How to Discover Your Passion That Can be Turned Into A Career

Find a passion and from it, pave your own career path. That’s what they say isn’t it? But what does that really mean? It’s ok if you don’t have your life sorted out by the time you leave school. How do you find that thing you're passionate about that can be turned into a career? On the other hand, those who’ve found their passion in life don’t always wish to monetise it. It’s an interesting concept which Jim Panos delves into in his new book:

Find Your Passion: How to Create a Career With More Success & Fulfillment, which we're discussing in today's post.

Transformational career coach Jim Panos has empowered career-driven professionals from eight different countries to discover their most fulfilling career path, and he shares his science-based methodology in his book, Find Your Passion: How to Create a Career with More Success & Fulfillment.

How to Discover Your Passion That Can be Turned Into A Career

“You spend at least one-third of your lifetime at work. Do you want to spend it feeling empty, stagnant or trapped in a vicious cycle?” Jim asks. “You can have lots of fun, drastically improve your productivity and earning potential, and live a truly purposeful life if you turn your greatest passion into a new career path. It’s never too soon or too late to start — and the best time is now.”

Jim’s strategies can help you navigate the winding road of career development — and he has been there himself. Jim was on the precipice of a career in law before he made the life-changing decision to be honest with himself and prioritize his happiness over his father’s expectations.

Reading Find Your Passion will:

- Inspire you to discover your No. 1 passion through a proven, science-based methodology

- Empower you to overcome your deepest fears and unconscious biases that have been stopping you from building your dream career

- Rid you of lingering excuses, once and for all, that following your passion will leave you broke

- Turn your No. 1 passion into a career with more impact, income and fulfillment

- Teach you the skills you need to thrive in the future world of work

“Are you unsure about your next career move?” Jim asks. “During the Great Resignation era, you have a unique chance to save thousands of hours of trial-and-error career research, create your dream career and transform your life forever.”

About the Author

Jim Panos is the author of the book Find Your Passion, a transformational career coach, and founder of Passion to Career Academy. He went from being a depressed law school graduate to having served professionals from the U.S. and seven different countries to clarify their most fulfilling career path.

His coaching training is accredited by the largest professional coaching organization in the world, the International Coaching Federation (ICF). Jim is a career clarity specialist and talent development consultant who is relentlessly committed to people’s success, growth and happiness. His personal vision is “to inspire 3 billion people in 195 countries by 2060 to find their passion at work.”

How Do you Find Your Passion and Turn it Into a Successful Career?

This is such an interesting topic and a question that you've probably mulled over many times before. I know I certainly have! So naturally, I was very excited to read Jim's book. The book is full of excellent points but rather than firing inspirational thoughts at you about how your life could look if you did indeed find what you're truly passionate about, it goes into depth about the mindset and strategy you need to master in order to make this a reality. This book covers ever step and point you must consider if you're serious about uncovering your true passion and turning it into a successful career, yet it's presented in an easy-to-digest, simplified way. Reading this book will help you to gain clarity and confidence to pursue the next steps in your career journey. It's a must-read if you're tired of doing a job that doesn't bring you joy or purpose. Here are some of the points and some food-for-thought that I took away with me after reading the book.

First Comes Passion Then Comes Strategy

Very rarely do you hear of a success story where the person wasn’t passionate about what they striving to achieve. It’s much easier to strategise a passion to turn it into a success than it is to find your love for something to which you’re not emotionally attached. Once you’ve uncovered that thing that you’re passionate about to the point of sane obsession, you’re half way there! First comes passion then comes strategy. Realise what your passion is and then apply a strategy. That’s the basic recipe for success.

Should You Try to Monetise Your Favourite Hobby or Not?

Understandably, not everybody wants to monetise their favourite hobby. It’s interesting how some people feel strongly driven to turn their passion project into a profitable business, whereas others shudder at the thought. I can’t really say which path is best for you. However, I too was dubious about monetising my personal interests for a long time. I believed that work should be something you’re logically connected to rather than emotionally. I then asked myself why we spend so much time doing things we don’t love to do and leaving next to no time to do what we enjoy. Personally, I loved the idea of having the challenge of turning my hobby into a full-time income, but that’s not to say there aren’t associated disadvantages. I consider my work to be an extension of my hobbies rather than feeling as though I have lost a hobby and gained a job.

Some believe that too much of a good thing can be dangerous. While I don’t believe that it’s an easy ride pursuing a career doing something you love, because ultimately it is still a business, it can at times feel as though you’ve gained a business but lost a hobby. This is why I emphasise the importance of offering products or services that you enjoy and working with people who appreciate what you offer. The reason that some creatives don’t wish to monetise their hobbies is because they don’t like to put deadlines and restrictions on their pastime. They prefer to carry on with the freedom to create what they choose as and when they like, which is perfectly understandable. Another issue is not wanting to have to please somebody else but having full artistic control.

But if you're thinking now: "Ok, that's me. I don't want to monetise my hobby. What do I do now?" That's where the beauty of diversification comes into play. Have you ever considered combining a few of your passions and interests into a new business venture? For e.g. if you love to paint and also love teaching and sharing your skills, why not create an online painting course? If you love music and languages, why not think become a music translator, specialising in programmes and booklets for theatres?