Passion and work - how to combine it?

Work is a huge part of life for pretty much everyone. We spent many hours a week doing our job, so it would be perfect to actually enjoy what we are doing. It it even possible to combine work and passion?

Two types of people

Generalizing a bit, we can indicate three types of people: those, who changed their hobby into an actual passion, ones that incorporated some pieces od their passion(s) into their job and people, who decided to separate there two spheres of life. There is nothing wrong with any of those attitudes, but all of them need some adjustments and thinking about certain, arising issues.

Below we will try to take care of every aspect, that might be potentially problematic.

How to find a job, that will become your passion?

If you think, that the best solution for you is to find work, that will be your hobby at the same time, there is nothing wrong about it. Some people go to work only to pay their bills and it literally doesn't matter, what they do for living. But some of us feel trapped and unhappy, when they have to do something they do not enjoy thouroughly.

To find a job, that you also call your passion, you have to think, what your actual hobby is. Keep in mind, that the just like taking pictures with your phone camera doesn't make you a photographer, nor does the love of spending money make you a top-notch accountant. BUT if you enjoy taking those photos and you personally think, that you might actually be good at it - consider becoming a professionalist. Keep in mind though, that the first steps as a photographer might not only be hard, but also really expensive.

Also remember, that there are many choices much less obvious than the photographer mentioned above. When thinking about your passions, try to be creative. Example? If you really love to organize parties at home, maybe you will take care of professional preparation of special events? And if your passion is DIY - just start a business and do it for money.

What to keep in mind?

If you think you should change your passion into an actual money-generating activity commonly referred to as work - don't forget about your personal life. When we do something we love and what is more, we are paid for it - we might get caught up in the activity. If you are a single, that's not really a problem as long as you make enough time to keep in touch with your parents and/or sibling, but if you do have children and a spouse/partner, it might be quite an issue. Try to remember, that even though you really love what you do, you have to make time for your beloved ones. Besides, you are really lucky: you don't have to fit in the time for your hobby.

Work and passion - what if you enjoy doing many things?

Second type of people we mentioned earlier are those, who either have so many hobbies they can't really decide which one to follow, or they can't find work, that will actually fit all of them. In such case, you can decide to find a job, that will cover some of your passions.

It might sound a bit enigmatic, therefore we are in a hurry to explain. Let's say you love making photos (but you're not a professional), enjoy company of other people and absolutely adore planning huge parties. Obviously, without proper training and equipment, making photos is out of option as a profession for you. But at the same time, you can try your luck as a wedding planner, where you get to work with professional photographers, pick photo locations for happy couples and much more.

Not having one, single, taking up all of your free time hobby doesn't mean you can't find a proper job, that will make your life a dream. Just focus on your strengths and favorite activities - and the perfect opportunity will come to you - with a bit of your own help, of course. Then, you will spend the rest of your life not working a single day - because incorporating your hobby into your regular job will make you forget, that you do it for living.

What should you keep in mind?

People, who have multiple hobbies and at the same time, a full time job connected with some of the passions are really lucky. Not only maintaining the personal life - work balance is way easier for you in comparison to people earning money with their main passion, but also you get to do some things that you enjoy off the clock.

However, try to remember, having other passions outside of work means some difficulties in managing your free time. Try not to forget about your family and friends, but at the same time - leave some time to do the things you thoroughly enjoy.

Is separating work from passion possible?

Among all the people around the world, there are some, who don't see anything wrong in separating personal life and work. They literally do not care what they do for living, as long as it provides enough money to pay the bills and enjoy life. While they definitely do not combine work with passion, at the same time belong to the group of lucky people who don't get tired at work because they know that it is only a means to an end.

It is quite easy to find work, that will be financially satisfying and then - spend the free time enjoying the passions. However, there are not many people, who feel this way.

What to keep in mind?

If you are separating your work and hobbies, try to remember, that your time is limited. It means that you can't spend all of your free time enjoying your passions, especially if you have friends and family to keep relationships with. Finding balance between those activities might be really tricky if you decided to work in a job completely not related with your hobbies.

What if you can't find the job that you throughly enjoy?

As mentioned before, the last group of people, who seem to feel no emotions in relation to the work performed is the smallest one. While the first two groups are usually really happy (although sometimes very busy) - there are also those, who struggle to find a job that they enjoy. If you wake up in the morning, thinking about how many hours you have to work and then - you spend yor working time counting minutes until the end - you definitely didn't manage to find the right job for you.

But no worries - it's not a lost case. With a little effort and luck, you will be able to find a job, that will make you really happy. First of all, try to think of your strengths and passions. For instance - you enjoy sightseeing and reading books, you might consider becoming a tourist guide. Those of us, who don't like working with other people might feel good in company of animals or inanimate objects, for example when working with computers.

The examples given above were quite simple and obvious, but contrary to appearances - when you think about it, most of these types of decisions are not particularly difficult. There is always a way to incorporate your hobbies into your job - you just have to figure out how. If you feel discouraged and you get the feeling that it's just impossible for you - sit and relax. Be patient and keep looking - the perfect opportunity will show itself, perhaps you just have to wait a bit. Good luck!