Most of us are pretty busy during the week. We're going to work or school, cooking, cleaning, taking care of our families, and taking care of ourselves (if we can find the time of course). So needless to say, me telling you to take on another activity is probably not what you want to hear. Who has the time?
However, one thing that has helped me push through more than one project when at my busiest was this:
Use my weekends wisely.
What do I mean by this? Let's take a step back first.
Read MoreMost people who know me know that I am a gamer. I really like video games, and have played them for many years. Give me a few minutes and I could talk your ear off about some of the new titles that recently came out or the latest technologies being used to make games more lifelike.
Recently, I finished playing what was one of the longer games that I've played, and within the game there is a timer that keeps track of how long you've spent on this play through. As I took a final look at my time, I couldn't help but think.
Read MoreOne year ago, as I sat on my couch with my computer on my lap, I clicked "Publish" and officially became an author. I released Crazy Enough To Try last April, and it was the culmination of months of hard work and hours of writing, editing, and reworking.
It was also the result of countless conversations, both those that were documented and included in the book, as well as informal ones with others. Throughout that time, and even more so over the past year, I have learned so much from speaking with people about their passions. Some think of it as a guiding principle that energizes you, while others refer to it as a burning, almost suffering for it, sensation.
I thought I would take this time to reflect on what I've learned throughout this project and how it might be applicable to your life.
Read MoreI'll start by saying that if I don't have all the answers. I don't pretend to and I don't think anyone does.
Instead I think the focus should be on asking the right questions to get people thinking of their own answers.
"Why do you do what do?"
This question popped into my head the other day. Why do any of us do what we do? We could go down the existential route of looking at why we exist, but I think that's a bigger question for another time. I'm more focused on why do we pick the activities we like and why do we pursue the opportunities we do.
Read More"Follow your passion and you'll be happy!"
That's what a lot of people will suggest. And that's a good suggestion. But it's not a reasonable, thought out course of action.
Besides it being the most vague advice you can give someone, when it comes down to it, there are some very real reasons why that might not be a feasible plan.
You may not want to turn a hobby into a job for fear that it will be corrupted. You may not be good enough with your current skills to be able to charge someone enough to survive on. Or you passion may not have much of an audience at all. If you like making miniature blinds for dollhouses, that's great, but I'm not sure if that's the next big thing. (Though I'm sure you could come up with some way of capitalizing on it.)
The main reason why working your passion can be difficult is and always will be money. And most times, it's because we don't have enough saved up to sustain ourselves while we build something out of nothing.
You can choose not to make a living off of your passions, but don't let your personal finances keep you from following your passions.
Read MoreI've found that often we aren't really forced out of our comfort zones. We have a few trials and tribulations here and there, but in our day to day lives, we often find ourselves pretty much doing what is expected of us and then succeeding at it.
That's really not a bad thing.
Imagine a life in which everyday we fought to make ourselves heard, or we had to work incredibly hard just to get by. Fortunately for most of us, this isn't the case. This is pretty much why we work hard to begin with, why we go to school, and why we plan for the future.
But...that doesn't mean we shouldn't push ourselves every now and then.
Read MoreEveryone is aware of 'typical' passions: painting, playing an instrument, coding software, carving wood, etc. They've come up time and time again in various movies, books, articles, and other media. These are great passions to have, as they bring value to both the practitioners and those that receive the product/performance.
But not everyone's passion in going to fall into the traditional creative fields. Some lie elsewhere, and it's important not to limit yourself if you're currently searching for some of your passions. Focus on what it is that you love to do, and then find a career path for it.
Read MoreThe Onion is a pretty funny source of 'news'. The writers specialize in articles that are filled with satire and poke fun at obvious, but often ignored, realities.
In a recent sarcastic article, they took on the idea of tackling your passion. In particular, they take a shot at the idea of working on your passion outside of standard work hours.
Read MoreYou aren't going to be passionate about everything that you do. In fact, the vast majority of things you do will not be in the category. So much so, that it might be hard to tell what you are passionate about. However, I've noticed 7 things that really stand out to me as a sign that I'm doing something I'm passionate about.
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