1. What are your passions?
Everybody is passionate about something. Some of us blurt out our passions to everyone. Some of us are passionate about one thing and make it their life work without thinking about why. Others are so wrapped up chasing the dollar that they bury their passions deep in hole. I suffer from having perhaps too many passions. I love music, writing, building decks, designing houses and the list goes on. I finally forced myself to choose one primary passion. Therefore, I am now primarily a writer. Do I still chase the others? Yes, but I consider the other passions deep hobbies instead of my purpose in life.
2. What are you good at?
Make a list of the top 5 things your good at. Think it out a bit before you move on. I know I'm good at writing, playing the guitar, songwriting, diagnosing problems and being a good father. What are you good at? Make a list right now. 3. What are you afraid of? This is a tough one. I'm afraid of rejection. My fear probably comes in part because I am a child of an alcoholic. That is one of the legacies of the disease. However, even though I am not great at dealing with rejection, I've had to face it and I've screwed up my courage and faced it. By recognizing what I'm afraid of I can be more careful about what I choose to do in life. Several of my jobs in life have been in sales and I used to avoid making sales calls in order to avoid the rejection.
Now you say, "but Johnny, who gets rejected more than a writer?" and you would be 100% correct. However, I am ok with a writer's rejection. In fact I collect rejection slips because I believe that there is a magic ratio of No to Yes. It might not be real magic but it is true that after a certain number of rejections, I do get an acceptance. I've turned it to my favor because it is about something I am good at and something I love. What are you afraid of? Write it down, recognize it, beat it down a bit and face it. It might not turn out to be your friend, but it could be an ally.
I'm afraid of: _____________________________________________
4. If you had an hour to yourself, what would you do with it?
A long time ago someone asked me what I would do if I had an hour free to myself. My answer was "play my guitar". Writing and performing music became my passion for 20 years. I still love the guitar but I gave myself the right to change my passion to writing. In fact, I had an hour free tonight so I drove myself to my local Starbucks, bought a Grande, sat down and hammered out this post. I feel great. When I focus on my writing, my muse visits and the real magic starts. Trust me on this, if you identify your passion and focus on it your muse will visit regularly. It's some type of magic that happens. What would you do if you had an hour to focus on your passion?
5. How to make money at it?
Now the part that causes so much trouble. If you don't need the money, then rock on, pursue your passion and let it roll. However, if you me want to spend your working life focusing on your passion, then work with me here. Brainstorm five ways you can make money with your passion. Understand that not all will actually produce any money, but one or two will have great potential.
One of my fatal flaws for a long time was that I believed that my skill and passion were not worth much in terms of money. How untrue. One of my closest friends finally broke me of that idea and booked me for music gigs in a nursing home where I got paid good money for doing what I love to do. Was it Carnegie Hall? No, but they paid quickly and the checks were good. I found I enjoy playing music for any group. Another friend showed me how my writing was really valuable to people and convinced me to push myself harder to get it out. I'm making money now doing what I want to do. Am I the best writer to ever come along? Probably not, but I'm pretty darn good and I am proud of my work. I can live with the rejection, I like the money and I love the feeling I get when I finish a piece.
Brainstorm (hard) and write down five ways you can make money at your passion. Do it now.
Now, pick one of these money makers and pursue it. Write out a paragraph about how you would do it. Make a brochure. Ask your friends for help. Trust yourself, trust your talent and trust your passion. Your muse will visit and you will find a way. What have you got to lose?
