne business, I can afford to experiment with things.

 

8. Have fun & keep learning ...

It's your passion and you want to keep it fun and enjoyable, so try not to put too much pressure on yourself. Experiment with different ideas. It may turn out that you keep your passion as a hobby but never allow yourself to think you can't make it work. Look around at all the examples of those who have gone before and the chances are, there will be someone who made it work for them.

 

If one person can do it, then so can you!!

 

Love

 

Jo x

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