Guide to Turning Your Passion into Your Profession

BY LESLIE WILDER

Passion is hard to describe. It makes you come alive and gives you the strength to walk that extra mile, even without you being aware of it. Have you experienced something like this? If you don’t feel passionate about the job you do, life becomes miserable, to say the least. Let’s just say that your work becomes a compulsion, more of a burden, that you need to carry in order to pay your bills, and not something which makes you feel proud and happy.

If you don’t wish to experience the latter, then first of all, don’t freak out. It’s not too late. Take charge of your own life and make smart and informed plans so as to turn your passion into your profession.

If you find happiness in playing the drums, do it, if you wish to be a hairdresser, then nobody should be able to stop you. If you enjoy doing corporate headshot photography more than fashion photography, what the heck! Go ahead with it.

Happiness is all that matters at the end of the day, along with channelizing your passion and talent in the right direction.

Here are a few tips from experts that would help you do so.

• Discover and Identify your passion

Your passion should be something for which you would be naturally inclined to. Now, here it is important to note and remember that passion and hobby are two absolutely different things and it is absolutely pivotal that you clearly differentiate between the two, before you plunge into your career options. For example, only because you like to paint would by no means mean that you would become a great painter. It might happen that you have a much natural aptitude for graphics designing, which incorporates some elements of painting. So, be smart, keep an open mind, and explore your capabilities to the fullest.

 

• Do a thorough research

Here some hard work and smartness is required from your end. Conduct a detailed research once you figure out what you are meant for. Find out what exactly would you have to do – step by step, in order to propel your career in the field of your choice. Find out if you’ll need to purchase any specialized equipments or tools, what degrees you can choose from, whether you’ll be needing any additional certification or training – and so on. In order to reduce the hurdles later, find out everything you can right at the beginning.

A great way to do this would be to interview people, who have established themselves in this career, asking them about their journey and struggles.

 

• Get Qualified

There’s no two ways about the fact that knowledge and education are two most powerful assets of any individual. Qualification here also includes trainings or special certifications that are relevant to your field. You might know a lot, but unless you have a formal document to prove your genius, you wouldn’t be taken seriously.

 

• Be prepared to face failure while walking along this path

Just like the popular quote says, failure is indeed the stepping stone for success. So don’t be afraid or defeated by failures. In order to learn, grow and polish your thought process, it is crucial that you face failures. And to be honest, you will be facing quite a few of them. We all have.

But, the magic lies in not giving up, and keep moving ahead with utmost dedication. During this course, do not hesitate to seek help from superiors or even peers if required. Keep an open mind and accept all criticism and negative feedbacks in the right spirit. There might be times when you feel that all is lost. That’s when you need to pick yourself up and keep trying until you succeed.

 

Take Inspiration from a few true stories:

Stories are always interesting isn’t it? – Furthermore, if they are true. So, here’s a lout shout out to these rich and famous personalities who followed their passion and made their lives awesome.

J.K Rowling

We all must have heard this remarkable story at some point in our lives. This woman wrote whatever she felt like – whatever made sense to her. This courage and determination made her the icon she is today. But, her life has not always been a bed of roses, as we all are aware. But, she discovered what she’s meant for, and kept working towards it. That’s what changed her life.

Steve Jobs

This name makes us all think he is someone from a different category of mankind altogether. But no. it’s not true. He is just like any of us. His immense confidence in his own capabilities and the determination to do whatever it takes to achieve his goals is what makes him what he is today. He knew what he wanted right from when he dropped school and throughout since then.

Although passion is important, it is not absolutely enough, when it comes to making you successful. Any success requires hard work, and even if you are following your passion, you can’t simple escape hard work. But the difference lies in the fact, that working for something that you enjoy, would make the efforts seem worthwhile and fun, and your fiery passion, would always keep you two steps ahead of others in your field.

So gear up and build wonderful lives for yourselves.

 

Leslie Wilder a creative writer & blogger, who is residing in Nashville the capital of U.S. state of Tennessee, I’m also a self-proclaimed happiness junkie, and someone you would generally consider confident and well balanced.