Do you have a passion in life? What is it that you think about when you wake up in the morning? Is it running? Golf? Teaching? Whatever the case may be, I’m fairly certain that your passion and your work are nothing alike. Sometimes, it just happens that way, but what if you could make a change? What if you could start living your passion and actually earning money for it? You might not believe me, but it’s entirely possible for almost every passion.
Do It Professionally
If you truly love your passion and are dang good at it, then why not practice up and go at it professionally? Do you love to play an instrument? Why not dust that thing off and start practicing? You could join a small group of instrumentalists in your area and then later, you might be able to play for a larger, paying gig!
This really works for almost every passion. If you love to play golf and are pretty skillful, enter yourself into some local tournaments. If you do well, play at a little higher level where the purses get larger. If you finish in first, you’ll be seeing earnings that are well above $1,000. How about sewing? I don’t know if you could call yourself a professional sewer, but there are plenty of people out there that will pay to get their clothing altered. Offer your services and you’d be able to enjoy your passion and make a little coin on the side!
Teach Others
If you are quite passionate about something, chances are that someone else shares your enthusiasm for that same activity and would love to learn more about it. Showcase your skills and teach someone that passion! If you love to play the piano and know more than the average Joe, offer your services to teach. You’ll be able to play your favorite instrument more often, you’ll get satisfaction from helping someone develop their passion, and you’ll get some Benjamins for doing it!
Remain Focused
If you’re anything like me, you might have multiple passions. Finance, golf, piano, and singing: I would call these my top passions. However, there just isn’t enough time in the day to do them all. Prior to becoming a personal finance blogger, I realized that not all of my passions would be profitable. My golf skills are mediocre, I never had lessons on the piano (I actually taught myself to play, so I’m not super awesome), and I’m not a tenor, so singing would be a tough gig. I knew that finance was my ticket. There are hundreds of thousands of people out there that want to learn more about their money and what they should do with it. I knew that I could capitalize on that market and earn more than $1,000 a month, so I did. And now, I understand that I could make $10,000+ a month if I wanted to. It’s amazing what’s possible when you focus on your passion.
What do you think would have happened if I started blogging for 4 months, realized I wasn’t earning any money (which I wasn’t by the way – it takes time to earn money as a blogger), and then started focusing on golf instead? It obviously wouldn’t have worked. In order to make your passions pay off, you’ll need to stick with one at a time. If you don’t, sure you’ll have fun, but you won’t be making your grand per month, that’s for certain.
What is your passion? How could you earn an income with it?
This post is by Derek from Life and My Finances.
