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How did you find your passion?

CycloneEye

CycloneEye

New Member
Jun 11, 2012
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So what I got from that best career/work advice thread is look out for #1, do what you're passionate about, what your talents are, and if you make enough to be comfortable, that's the best place to be (although making more certainly doesn't hurt!)

That one post about looking out for #1 really shook me to my core. I guess I was naive to think companies would be loyal to their best workers but when it comes to the almighty dollar, it doesn't matter.

I'm thinking about opening my own shop but I have no idea what kind of business I would love to do. I googled it and this came up How to Find What You Love to Do » The Definitive Self Improvement Blog - BrianKim.net

Some ideas from the exercises in that article are: computer repair shop, marketing firm for local businesses, or maybe some sort of resume editing/writing online service.

Problem is I can't decide which one to pursue. How did you find your passion? How did it turn out? Are you a starving artist or are you making some decent coin?
 
I think I was like 12 when I stumbled upon my older brother's Gallery magazine...:swoon:
 
If you're starting your own business, the best advice is be prepared to fail and have a plan if you do because the majority of small businesses do within a year of opening.

And if you have no idea what kind of business you would want to open up, don't. You better know ahead of time and absolutely love it because you're going to work miserable hours and probably not have a lot to show for it when you're getting off the ground.
 
IcSyU said:
If you're starting your own business, the best advice is be prepared to fail and have a plan if you do because the majority of small businesses do within a year of opening.

And if you have no idea what kind of business you would want to open up, don't. You better know ahead of time and absolutely love it because you're going to work miserable hours and probably not have a lot to show for it when you're getting off the ground.
Click to expand...

The failure rates aren't just bad for the first year. I made just over three, but it wouldn't have felt secure until a 5th or 6th, and then only if those were profitable years or I had enough income otherwise for things to work out.

Definitely have a contingency plan in case of failure, or low enough overhead that failure isn't a problem.
 
I think it's less about finding your passion and more about aligning your natural God given talents to your line of work. For example, my passion is golf, but there is no way I'll be able to make money playing golf. I certainly don't want to be a golf pro or manage a golf course because that means I'm working in golf rather than playing golf.

My God given talents is I'm a people person like my dad. I love to talk to new people, learn about them, their life, their kids, their problems. I truly love to talk to people and learn from them as well as teach them. So, knowing that, there were a ton of careers I could go into, Financial Planning, Teaching, many kinds of Sales/Relationship/Account Mgmt jobs, etc... I love numbers, math and finance and it comes natural to me to run through numbers in my head, so I landing on Financial Planning/Business Consulting and I love it, plus I get to golf a lot!

Although I love numbers, I could never do a job where I stare at spreadsheets all day or sit behind a computer all day as I need interaction with people, face-to-face. I have friends who hate to talk to people and they love staring at spreadsheets. I have a friend who is a CPA and does taxes for people all day everyday which I would hate but she loves it as it combines her love of Accounting with people interaction.

Also, there are some pretty cool personality tests which pop up if you Google them. I've taken many tests to help me identify my strenghts and weaknesses and that really helped me identify what makes me happy doing and what makes me miserable.
 
If you start your own business, first write a good business plan with as accurate projections as you can. Then, cut your projected revenues by 50% and double your projected expenses. If you can still make a profit, you have a good chance of succeeding.
 
I found myself tearing things apart; computers, cars, motorcycles, etc. to see what made them tick. Mechanical engineering is what I was doing in my spare time. Now I get paid well to open things up and study them. I really enjoyed most of the classes, because I had already been exposed to the practical applications of a lot of the material. That's how I knew I was doing the right thing.
 
jamesfnb said:
I think it's less about finding your passion and more about aligning your natural God given talents to your line of work. For example, my passion is golf, but there is no way I'll be able to make money playing golf. I certainly don't want to be a golf pro or manage a golf course because that means I'm working in golf rather than playing golf.

My God given talents is I'm a people person like my dad. I love to talk to new people, learn about them, their life, their kids, their problems. I truly love to talk to people and learn from them as well as teach them. So, knowing that, there were a ton of careers I could go into, Financial Planning, Teaching, many kinds of Sales/Relationship/Account Mgmt jobs, etc... I love numbers, math and finance and it comes natural to me to run through numbers in my head, so I landing on Financial Planning/Business Consulting and I love it, plus I get to golf a lot!

Although I love numbers, I could never do a job where I stare at spreadsheets all day or sit behind a computer all day as I need interaction with people, face-to-face. I have friends who hate to talk to people and they love staring at spreadsheets. I have a friend who is a CPA and does taxes for people all day everyday which I would hate but she loves it as it combines her love of Accounting with people interaction.

Also, there are some pretty cool personality tests which pop up if you Google them. I've taken many tests to help me identify my strenghts and weaknesses and that really helped me identify what makes me happy doing and what makes me miserable.
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Seems like pretty sound advice. I would add my 2 cents. Is there anything you've ever wanted to do but didn't because someone said it was too hard, too much time or money needed, etc....? In high school, I decided I wanted to be a vet, not just because I loved animals but because I also love meeting/talking to people, and really loved biology. I talked myself out of it early on since I didn't really enjoy school (what high school kid does?) I also had several people tell me it was too hard to get in to school, school was too hard, blah, blah, blah. While in undergrad, I realized I could do whatever the hell I wanted and decided to pursue what was really pulling me in a certain direction. I am so happy I did. I truly feel (cue the sappy music) that I am one of those people that never will work a day in thier life due to the love of my field. Don't listen to people that say you are supposed to be miserable at work. If that's true, you owe it to yourself to change (sounds like you've already done that step.)

The huge benefit of my job is that is provides a good work/life balance so I can pursue my other passions like hunting/fishing/cyclone football etc....

The funny thing about me is that some days, I think if I had not gone to college, I would be cutting meat at our family meat processing plant, and would still be happy. It's harder physical work, but still rewarding in it's own way.
 
in a round about way I discovered my passion via a combination of an ended relationship, and guitar hero. im now two years away from an EE degree and im designing my own guitar amp.
 
IcSyU said:
If you're starting your own business, the best advice is be prepared to fail and have a plan if you do because the majority of small businesses do within a year of opening.

And if you have no idea what kind of business you would want to open up, don't. You better know ahead of time and absolutely love it because you're going to work miserable hours and probably not have a lot to show for it when you're getting off the ground.
Click to expand...

..... good qoute
 
For me it was about trying new things. Do stuff that is outside your comfort zone. Keep an open mind. I went to college to be a broadcast journalist. I ended up an entomologist. That's a jump! It took years for my parents to see I was serious and not making this bug thing up.

For me, it wasn't that I tripped across something magical that made the earth stop spinning. I think a big part of it is finding joy in what you do. Keep a positive attitude. Don't look at work as a 4-letter word. You won't find a job, or a passion that is 100% joy all the time.

And life isn't all about work. The thing that gets me through the bad days is the thought that I can go home and do something there that I like.

I love what I do, most of the time, but yes, there are days that just plain bite. Deal with it, get it done, move on, and find a way to enjoy yourself.
 
Oh, and about the always-be-on-the-lookout-for-numero-uno life plan. I don't really like it at face value.

I agree, you cannot let yourself get run over and screwed nine ways form Sunday. But, I also don't want to work with someone that is only about themselves. Have there been times when I think I got handed a crummy deal? Yes? That's life. Sometimes you buy a big of potatoes and one is already rotten - deal with it.

You have to be willing to put yourself out there for others, if you expect them to return the favor.

I've had a job or two where it was give, give, give. I received little in return. I tried to change it - no luck. So, I took the skills I gained and I moved on. I went up the ladder. Sometimes you have to work in the salt mine for a while before you move up top.
 
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