“How do I make a living doing something that I love?”
I’m predicting that I will hear this question- or a version of it- more than any other question in 2023. The amount of people that connect with me who do work they don’t enjoy, whether high-paying or low-paying, is astonishing.
Solving this problem is a passion of mine. And like anything, solving problems often begins right at home. I help people figure this out for a living. It’s my career. So can you imagine how much of a hypocrite I would be if Elizabeth and I didn’t parent this way as well?
If we aren’t interested in the work that we do, how will we ever inspire, help others and be happy at the same time? Unfortunately, neither our school systems or our societal systems are built for that.
So Elizabeth and I made the challenging decision seven years ago to homeschool our three sons. But we wouldn’t homeschool with desks and schedules and pre-planned assignments- a little school in the living room, for example. We would homeschool through interest-based learning.
Whenever I mention that term, I see heads turn sideways- not unlike a dog when you talk to them. Many of them had never heard that term. But tell me- what is the opposite of interest-based learning? Disinterested-based learning? Well, that was my childhood. Years and years of disinterested-based learning. How maddening for a child- one with curiosity, vitality and interests abound- to be shuffled off to a sterile building where their classes and assignments and topics are already pre-planned and curated for them. Ones where they have little say in what they can study.
I hated it. Most creative and entrepreneurial types do as well.
So when we decided to homeschool, we took a chance. It was an experiment. Yes, we experimented with our kids- I admit it. But isn’t everything an experiment?
Elizabeth led with the idea of allowing them to explore what they were interested in. Now, there were- and are- boundaries. It doesn’t mean they are going to sit around playing video games. We have to be careful in determining what is an interest and what is a distraction.
And from a very young age, they were undeterred by meaningless, uninteresting topics decided by a school board. They followed their passion. I will admit, there were days where I thought we were screwing them up royally. We’d see other parents talk about their kids’ grades, or achievements, and I’d be like, where exactly are we going with this?
But then our kids would meet adults and the adults were often amazed. Amazed by their passion. Their deep interests. And their ability to have polite, adult-like conversations on these topics. It was then that I became relieved that we probably wouldn’t be spending our elderly years in therapy with our kids.
And now, all of these years later, they are building businesses around their interests. They see that even as teenagers, they can earn income based around things that they love.
But why is this so difficult for the majority of adults? Why, when surveyed, do we read that more than 80% of workers in the United States do not enjoy the work they do? When I ask potential clients what they would do for work if they had to work but money wasn’t an issue, they either tell me that they have no clue or they would do something dramatically different than what they are doing now.
Do we not see the problem with this? Why is nobody asking about this? And why do we still blindly send our kids on the same conveyor belt only to have to deal with this over and over decades later as real life hits?
So what if this is you? No, not the kid in school. But the adult that is doing the work but not enjoying what you do. Not interested in what you are even doing. What do you do to get out of it? First off, realize that you are not alone. That might be comforting or slightly depressing, depending on how you look at it. Just understand that many people feel the same way.
I want to give you a simple framework for beginning to figure this out. Be warned- there is no quick fix here. If you want a quick fix, go to some online shyster selling the course on how to make a million dollars in thirty days. After you spend that money, get no results and get frustrated, come back to me.
So here’s an exercise to get started.
1- What are your interests?
Make a list of these. And there is no limit. It will be narrowed down. But I want you to start by listing out all of the things that interest you, whether you think they can make money or not.
2- Who can you help, entertain, or inform with those interests?
Reality check. Just because you are interested in something doesn’t mean anyone else cares. The amount of people disappointed after writing books, creating products, starting YouTube channels, and so on is endless. Your interests don’t matter to just about everyone else in the world. But, when you can take those interests and focus on leading others, informing others, entertaining others and engaging others, you have the next step. How can you use your interests to benefit others?
Andrew, our bug-loving son, took an interest that most people thought was weird. He even had family members (not in our home) make fun of him about it. But when he took his tarantulas and scorpions to parks and beaches, he found people that were fascinated. All of his years of study led to him teaching them things they didn’t know. They responded by tipping him amazingly well, following his videos, hiring him for events and parties and he’s now creating an online membership.
3- How can you take your interests, help others, and now
earn income?
Again, brainstorm these ideas. What are the ways you can earn money through this interest? Go crazy- no idea is bad at this point. Could it be through a product? Would it be a subscription? Ten years ago, I said that you simply can’t make money on something just because you are interested in it. I no longer believe that. There are people that started a directory about the town they love and are making $30,000 a month from it. I know of a woman that started a membership for people who like to doodle on paper- charges $5 a month, and makes a solid six-figure income. If you can create the foundation- what I call the confluence- any interest can be turned into a career that not only do you love, not only do you help others, but you can make a great living as well.
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Making a living doing something you love shouldn’t be so difficult. It shouldn’t feel so unattainable. Too often, we are told to be realistic. Too often, we choose to chase the money instead of the interest. Not realizing that if you hone in on that interest, there is a high likelihood that the money will come as well. Because when you are interested in something, you will last longer. You won’t quit so fast. You will have the desire to keep going, even during hard times, because there is a deeper passion besides how much you are earning.
This three-step process is a formula that can help you get started on the right path.
Have an AMAZING day!
Vincent
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