Everyone wants to do a job they like, something they enjoy. In this era, where we have thousands of choices to choose from, the recent generations are in a deeper dilemma of choosing between their passion and a viable career to make a living. With the increase of social media usage, choosing their passion as a career has been romanticized. People have been highly critical and have dismissed corporate jobs or the traditional ways of employment. While both sides of arguments might be valid, choosing passion over traditional jobs is not always the easy option. If you wish to take your passion to a profitable career, you will have to understand and analyze a few things.
Passion vs Hobby
Often, people confuse themselves with hobbies and passion. While both of them are rooted in, having a liking towards something. However, in a broader sense, they are highly different from each other.
A hobby is something that fills up your free time. Activities that you resort to when you are bored and would like to have some fun. It could be you dancing to old songs, or sitting down and painting your thoughts out. But, hobbies do not excite you enough, and you will be soon bored of doing that at some time. You do not want to do it all day, all life. However, passion is a part of you. You cannot go without it. You are the happiest when you spend your time with passion. Are you ready to do that all day and fight all odds to do that every day? If you do not find time for it, then you feel sort of incomplete.
Should You make your Passion A Career?
Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay
The thought of having to do what you love might sound like a beautiful dream, while in reality, not an easy walk. It is not as dreamy to be doing what you love as things get tough with time. The initial days are always fun, and you will be very happy, but slowly when the tides go low, it becomes hard to hold a stand. This is where the commitment towards your passion is tested.
Also, when you start adding monetary value, statistics, and the chart of profit-loss to your passion, you might not enjoy it as you did before. It is not an escape mechanism now, but something you are supposed to do. You do not have the vanity you had before. That is, you need to match your craft to the rules of capitalism to make money. Make a decision, will you enjoy the process even then?
Another aspect you should look into before starting is, do you have a plan? After you start your journey, will you be able to sustain a living? Do you have a plan? Do you have the savings to last till you pick off? There are just too many questions, you need to ask yourself before you make the ultimate decision.
How to Make Passion Your Career
Have a Back-Up
You need not jump right away into making your passion. Give it time to grow. Thus, if you are in a job already, do not quit to start your new venture. You might have to multi-task and sacrifice some of your holidays and free time.
The Why and The How
The first decision you should make is, why did you choose to do this? What are the industry opportunities in the field you have chosen? Before you go ahead, you should know what skill you want to master and monetize. You introspect, analyze and re-analyze, the position you are aiming for in the industry.
That is, if having a successful Instagram page for your poetry is your aim, start by setting simpler goals. Identify where you lack and re-work it. Before, you begin, spend time observing how Instagram works. Specifically, how the writing community works on the platform.
Network
As a freelancer, in the beginning, collaboration is the key. You will have to offer service for free sometimes. Keep in mind you are earning experiences. But, these connections will go long, and you will be able to make use of them in the future. Also, always be on the lookout for the devoids and demands in the industry. You will be able to make a mark, only when you bring unique value to the table. Choose your mentors wisely and learn from their experiences as well. Mentors do wonders in your career. Be open for conversations, always!
Discipline
When you start, you must spend most of your time on your skills and their development. Always, balance out and keep time for increasing your skill. Most often, you will end up as a freelancer, meaning you will be the boss. Thus, it is necessary that you incorporate a schedule and track of everything you do. Indiscipline might harm your work and make your plans go for a toss.
Getting to do what you always love, is always a dream. It is the happiest thing to do. Making it a reality requires more than what it seems. You have to give your complete self to it. Be prepared. Before you start out, analyzing your plans is a must. Thus, before stepping out, research, make plans for yourself and be confident. Be open to fall, rise, learn, fall and rise again.
Read more on, our career page.
