How to Do What You Love

The number one resolution each year is change. Be it weight loss or leaving bad habits behind, the beginning of the year always represents a fresh start. For many women, it seems as though you spend each day trudging into work, doing what you must to get by. Then one day you wake up, aged 20 years and completely unfulfilled. No one has intentions of being this person, but it happens all too often. Perhaps this is the year that you decide to leave your ho-hum job in search of the career of your dreams. There is no time like the present. Use that beginning-of-the-year-motivation as momentum to shake up your old routine, and start doing the work you love. If you don’t know where to begin, here are a few tips to get you headed in the right direction!

Identify Your Passion

Many people think that their passion is something they’re good at. While that is partially true, your passion should also be something that you love to do. You could be good at math, but that doesn’t mean you want to make a career out of crunching numbers. Here’s a hint: your passion is usually something that you love to do so much, you would feel guilty for getting paid to do it! Maybe it’s writing. Painting? Reading? Making websites? There are plenty of writing opportunities out there for freelancers. If painting is your passion, consider doing so for commission. If you love reading, look for editorial work. If you like making websites, there are tools that can help you crank them out with speed that some employers may find attractive. You can also do this on a freelance basis.

Some people are lucky enough to have two passions, while others struggle to identify one. If you can’t pinpoint what it is you love to do, try to jog your memory with these questions. Was there a particular skill or habit you were exceptionally talented at doing as a child? If money wasn’t an issue, how would you spend your days? Would you spend them writing? Planning extravagant events? Helping others? Whatever your “thing” is, find a way to make it your career and you will never work another day in your life.

Build the Muscle

Think of your passion like the muscles in your body. When you first start a fitness routine, your muscles are weak and out of shape. However, if you continue to workout daily, over time, your muscles will become stronger! In order to excel at turning your passion into a career, you must practice! If you want to be a yoga instructor, then you must practice yoga every day. If you want to become a writer, then you must write every day! Whatever you want to do, make sure you never let a day go by without strengthening that “muscle”. The more you pour into your craft, the more comfortable you will be making a career of it, so use your time wisely.

Share it With Others

Now that you’ve become comfortable with your passion, it’s time to get to work (literally)! No one will know what your new career is, unless you make it known! Place yourself in networking situations and announce to others what it is that you do. If your passion calls for you to work with a company, add your skills to your resume. You must get comfortable with marketing yourself so that others can reap the benefits of your passion!

Every person alive is given a talent to share with the world, but unfortunately many pass through life without ever uncovering it. On the other hand some do realizle their passion, only to bury it deep within. It is a necessity that you uncover the gift that was uniquely given to you, and allow others to enjoy it. Being able to do what you love while helping others is the key to discovering your life’s purpose. Use this year to go forth boldly in the pursuit of making your passion your career. Your only regret will be that you didn’t do it sooner!

This guest blog post was composed by Ms. Gloria Martinez who believes that while women have made many advancements toward “shattering the glass ceiling,” there is still much to be done. It is her aim to help increase the number of women-led businesses by educating others about the topic.