Does your current situation make you think more about turning your hobby into a career? Do you struggle waking up to go to a job that drains all your energy? Do you feel like something is missing from your puzzle? You want to create more, have the chance to express yourself and at the same time, give something back that could inspire others.
You are stuck in the same routine, not knowing what to do, or not having the courage to do something about it. You are not the only one. Research from Deloitte University Press says that 87.7 percent of America’s workforce cannot reach the full potential because they think that their job has no meaning. This means that there is only 12.3 percent of America’s workforce that love what they are doing.
If you are finding yourself in this situation, maybe it is time to change something in your life. Here are 7 ways that could help you change your perspective about things.
1. Find your Ikigai
You must be wondering what Ikigai means. It is a Japanese word that translates as a sense of purpose and meaning. If you take a look at the word and separate it, iki means life and kai means the realization of expectation. What the Japanese believe is that in order to succeed in your career, you have to achieve the “state of flow”. And that is by finding your ikigai. In other words, if you truly love something and you lose track of time while you are doing it, that means that you reached the state of flow and you found your passion and your purpose. This is the most fulfilling feeling in the world.
If you want to know more about this, I recommend you the book called: “Ikigai: the Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life” by Frances Miralles and Hector Garcia. I assure you it will change your life.
2. Know your potential and your flaws
After finding your hobby, you have to be honest with yourself about your strengths and your weakness. No matter which area you belong to – photography, writing, painting, interior design, etc. – you have to ask one question: am I good enough to turn this into a career? If it is a big, loud “Yes!”, then you are lucky. If it is a shy “No” then the only answer is: practice.
3. Start step by step
Practice makes it perfect. After you are confident enough to begin, do not look back. You go ahead with only one thought in your head: I will make it! How do you do that? You set achievable goals, day by day, without thinking about success. If you want to be on the top of the hill, you must climb it first. If you are meticulous and professional with your work, success will come to you. Quality is much more appreciated than quantity. Things take time and hard work for them to happen.
4. Learn the rules and then break them
If you want to be the best you can be in your domain, you can look up for a qualification. How does it help you? Besides learning a lot of rules, you gain the ability to choose what exactly it is beneficial to your career. You shape the knowledge in a direction that allows you to create a better vision of yourself and your work.
Another benefit from this is that you get the opportunity to work in an environment that motivates you by having students around you that share the same values. Your confidence will be stronger after receiving feedback from the tutors. And if you think about the classical excuse – “I do not have time” – well, think again. You have a diversity of options to choose from, whether we’re talking about part-time or full-time courses.
5. Think about a strategy of promoting your work
Social media is very important in this case. You have to be willing to learn some tips and tricks on how to create a website that reveals your professional side. Apart from that, your message has to be genuine, so you can create a bond between your viewers and your work. It has to be about something that they need or something that they can relate to.
That does not mean that it will be easy. Success will not come knocking at your door after your first or your 101st try. You have to be consistent and have a little faith. At least you were aware that once you change your hobby into a career, there will be less time for having fun and relax, weren’t you? However, it will be worth it in the end.
6. Create a stimulating environment
You have to keep in mind that this is very important. No matter where you work, you have to create a space that inspires you and makes you achieve the results you desire. It can be a song left on the background, or a nice painting hanging just above that bookshelf. A nice smell of lavender that is coming from those little candles left on your table, or just a powerful quote on a note saying something like: “You will always have ups and downs in your life and career, but just stay positive and go for it.”- Angelique Kerber
7. Remember why you started
There will be hard times, a lot of closed doors and people who will refuse you constantly. However, when a door closes, you must look for an open window. You do not give up and that is when you remember why you chose to turn your hobby into your career.
Learning to change your hobby into your career will not happen overnight. It takes dedication, ambition, discipline and a lot of hard work. You must trust your intuition and give your best shot. Make sure that you will always keep your mind open for new possibilities and a room full of optimism even for a bad day. The view from the top will be worth it.