4P’s of Life
It’s not about product, place, promotion, and price. It’s all about passion, pursuance, persistence, and paycheck.
As a student of management if somebody asks me that what are 4P’s? Then I will definitely tell them marketing mix (i.e. product + price + place + promotion = selling), but as a student of life I want to put forth my views about 4P’s that are passion, pursuance, persistence and finally paycheck or you can say success.
There is always dilemma or belief, or maybe it’s true, I don’t know what I should call it! But people believe that life does not give us chance to fulfill all our dreams. Opportunity cost is always there. It might give you satisfaction to go towards your passion, work towards it, but at the end of the day we have to walk with the reminder, that we need to pay to feed our stomachs. And first need of Maslow’s hierarchy force us to go towards something that pays well, rather than the work which we like or we love. (After all survival is more necessary than satisfaction!) So, a million dollar question arises, what to choose? Passion? Or Paisa?
Can we convert our passion into paycheck? Chances are less, but yes, we can.
Passion:
According to Shri Prashant Tripathi “Passion is a way of life.”
For me passion is infinite obsession. When you have assurance that there is only one percent chance to succeed, and still you are willingly ready to take risk and have faith in yourself that you can convert that 1% into 100%, then it is called passion.
Pursuance:
When you have done your graduation in science and you dare to pursue your career as a singer or writer without taking care of society (log kya kahenge factor) then congratulations! You are passionate about your dream.
Persistence:
As rightly said by renowned poet Nida Fazli:
Safar me dhup to hogi, jo chal sako to chalo!
sabhi hai bhid me, tum bhi nikal sako to chalo!
Idhar udhar kai manzil hai, jo chal sako to chalo!
- Bane banaye hai sanche, jo dhal sako to chalo!
Everybody does not have courage to fulfill their dreams. Sometimes, time does not allow, sometimes situation becomes a hindrance, sometimes society, sometimes we by our own self become hindrance, but still if you are stubborn to follow your path, then congratulations, you are persistent!
Converting passion into paycheck might not be a Stairway to Heaven, rather it would be like a Highway to Hell. The path we choose sometimes becomes a toughest, at a moment it will force us to doubt on our own decision, sometimes somewhere it pushes us to quit, but still if you have courage to walk one step ahead, then congratulations, you are indeed passionate!
Is it so difficult to convert our passion into paycheck?
Definitely. Journey from passion to paycheck will not be easy but if we go by proper planning, proper implementation, and proper execution, then it might become somehow easy to achieve.
First identify, what is your passion!
Let me give an example of myself. I was in chaos about what my journey will be. My interests were juggling between hobbies like singing, writing, pottery and painting. But after working with my father in his business for two years, I finally found my passion, that numbers make me obsessive to work more. Restless nights gave me more pleasure, when my dad proudly told anybody that I am handling the business, I felt like I am on cloud nine and that shine in his eyes inspired me to work more, and achieve more.
So ask this question to yourself: “What is something I hate to do?”(so, that can cancel those options.)
“What is something that gives me boredom?”
Try to remember your childhood, and focus on activities which gave you unforgettable happiness and contentment.
“Which work could be pursued without getting tired?”
“In case of no reward, will I be able to continue my work?”
A Quora user, Jay Logan has mentioned that “Your true passion is not found overnight, but is realized through series of discoveries of small interest.” Try asking your close friends and family, what can you do with your life and that will help you to find your passion.
Mediocrity is not curse if you are passionate:
Emberton says that “Most successful people, are ones that are most passionate about their work, never defined by a single skill. They are fusion of skills, often not even exceptional skills. But they’ve made their fusion exceptional.”
I don’t have an exceptional skill, or I can say that I am master of none, but I have lots of specialism and I am okay with that. But that doesn’t mean I can’t convert my passion into pay check.
Let me give an example of Steve Jobs. He was not world’s greatest engineer, neither he was world’s best sales person, but he had burning desire to deliver a great product, he had that passion.
Keep an eye on surrounding, and grab opportunity:
Passion is worthless if we cannot find single opportunity to prove it. Keep mind on alert mode to identify right opportunity on right time and at the right place. Passion says “If I cannot find opportunity, I will create it!” that spirit is necessary to convert passion in to paycheck.
Way of passion to paycheck via profession:
Journey from passion to paycheck will be somehow easy when it takes the route of profession.
If we do something which we like, which we love, neither will we get tired, nor will we get bored. And if we work without checking our watches, it will get converted into more work hours, and more practice which will ultimately lead to more productivity.
Face fear of failure and keep trying:
Failure is first step towards success, no doubt as a human being we all have little bit fear about what will happen next. What if I will fail? Sometimes that fear of failure can get heavy on us, that conundrum is only capable to make us depressed, but our efforts and passion are highly capable to achieve our goals. We just have to keep trying and don’t quit until and unless success doesn’t knock on the door.
As said by Harivanshray Bachhan:
“Lehero se dar kar nauka par nahi hoti,
Koshish kar ne valo ki haar nahi hoti.”
When work becomes worship, and passion becomes profession, journey will be smoother, and it will lead to a destination which can give more than one pleasurable feeling, do u know, what they are? Contentment, Pride, Paycheck, Prosperity along with Happiness. (Passion + Profession= Contentment + Pride + Paycheck + Happiness.)
This article was originally published in Aarash 11th Edition, annual magazine of B.K. School of Business Management.