For most of my adult life I knew that I wanted to work for myself. I was also very passionate about many things. I’m sure you can probably relate. So how do we take those passions, cultivate them, and see them come to fruition in our life? Well, these are six words to get you started. These six words are not ALL you need, but in my experience they are integral to your pursuit of turning your passion into your purpose.
There is a lot of talk out there about having a business plan. Typically, it’s a 40-pg document that you read one time and then store somewhere to collect dust. Instead of thinking of a plan as a noun, we need to think of it as a verb. In order to take that initial dream or idea and make it a reality, we need to invest our time, talent, and treasure into outlining our path. We need to commit to planning, but also to recalibrating when things don’t go according to our initial plan.
#2 PRACTICE
Once you have laid out a plan and decided what you will need to do, you need to get to work acquiring the skills necessary to successfully achieve your goal. This is the important work that no one sees. The studying. The acquiring of new skills. The writing and rewriting of your mission and vision. Taking lessons. Taking classes. Whatever it is you need to do to improve your skills and knowledge base. It’s time to talk about PRACTICE.
There are a lot of wantrepreneurs out there. People who have “great ideas” and like spending their time on fake business-y things like designing business cards and logos (I am guilty of this) before they even know what their business is going to be, and putting in the work to get it off the ground. I am convicted by these words even as I write them because unless we (I) are willing to hunt down our dreams by pursuing challenges and prioritizing hard work, we will never take our passion and turn it into our purpose.
We were not created to live in isolation. We need others around us in order to thrive and to enjoy life to its fullest. The trouble is that entrepreneurs can sometimes be loners. Since we think differently than most, we tend to not “play well with others.” It is integral to our growth that we not only find people who are like-minded, but that our main motivation in life be to put other’s ahead of ourselves. God said, “It is not good for man to be alone,” so He created us to be in relationship. This is why the only way we can find our true meaning and purpose in life is when we are in community with one another.
Starting a new venture is always exciting. But the initial emotional reaction will dissipate and then you are faced with the obstacles and hardships that come with trying something that is hard. If turning your passion into your purpose was easy, then everyone would be doing it. It is when things get difficult that most people quit and go back to their mundane lives. But we will not quit. We will persist because when we look to the reward we see that it far outweighs the temporary pain of adversity.
Learning something new takes time. Building a successful business takes time. But in our microwave oven, 140 characters or less society, we don’t like waiting around. Patience is not only a virtue but it is the key to turning your passion into your purpose. Without it, you will constantly be quitting or restarting your journey because you think it is “taking too long.” Time passes at the same speed for everyone, it is our attitude and how we use that time that determines success or failure.
This post is adapted from a six-part series from the Real Person | Real Needs podcast, which is also available as a free downloadable eBook. To download your free copy, go to www.6wordsbook.com
