Figure out what you do well.
The first thing you should do is figure out what you’re good at. If you have a special talent or skill, write it down. Ask friends and family members to tell you what they think your best qualities are. Think about the kinds of praise you have received in the past for particular skills. What kind of things do you do that make other people proud? Once you know what your strengths are, think about how those can be applied in a career setting.
Find a problem you can solve.
- Think about problems you’ve faced or are aware of.
- What are some of the most pressing issues in your community?
- Have you experienced a problem that could be solved with a new approach?
If so, keep going!
Set goals for yourself.
You’re not going to get anywhere by simply dreaming about what you want to do. You need a plan. Before you begin, ask yourself:
- What are my goals?
- How can I achieve them?
- What resources do I need to make this happen?
You may feel like there’s no point in setting goals because they often change—and that’s okay! Your ambition and drive for success will evolve as well. Just remember that the point of setting goals is so that when you’re ready for something new or different, your old ones won’t be holding you back from reaching those next steps of growth and improvement.
Pay attention to what makes you excited.
The best way to make sure you’re getting paid for the things you love to do is to pay attention to what makes you excited. Are you passionate about science, or maybe photography? Maybe it’s something else entirely. Whatever it is, consider how much time and energy, and money goes into your hobby. If it’s something that takes up a lot of mental space in your life (and let’s be honest: that includes Netflix binges), then it might be time to start thinking about making a career out of it.
You can also ask yourself whether this thing is just a hobby, or if the joy and excitement come from more than just doing something for fun. For example, some people enjoy cooking as a hobby; others don’t care about cooking but love helping out at their favorite restaurant; still, others have been so successful at their passion that they’ve opened up their restaurants based on what they love doing without any formal training in food preparation!
Create connections with other people in the industry or area that interests you.
If you’re looking for a career path or want to pursue an interest, start by meeting other people in the industry or area that interests you. There are several ways to do this:
- Seek out people who have more experience than you. People who are established and successful will often be happy to share their knowledge with those looking to get started—as long as they feel like they can trust and respect your intentions.
- Find people who are working on projects that interest you. This is one of the best ways to learn more about what’s happening in a particular field right now, both in terms of where it’s going and how it functions day-to-day. You can also reach out directly about getting involved with these projects if there’s something specific that catches your eye; sometimes all it takes is asking!
Find mentors and ask for their advice.
If you’re lucky, you’ll find mentors in your field who can help guide you through the process of turning your passion into a career. They might be able to provide useful wisdom about how to navigate obstacles and make connections with other people in their industry. And if they’ve had to overcome similar challenges themselves, they may also be able to share some tips on how best to handle them.
If no such person exists within reach, it’s not too late for them to show up! Mentoring relationships can grow out of any kind of meaningful interaction with another person—even just meeting up once or twice over coffee—so don’t be afraid to reach out and try building one.
Create your opportunities when no one else will give them to you.
- If no one is going to give you an opportunity, then create one yourself.
- Take risks and don’t be afraid of failing.
- Think about how you can use your current job and experience to add value to your passion (and vice versa).
Learn how to say no.
The one thing that would have helped me the most when I was starting was learning how to say no. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed by the many opportunities that are thrown your way, especially when you’re passionate about what you do. But if you don’t say no, then it can feel like there’s never enough time in the day for everything.
There will always be something new coming up and someone else with an idea that they need help with—and while this is great for your career, it can also make it hard to prioritize yourself and your own needs. If you find yourself constantly overbooked, there are a few things worth remembering:
- Don’t be afraid of saying no when something doesn’t fit into your schedule or workflow (or if it doesn’t align with what your goals are). You don’t need every opportunity out there!
- Don’t be afraid of admitting that something isn’t right for you or someone else—you’re not always going to know everything! That’s where mentors come in handy.
- Ask questions instead of assuming everything will work out on its own; ask people who’ve been there before what they’d recommend doing next time around.*
You can turn your passion into a career, just don’t be afraid to work hard and stay positive along the way.
There’s no doubt about it: pursuing your passion can be a difficult journey. But if you’re willing to put in the work and stay positive along the way, it’s possible to turn your passion into a full-time career.
First, figure out what you want to do with your life—and then go after it! You’ll have to try different things until something clicks for you. Don’t let setbacks get you down; instead, think of them as opportunities for improvement. If things don’t work out on one path or project, move on and try again with another idea or goal in mind. If everything works out perfectly…congratulations! Now keep going because nothing lasts forever—you’ll need new challenges soon enough!
