WE ALL HAVE THAT single hobby or interest that we always want to spend our entire time doing, but always end up sticking with the regular entries on our everyday list. Well I don’t think this fact even bother most of us, but personally, the thought of not being able to do the things that interests me could be definitely shattering.
This has been a great, great, dilemma ever since I started this blog (which is now 1 year and 9 months old! Hooray!). I must say, I never (and can never, hopefully not) commit my time fully in writing because of work---that definitely sucks. I often become a bit covetous with some of my fellow bloggers because they always have time to post photos in Instagram, update their blog with their recent escapades, and post a lot on their Facebook page and even Twitter. While me, on the other (very unfortunate) hand, would post stories twice or thrice a month and update my social media accounts occasionally---that sucks even more. Let me tell you this, I even reached the point that I want to stop working and just focus on my blog, simply because this is the kind of stuff that I want to do and I’m happy doing it.
But of course I cannot do that...not yet, I guess.
Well my passion doesn’t consist of this blogging-thing alone, I also love baking, I love selling stuff online, I love experimenting with makeup, I love reading books, and a whole lot more. And with all of these things that I love doing, my time won’t be enough for sure. I guess you’re already nodding your head with agreement. Regardless of the difference of my life to your life and to other lives may be, we all face this problem that indeed needs to be addressed head-on. My apologies for the long back story and lengthy introduction though, but let me help you with these simple tips on how you can continue pursuing your passion, while staying in that 9-5 job of yours. Enjoy reading!
#1 Set the goal.
Follow your plan
This is very simple: You should know what you want. Do you love reading novels? Find time every day to read one chapter of the current book you’re digging in, or perhaps assign one of your rest days as “the bibliophile’s day”. Do you love to draw or paint? Spend your weekends with a canvass and a brush, or bring your sketchpad at work and draw a few sketches during your break or while inside the cab. Do you love taking pictures? You can always bring a handy camera and relax after work by taking beautiful pictures of the sunset or even of the people just passing-by. See? You can make it happen; you just have to exert some extra effort. Set a goal and follow your plan to achieve that goal.
#2: Know how to prioritize things.
Manage your time wisely
“Work lets you live, but your passion gives you a life”, this is so true! We work because obviously we need money to sustain our daily expenses, but pursuing our interests will give us unparalleled satisfaction. Blessed are those who are earning while doing the things they are passionate about, I want to be like that someday. We cannot take our work for granted, we must also invest our full efforts on it---to make it grow and prosper. However, don’t bury your nose on that job 24/7! Try to accomplish your tasks within the working hours, and as you got home (and during rest days), forget about your work and do other things---give your interests their own “time”.
#3 Build a support-system.
Look for cheerleaders
Sometimes, all we need is someone who will push us a little further. Try to stick with those people who share the same interests as you. Share your passion with your family, friends and partner; you’ll get surprised on how much support you could actually get from them. Believe me, it will not be easy encouraging yourself alone, but if you have a buddy who will constantly check on your progress, you’ll surely stay on the track and hit the finish line! I personally benefit from this tip, for I have friends who constantly ask me for updates on my blog, for makeup tutorials (which I haven’t started just yet) and new products on my online sweet shop. They all make me feel that all of these are worth pursuing. Without them, I would have quitted months ago.
#4 Take some risks.
Track your progress
Don’t be contented with the usual stuff; try to explore other avenues that your passion may lead you to. When you discover something new each time, you’ll never have a hard time encouraging yourself to continue doing better every day. You may succeed or fail while taking some risks, but you’ll definitely enjoy and you’ll surely learn a lot from the experience. A failure will not tell you to stop, but instead, it will direct you to another opportunity. You may fail in cooking hot dishes, but you may also learn that your forte is on baking pastries and desserts. Once you hit the right note, track your progress regularly. This will give you a feeling of fulfillment and will push you to continue in moving ahead.
#5 Ask for His guidance.
Glorify Him thru your interests
This may be the last tip, but it shouldn’t be the least. In everything that you’ll do, let Him guide you. Your job may be so stressful and difficult, but if you’ll ask for His help, He will surely respond with the best possible solution. If you will take some time glorifying Him through your works, He will let you prosper. You can follow the above steps and still fail, but with God, you can never miss the mark. Who knows, He may turn your passion into something that will both sustain your life and at the same time give you a happy and contented life.
I hope you enjoyed reading this post *wink* Always remember this: Don’t set your passion aside, keep the flames burning by fanning it every day!
Pursue your passion no matter what!
***CURRENTLY, I'm enjoying being a contributor for our newsletter (called "Gaming Ops Bulletin") and organizing small office events + hosting...not much, but at least I'm doing the things that I'm good at, even while working. Blogging is still my priority during rest days! By the way, I love how "raw" my shot is (above picture), thanks to @japsalazar as always :)
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