Is your full-time job leaving you no time for your passion? You can change that!
Like so many others, do you sit at your desk, stare into the distance, and think about the day when you can leave it all behind to follow your passion? Are you a marketer who dreams of being a professional guitarist? Are you a banker whose one and only dream is to be a photographer? Very often, we bury our passion and take a full-time job that will help pay the bills. However, if you put your heart to it, you can pursue your passion while holding your full-time job.
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Wondering where you'll get the time and energy from? Here are four ways you can make it happen:
Keep your passion alive
If you want to be a professional photographer one day, you need to keep your passion for photography alive even as you work a full-time job. Spend your weekends with your camera, clicking away pictures you love. Enroll yourself in weekend classes and seminars to stay updated about the latest happenings in the photography field. Join online communities of like-minded people and network with them as often as you can. Doing this will ensure your passion doesn't wither away and die.
Don't take your work home
Your job might be demanding, but there is no need to carry your assignments home with you after your work day is over. If you do it, you'll not only have no personal life, but you'll also be unable to follow your passion. Make it a point to leave work at the same time everyday to take guitar lessons in the evening or to go to the ballet class that you have enrolled for. Doing this will rejuvenate your mind, body and soul.
Connect with people who are juggling their job and passion
Find out people who are excelling at their passion and holding full-time jobs as well. Talking to them will give you an insight into what to expect if you choose to go down a similar road. They will make you aware of the pitfalls and benefits of their actions. Don't look at people who are highly successful as you'll give yourself unrealistic expectations. A mentor will support and inspire you to achieve the best of both worlds.
Gain experience
Before you quit your full-time job to follow your passion, try to gain some experience in the field you like. This way you'll know if you really like it, or if you simply like the idea of it. Let's say you take up a few photography assignments but find that you don't really enjoy doing it. What if you've left your full-time job by then? It's important to get your feet wet before leaving your job. If you enjoy it as much as you thought you would, you'll be motivated to follow it with even more fervor.
Don't be afraid to follow your bliss. Use the above-mentioned tips to work a full-time job and follow your passion side-by-side.