Hey #BossBabes! If you remember last week, I promised that for the next five weeks, I’ll be sharing my five simple tips/rules/laws for owning your hustle, overcoming obstacles that stand in the way of you living your dreams, and becoming the #BadAss #MomBoss #BossBabe you are!
I am convinced that each of these “rules” of mine, that I hold near and dear, have played a major role in the success I have created and found in all areas of my life: business, home, relationships, family, financial, etc.
Now don’t read or take that wrong. That last line above does NOT mean I am rich financially or that I have the perfect marriage. No. Success is relative to the individual creating it. For me, “success” means I have found my happy place, no matter how many or how few zeros I have in my bank account, and no matter how big or small my arguments with my husband are. I feel I have found personal success. Period.
Back to the topic of discussion. If you missed out last week, you found this post just in time! You only missed the intro and a few small tips (you might want to read that post before beginning), and this week, we’re covering my first official rule: Find Your Passion and Turn It into Your Career.
Becoming a #BossBabe, Rule Number One:
Find Your Passion
Everyone has a calling in life. Everyone has that one thing?maybe two?that sets their soul on fire and gets them up and out of bed in the morning, even when the temptation to hit “snooze” is strong. This “thing” is what keeps a person going when times get tough and the option to quit seems most reasonable.
That thing or calling is what sets a “job” apart from a “passion.” A JOB, for lack of better explanation, is something I’ve always looked at as the thing people think they NEED to do to make a living, fulfill their adulthood requirements, and USUALLY, it’s something they are not happy about. A PASSION is something you could do forever and NEVER even feel like you are working. Your passion dictates your mission in life, and for your mission, you will do anything. When PASSION and CAREER meet up, true fulfillment exists in the workplace, regardless of the money made.
On this topic, I feel it’s very important to understand that “finding something you?re good at” and “finding your passion” are oftentimes two very different things! Many times, we confuse these two things as much as we confuse “financial gain” with “personal success.”
Just because you may be good at something, and maybe find a way to make a lot of money doing it, doesn?t necessarily mean you?ll be happy. You know that old saying, “Money can?t buy happiness”? It?s true. You may find temporary happiness (or “quick pleasure”) in it, but mark my words: Over time, it will fade, and you’ll be left with a larger feeling of emptiness than existed before.
As children, we were praised for being good at certain things and discouraged from trying things adults around us didn’t think we did so well. We felt “accepted” when we performed well, and subconsciously, we were trained to stick with the things we were good at and discouraged from taking risks!
Now we are adults. And if we’re being honest with ourselves, many of us feel stuck in our reality, feeling like we just weren’t meant to do anything more than carry the 9-5 job we never wanted to begin with OR find personal fulfillment in addition to being a passionate SAHM.
Continuing this practice and letting our past fears of…
- Not making enough money to provide for our families if we do what we love
- Not being GOOD ENOUGH at the things we are passionate about
- Being seen as crazy for stepping off the beaten path to pursue our passions
- Feeling “mommy guilt” for believing we were meant for more than just mom-ing
…can actually cause increased NEGATIVE stress levels (not the good kind I’ve talked about!), which we know by now have devastating effects on our bodies. The truth is that even if by society?s standards we?ve ?made it,” we know better by now…Mo? money, mo? problems, people!!
Outfit Details: Long Sleeve Pocket Tee, Paige Jeans, BP Farren Bootie (similar here)
So let’s make a pact today to start letting go of that fear. What is fear, anyway? F-E-A-R…False Evidence Appearing Real. We are totally scared of something that doesn’t even exist. Those things I listed above? They’re hypothetical. They’re FAKE! They haven’t happened, and they probably won’t, EVEN IF YOU FOLLOW YOUR HEART AND DO WHAT YOU LOVE!
And so what if they do happen? What IF someone thinks you’re crazy for doing what makes you happy? Chances are that person who thinks you’re nuts is actually completely miserable in their own job or position in life. They have no friggin’ idea what it’s like to follow THEIR passion and do what THEY love. Because if they did, they would be encouraging every single person around them to do the same. They’d be screaming from the mountaintops hoping everyone can feel the joy, peace, and fulfillment that come with turning their passion into a career like they did! Exactly as I am now.
I’ve said it before (in my last post): I’m no guru by any means. I’m imperfect and untrained by way of a college degree to support the advice I’m giving. But I have been trained, beat up, thrown around, and raised up by the ways of the world. I’ve worked because I had to. I’ve also worked because I wanted to. I’ve done what I hate to make money, and I’ve done what I loved for no money…many times paying out of pocket for the latter because I cared so much.
Without a doubt, 100%, I can attest the ONLY happiness, REAL success, and TOTAL freedom I’ve found has come from doing what I love, no matter the financial gain.
So that begs the question: What is my passion?
If you don’t know by now, I LIVE to help others find happiness. Nothing makes me feel better than empowering people to live their best life possible, by any means needed.
Need a business plan? I’ll show you one. Want to lose weight? No problem, I got you! Feeling like a crazy person because your baby won’t stop screaming? I get it, and I have been there…now let me help you through this. In debt and want to curl up in a ball and die? Don’t do that…I can teach you how to fix it!
My business brain and fixer-upper heart will stop at nothing to help a person in need, many times to my own detriment. Example: It’s 1:00am as I type this. Should I go to sleep? Probably…but I feel like at least one person out there needs to read this, so I’ll stay up and get this done because I KNOW it will help someone find their path and create lasting happiness.
I?ve been so fortunate through this crazy journey and my career to help facilitate people changing their lives in extreme ways: through weight loss, financial transformations, family…the list goes on and on. I could cry (okay, I DO cry) just thinking about some of the experiences I?ve been blessed to be a part of over the years. And that is why I work as hard as I do. I love it, it sets my soul on fire, and even through the tired eyes and the sleepless nights, my cup is full every single day.
How can YOU turn your passion into a career?
First, ask yourself these questions, which are solely intended for reflection…there is no right or wrong:
On a scale of 1-10, how happy am I right now?
Do I feel fulfilled in my current job, whether at home or in an office?
What parts of my daily job, home, or work bring me joy?
What about my current situation makes my skin crawl?
Considering all the pros and cons listed above, do the pros outweigh the cons? Or do the cons outweigh the pros? If the pros outweigh the cons, you might not have such a bad gig. Cons outweigh the pros? Continue on…
When I think of myself doing this same “job” in 10, 20, 30 years, I feel ______.
When I was a kid, my dream job was _________.
If money or fear weren’t factors, what job would I choose?
What role could I play in any job that would leave my heart happy and my soul fulfilled each day?
Your answers to these questions will tell you a lot. And while you don’t need me to tell you if you’re living your passion or not right now (you already know the answer to this), I DO think you need permission to follow your dreams and DO what you are passionate about.
So consider this your Golden Ticket. You only get one life to live (that we know of). Do you want to spend it doing something you hate for the sole purpose of building up a bank account you’ll never get around to spending anyway because you’re so busy working? Also, we all know when we leave this world, the money doesn’t go with us. But what will come with us is the spirit of what we’ve contributed to this world.
No matter if you were a CEO of a makeup company, the owner of a shoe store, the barista at the local coffee shop, or the garbage man in Small Town, USA, at the end of the day, if you loved what you did, chances are you woke up every morning with a smile on your face. Your smile not only showcased your true joy and happiness, but it also created joy and happiness in more lives than you even know. Your positive energy that stemmed from following your heart and turning your passion into a career most likely will have made you the best damn garbage man, macro coach, tech guy, or whatever…around! THIS IS MAGNETIC. This is what changes lives…starting with your own!
CHALLENGE
Time for the challenge: This week, I want you to spend a few minutes alone to reflect on the questions above. It might mean taking a drive, or escaping the house for a quick walk, or if you’re a mom, maybe you can hide for five minutes in the bathroom! #storyofmylife. Share your reflections with someone if you’re feeling brave (c’mon, you can do it, Mama!), or keep them to yourself and be proud of having dug so deep!
Next, I want you to write down 5 things you love. Identify ONE that stands out as your passion and expand on it on paper. Why do you love it? How does it make you feel? What would it feel like if you could spend your days focused on that one thing?
Finally, try simply envisioning a life entrenched in your passion and think of ONE simple thing you can do every single day that keeps you connected with your passion. Whether you turn it into your career or not, that small tie with something you love so much will make the world of difference in your happiness, I can assure you. AND who knows. Maybe these small steps today will light a fire and begin the process toward leaping into your very own passion-driven career!
PLEASE post about this and tag me! Use #BossBabeWithHeidi so I can find you…I love hearing your stories! More to come next week…but for now, off to bed @ 1:15am.
Passionately,
Heidi
PS: I’m sharing all of my Boss Babe tips on my YouTube Channel!
Related reading:
How to Become a #BossBabe <3 || Step One
The Art of Saying NO! My 5 Tips for Saying ?Nope? in Business + Life
Changing the Way We Think About Stress
Our 12 Month Transformation, Month Eight: Knowledge is Power!
The Procrastinator?s Guide to Transforming Your Time Management Skills
Sharpen the Saw || Unplug and plug IN to LIFE!
Just say NO! My Less Is More Resolution
