Let passion drive you into the future of your childhood dreams.

~ Humrahi

You have heard it from your friends, mentors and well-wishers, “Live your passion”, “Do what your heart says is right”, but still you are stuck in the whirlpool of 9-5 jobs, what is holding you back?

There are multiple things we have to do, to comply with our social status, maintain the lifestyle, and follow the conditioning ingrained in us from childhood, success = money. If you’re feeling unfulfilled in your career, it may be because you’re on a path that doesn’t allow you to follow your passion. Perhaps you’ve stuck yourself in a particular job because the money is good. Ultimately, chasing money instead of passion won’t get you far if you’re looking for self-improvement.

Money is a powerful tool, which could help you build castles, few would even say money is happiness. When you dedicate yourself to only making money, you are also subjecting yourself to a life of imprisonment, where the zeal for money suppress zeal for life. Money will buy you temporary happiness, but one thing it won’t get you is time. Time is an entity which is irreplaceable and priceless and everyone has a limited set of tik’s & tok’s. Hence it is very essential that you employ your time wisely, at places that would give you happiness and a sense of fulfilment.

The money you earn is important, but it should not be the driving force of your life. Finding your passion and pursuing it, will give you purpose and joy unmatched to any temporary kick out of money. Doing what you like can change your life:

• Increase your productivity
• Remove stressful environment
• Give you control on your time
• Provide a sense of achievement
• Better work-life balance

How to find passion?

Finding a passion to pursue can be a dismaying task. There are so many things our heart flutter to, but what will give us satisfaction, and monetary benefit, is the catch. To make it easier for you, anything you put your heart and soul into can be turned profitable. It is just a matter of persistence and dedication to your craft.

Few helpful tips to discover your passion:

1. Make a list of things you love to do

There are multiple things that could excite you which is perfectly alright. Write them all down, see how much time you have given to each in your life, what excites you more than the other, write pros & cons for each. This will help you put things into perspective, sometimes we just think we like doing something, but reality could be totally different. Hence ponder about all your passions multiple times to narrow down your interest.

2. Research/Read about things you love to do

Once you have a list of things that make you happy, get to the next phase of understanding each of them in detail. It is very important that you put a lot of time here, because this will explain the cost, education, time and effort required to pursue it.

There can be barriers to entry, which may not be in your control. Reading about your passions will educate you how to do things right, because if you do it right, only then can it be turned into a profitable venture.

3. Speak to your family & friends

Getting a 3^rd person perspective can help you iron the wrinkles. Many times we get caught in our own monologue and go into spirals of unnecessary thought. An outside perspective can help you clear the air and may also inject new ideas. Reach out to as many people as possible, more the merrier. More information you gain, better decisions you’ll be able to make. It’s a free poll which will help you build the foundation of your dreams.

4. Find influencers in the similar field

You may have role models doing what you love. Reach out to people who are successful in what you would like to do. Establish a connect and leave a message on their social page or through a professional network.

Reach out to 100 and you may get connected to 1, but that 1 will give you insights worth millions. When you speak to successful people, you learn, that success is not gained quickly or easily. The toil and sweat is the same, only the circumstances may have differed.

5. Watch your impulses – don’t quit your job right away

Many a times we let our impulses rule our decision, which leads to rash and unfitting decisions. You may feel stuck and unsatisfied with what you are doing, but don’t decide of leaving it in a haste. Plan, analyse, research and gather resources, these steps will give you confidence and stability in pursuing your passion.

Impulsive decisions can make you jittery, a sudden loss of income without a plan can put you in a difficult spot. Which may make you chose a wrong path or cover one rash action with another.

Always have resources assigned for the time when you may be researching or experimenting with your passions.

6. Experiment

To understand a new trade or craft you need to dive into the pool right away. There may be things you know and a lot of things you don’t, you’ll only know if your passion is as glamorous and exciting from the outside as you perceived, by trying it out.

Experiment with all aspects surrounding your dream job, understand how it is done, what help would you need and resources you’ll have to employ.

By exploring different angles around it, you’ll get a deeper understanding and hold over the subject. Making you smarter and informed to take the next step.

Starting a new job is difficult, starting something you have never done before can be scary. Hence equip yourself for all the challenges and unseen calamities that may come ahead.

7. Practice maketh a man perfect

Getting comfortable in what you do will make you an expert. Keep repeating the tasks over and over again to gain confidence and demeanour in your craft. Everybody has a passion, being the best in yours is totally up-to you. With experience and practice comes respect and fame. There can be nothing more satisfying than being recognised for your passion. When you become an influencer in your field of choosing, every day at work will be glorious. Hence practice, practice and practice some more, to be the best in your field.

8. Never lose hope

A lot of us give up when faced with adverse situations. We may put in a lot of efforts and resources, but nothing may seem to see the light of the day. Remember, success knocks on the doors of people who are persistent and dedicated. Everyone tastes the nectar of success at different times in their life. Hence don’t compare yourself to someone who may have got it earlier, because there are thousands who may have not reached the stage, you are at. Believing in yourself is the key mantra.

Final word

It is not going to be an easy process, there will be many challenges, friends making fun of you, parents getting jittery, but at the end, it is you and your passion. Breaking out of years of conditioning is like getting out of an addiction, you’ll go through cold turkey, but once done, you’ll be a much happier and content person in life. One of the fascinating things, about living your passion, is the freedom and ease of burden.

It’ll be always easier to justify, ‘I tried, but failed’ rather than saying, ‘I wish I would have given it a shot, my life would have been different and better’.

Give your best shot and forget about the rest. Follow your passion and you will have an adventure of a lifetime.