Most of us do not have the luxury of making a living out of something that we are passionate about. If you are like me, a Gen-Xer, we have been told from young to get jobs that provide long term financial security. Anything that leans towards the arts such as music, design or sports is frowned upon. Of course, times have changed and people are now smarter. They realized if they do not like what they are doing, they won’t go anywhere either. So, the big question is: how can I do something that I love and yet get paid (may I add, paid well) for it too?

First off, what is the thing that I love to do? Believe it or not, not many people really know the answer. They may say, “I love to sleep” or “I love to eat”. Seriously, the thing that you love to do has to be something that you are absolutely crazy about, that makes you feel “alive” and that you don’t mind doing it for 12-14 hours a day and yet not get enough of it. But you need to be realistic as well. Does anyone willing to pay for what you are doing? Does it create any value? In other words, the thing that you love to do must be of benefit, say savings in terms of money or time, or the ability to add or enhance.

With that in mind, follow these steps:-

1.List down what you love

Do some brainstorming on your own or with a partner. List all the things that you love to do or passionate about. Because you will notice some of the things listed may be some hypes or temporary interests. So, you really need to be honest with yourself. “What are the things I can do for free?” or “What are the things I can talk for hours?”

2.Are you any good?

I can talk about tennis for hours but I’m no good as a tennis player. Shall I pursue a career as a tennis player? Perhaps not but if I’m good at writing, I may make a good tennis sports blogger or commentator. There are things that you are naturally good at or been trained at some point of time in the past that the knowledge and skills are part of you now. If you are unsure, ask your peers or friends to verify or confirm them.

3.Is it marketable?

Whatever you are good at will not do any good unless there is a demand for it. Would people pay for your skill or the activity you enjoy doing? You can love reading but no one is going to pay you for reading because it does not create value for another person. This is a crucial step and you better spend some time figure this out.

4.Go for it

A lot of people stop at step 3 because the risk of uncertainty is too high to bear. And they are right in a way. If you have a family with three kids to feed, it’s too risky. Your better half may not support you and think you have gone insane. But once you have established the marketability of your passion, you must make a full commitment to go for it. New paths are explored by courageous souls that dare to walk on them.

5.Are you willing to be patient?

The Petronas Twin Towers was not built in one day and we all know that success does not fall on our lap just like that. Hard work, patience and perseverance are the virtues you have to get used to in this journey. But at least one thing is certain: you get to do what you love!

Now, I want to be careful with what I blog here. It’s not my intention to see an exodus of workforce from their day job and a sudden emergence of entrepreneurs.

You see, you can love the tasks that you are currently doing!

A lot of us felt we cannot love what we do within the 9-6 window. It’s not true. It is possible to find some tasks in your current job that you absolutely crazy about. For example, some people really like figures, and number-crunching stimulates their mind and give them absolute satisfaction. My suggestion is that you spend more of your time in that activity and if an opportunity arises, talk to your employer about your passion and your desire to specialize in that. If that’s not possible, then the idea of being on your own and being a contractor providing such a service to other companies can be explored.

I am a strong advocate for getting paid to do what you love. I believe if we do the work that we are passionate about, we will give our very best and the end results are beautiful because you want to proudly tell others, “Yes, I’m the one that did that.” Remember, a job well done are appreciated by the recipients of your service. In short, happy providers resulted in happy customers. Isn’t that a win-win situation?

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Can You Turn Your Hobby To Career? »