Turn your passion into profession

Shrilaxmi Hegde
Sep 8, 2018 · 4 min read

Following your passion is the secret sauce for success.

At least that is the message we are constantly bombarded with today. Whether it is an entrepreneur, blogger, social media celebrity, or entertainer they all vouch for the power of passion and how it is a fundamental factor for success.

Over the last decade, we have all fallen hopelessly in love with the pursuit of our passions. It has become both the foundation and benchmark of our success and happiness.

The idea of passion itself is seen as the be all and everything else is expected to fall in place. Who can forget Oprah famously saying — “Do what you love and the money will follow”.

This romanticized viewpoint often leaves us unprepared for the real-life challenges and setbacks that are inevitable once you start on the road to passion. So, while passion is definitely necessary, we are finding out that it is not everything. We do need some practical strategies that help us make the transition as smooth as possible or at least provide a resource base to navigate the choppy waters.

Here are 3 crucial steps you should take to ensure that you can successfully turn your passion into a profitable profession -

  1. Phase your transition -

While it is ideal to ditch the 9 to 7 grind and jump into your passion without a lifejacket, it is also highly impractical. Just because you want to prioritize your passion, your other commitments cannot be put on pause. So, it is a good idea to start small and phase your transition — this also gives you a low-risk space for experimentation. Additionally, this period can be a good litmus test for finding out whether you can do your dream day in and day out without losing excitement.

If you want to become a DJ, start by creating a vlog. If you want to start an NGO, begin by volunteering on the weekends. If you want to be a photographer, join a class that will help you learn the skills. If you want to be a sports coach, try coaching your neighbourhood kids first. With a little bit out of the box thinking and change of perspective, you can get started on your passion right now. In time you can build the system and resources that you can leverage for a full-scale launch.

2. Work with clear targets-

We all enjoy working on our passion — hence the desire to do it full time. It brings us so much joy that we can often lose sight of the practical aspects of it. This in itself is not a bad thing but if you want to earn your living doing it, this attitude can create problems. You can get so lost in the process that you might be doing the activities related to it without getting any actual results that can generate momentum. So, it is vital to set goals, milestones, and benchmarks and track them diligently. Use this as a guide for course correction.

Remember that you can create your own mold here — schedule your time and targets depending on your own priorities. Divide your passion into a series of specific tasks and set timelines for them. For instance, to become a photographer you might need to begin by saving up money for equipment, then attend classes, go out on weekends and practice, build a portfolio with X number of pictures, join as an intern/trainee with a professional, start your social media and online profile, find gigs or collaborators to cut your teeth and so on.

3. Join your community -

Connecting with fellow professionals on specialized community platforms like CommunityZapp is crucial for finding resources, networking, and mentorship. These online communities can also help you overcome the geographical and time limitations that often plague your journey. On CommunityZapp you can either join the existing communities (entrepreneurs, photography enthusiasts, journalists and so on) or start a community of your own and invite your friends with similar interests.

On the platform, you can take part in discussions and polls or raise your queries in the Q and A sessions with the experts. The communities are an ideal space for finding mentors and interacting with the leaders of your profession. You can also find recommendations for local training and events that can help you brush up your skills. The job boards on the platform will be invaluable for finding gigs, internships, and assignments.

Another excellent idea is to connect with professionals from related industries. For instance, if you are an aspiring chef join the events community, or if you want to teach yoga to connect with members of Yoga enthusiasts community.

You need not wait for the perfect moment to get started on your passion nor should you have to suffer due to lack of preparation. Start small by doing one thing every day that feeds into your passion.

In fact, get started on your passion right now by joining a community or starting your own on CommunityZapp.

Community News

From the house of CommunityZapp, the homepage of your communities

Shrilaxmi Hegde

Written by

Community News

From the house of CommunityZapp, the homepage of your communities

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