Should you turn your passion into a career?

When the millennial generation graduated from high school and entered university or the working world, there was a notable shift in how they chose their jobs.

Many decided to follow their hearts and passions, believing it’s best to do something you love over toughing it out in a job you dislike.

After all, it makes sense to work in a job that makes you happy. As the popular Confucius saying goes, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

But the ‘follow your dream’ mindset may not be all its cracked up to be. Is it really wise to turn your passion into a job?

Here’s what you should keep in mind if you’re thinking of following your heart’s desire and turning it into a career:

It could make you dislike something you love 

Obviously, the main advantage of following your passion to a career is that you genuinely love the work you’re doing. This leads to higher productivity and morale – at first.

Unfortunately, many people end up losing their motivation when the going gets tough and the thing they initially loved becomes a reminder of their failures.

When you turn a relaxing hobby or interest into a career, you risk losing the enjoyable element that made you fall in love with it in the first place.

For example, if you love gardening and pursue your own gardening business, rather than it being an escape from your problems, it becomes a stressful job that requires you to focus on aspects you may not really like, such as financial costs, management issues, staffing problems, difficult customers, and more.

Plus, the novelty of doing what you love could soon wear off when you’re forced to do it day in, day out.

As Crunch states, “would your favourite song still be your favourite song if you had to listen to it multiple times a day, every day?”

Do lots of research

As many new business owners quickly discover, a profitable business can’t be fueled by passion alone. If you’re thinking about opening your own landscaping business, there are many pitfalls that you can easily avoid by doing your research in advance.https://t.co/ZsC9blzwEL pic.twitter.com/LVa8VeZZx2

— Total Landscape Care (@TLCmagazine) May 1, 2019

To avoid losing motivation to get your dream career up and running, it’s best to do some detailed market research before you get started.

If you’re planning to launch your own business, it might also be wise to take up an entrepreneurship course to get some basic business skills.

Don’t blindly follow your passion – be smart about it.

Love making jewellery? Check the market for current fashion trends. Aim to be innovative!

Lacking capital for a physical store? Do some research on online marketing and consider starting small with an online platform like Instagram to grow your business.

If you’re not planning on becoming an entrepreneur but are looking for jobs related to your passion, you still need to do sufficient research to get to grips with your targeted job scope.

Find out how much it pays, future job prospects, potential career growth, and whether it’s in a convenient location for you to get to – you don’t want to end up regretting your decision!

Supplement your passion

As a Soldier you’ll get to take your passion for fitness to the next level with our Adventurous Training programmes throughout your military career. Here are just some of the activities you can get involved in: https://t.co/S03nLHxZTj pic.twitter.com/0wH2KzgEjI

— Army Jobs (@armyjobs) June 18, 2018

It might not be enough to simply do what you love because you love doing it. For example, those who love writing and want to pursue journalism must have some basic training and experience if they are to follow their dreams.

Despite having a natural flair for writing, they’ll still need to sharpen their writing skills and constantly learn from others throughout their professional experience.

If you love something and want to turn into a career but lack the proper skills, consider first taking up some training in the field.

For example, if you’ve been doing yoga for a while and dream of becoming a yoga instructor, you’ll still need to work at your practice and complete a certified course.

Putting in this work at the beginning can help you achieve your dreams more effectively and pave the path for a satisfying career.

Take your time

A Brisbane teen is living his dream, turning his passion into a globetrotting career while making the time to study for his final year of high school. #9Newshttps://t.co/f96sFGir3L

— Nine News Australia (@9NewsAUS) May 2, 2019

If you really want to turn your passion into a career, don’t rush into it. Take your time to explore your options so you can determine whether it’s the best course for you.

It may be tempting to quit your job or change majors to pursue your dream, but before you do, make sure you think carefully and approach it with caution.

Consider starting off by working on your passion during your free time or as a side project while you save enough money to do it full-time.

Slowly but steadily, you’ll build a portfolio or customer base, setting the foundation for you to build a lasting career doing what you love.

When the time is right and you feel secure, follow your passion and turn it into a rewarding career.

Like this? Then you’ll love…

Students – here’s how you can research your chosen career

Forget conventional career advice – here’s how you can find your dream job