What do you want to be when you grow up?

When you grow up, what do you want to be? I'm sure you were asked this question at least once as a child. Did you have a response ready when you were asked the question, or did you need a few moments to think about it?

We all wished to be something great, such as a fireman, a teacher, or a rock star, to mention a few. Well, how did you do? Maybe you never aspired to be what you set out to be or said that you would become. But then again, things change. The older we get, our tastes change, our view of the world changes, and even our goals change. I wanted to be a sitcom tv actress. Typical child of the 80’s. Now they all want to be YouTubers.

Why Is Doing What You Love Important?

One of the essential lessons I've learned along the way is to do something you enjoy. What is the importance of this? I believe that if you enjoy what you do for a living, you will be happy in more ways than one. 

Life becomes a lot more interesting and enjoyable. You find yourself speaking passionately about your work to others. The experiences you have along the way become far more rewarding and enrich your life in a variety of ways. You meet interesting people. I know people who have successfully converted their favorite hobbies into small businesses.

Sure, they may have had to sacrifice a steady paycheck for their happiness, but they didn’t  give up. Their passion carried them through to success.

While no job or business is perfect, what matters is that you enjoy it and even learn from it. If you are unhappy in your current situation, why not take steps now to change it? Somewhere out there is a career, job or business that is perfect for you.

6 Ways to Do What You Love

Here's a list of 6 ways to implement whatever it is that you enjoy into your life.

1. Find Your Passions

It's difficult to follow your passion if you don't know which way it went. You're already a step ahead if you've discovered your passion. If you don't, this is a good place to start.

Get out there and start living your life. Anything that even sounds slightly interesting is worth a try. Look for signs in your personality, your past, and your own ambitions and dreams.

2. Choose Your Priorities

If you claim you want to do something but don't, ask yourself how badly you want it, or where it currently ranks on your priority list. Is there anything else you would want?

Create a list of your top priorities. Take your time thinking about this. Then, consider whether your daily actions reflect them. Remember that you can change your priorities at any time.

3. Prepare to Make Sacrifices

If you are a busy person, you may have to make compromises in order to make time for your passions. Maybe you work fewer extra hours at work or take thirty minutes away from another activity to pursue another that you enjoy.

Looking at your priority list will help you decide what can and cannot be put on the back burner. There is always a way to make time for what you enjoy doing.

4. Lower The Bar

To do what you love, you don't need to be paid. Sometimes this pressure is simply too much right away. Start doing what you love for the moment. With no pressure or expectations.

If you love cooking, cook. Don't stress out too much over it happening during your free time. You might be able to discover a way to make your passions pay the bills as it evolves.

5. Ask Your Friends for Feedback

You simply can't always determine what makes you happy. People who know you well should be able to tell you when and what you enjoy doing the most. You may be surprised by their responses.

6. Appreciate Your Mistakes

It takes time to figure out how to do what you love. Don't fall into the trap of considering your current career a failure or mistake. Instead, consider it a source of knowledge about what you don't want to be doing for a living, your career's strengths, and the network you've established.

Each step you take is a step toward a life where you love what you do, when you're able to learn from your mistakes without beating yourself up over them.

Remember

Just keep in mind that doing what you love doesn't have to include big gestures or time-consuming projects. Begin small and expand from there.

Do what you love, and love what you do, whatever that may be. You’ll be happier for it, trust me. I promise you will never look back.