The question had been raised once before so I thought it befitting to begin to bring some critical pieces of success to the forefront of everyone's mind.
First, sometimes I believe it's difficult to wrap one's mind around doing what you love or what you're truly authentically passionate about and making money, well unless you have done it or are currently doing it. It just seems difficult for people to believe those things can live in the same domain. I was one of those people for a long time.
I was always told I had to work hard for anything I truly wanted and especially money. I had to put in my time and work really, really hard. With that kind of knowledge in the background of my mind, I had a subtle, but honest disbelief that I could really make money doing what you love. So I can understand the mind of others having the question how is she "really" doing it?
There were a few obstacles I had to overcome during my journey. If I had to summarize it all, I'd say there were a few key and critical things uncovered that had to be addressed in order for success to be available to me through my passion.
I discovered these along the way:
First, I needed focus. I needed direction and concentrated focus. So, I defined my vision, my purpose. I became clear about what I wanted. In my quietest moments when it was just God and I, I became clear about my truest hearts desire. I found that place where I was complete in being here on earth.
Secondly, I needed faith and belief. I believed it would materialize. I believed with everything that I am it could and would happen.
Thirdly, I realized my worth. I resolved in my mind that my vision, my purpose, my passion, my desires and wants were all of value.
I believed my vision was worthy of success. I had to come to terms with my worth. This was the most challenging hurdle.
I had to be real with myself about myself. You see I'd done a little thesis on myself. Subconsciously I'd researched my past and found evidence that I was undeserving of success, wealth or prosperity. Funny, how the mind works. I'd assessed my whole life and came up with "not worthy". So I reassessed my life and adopted a new mantra; "I have God's Power, His Ability and His Anointing. I will surrender to God's love. I have the blessing and I am worthy."
This can be the most challenging for others also. Getting your "true" worth is vital.
And fourth and foremost, I established an economic model for my vision, purpose and passion. In other words, my vision, purpose and passion had to have a business model with strategic sales and marketing plans, financials and operational procedures.
I realized that in order to have my life set up to fulfill on my vision and divine purpose, I needed to be paid therefore, I needed a successful business model for it.
And fifth, I didn't have extra money to fund the business while it grew so I had to manage my finances strategically and effectively. Implementing the knowledge from my financial background and learning more about the game of financial planning was also key and critical. I did some very basic things like:
* Learning to live well below my means during the time I was turning my passion into a career * Establishing boundaries for spending, lending and borrowing * Establishing savings strategies * Establishing Investment strategies * Streamlining my personal and business financial plan
It started with focus and it ends with focus, I believe.
I always remained focused on the vision rather than the circumstances or the things happening in the moment. I love what Chris Gardner, played by Will Smith said to his son in the Pursuit of Happiness. "You got a dream, you got a protect it", and that's what I did. I protected the vision, the purpose, the passion and the dreams; un-wavering, un-shakable and un-movable?
And now that I have addressed these critical areas, I am living a life of power, passion and dreams come true.
I wouldn't say that I don't occasionally bump up against the critical areas however I've overcome them, therefore I always have the choice to remain on the course of my dreams, vision, passion and purpose.
I'd say to you, live every moment as if it were your last and give your vision everything you've got until you reach your goals?
It is well worth the ride!
The Power Lives Within You and It's Always been there!
Many attributes help you succeed in business. Being a hard worker is a good start. Perseverance is very important. Decisiveness is a must. And there's one thing that is pretty much universal among successful business owners: passion.
Sure, there are some business owners that inherited their businesses and are in it more for the money than for the love of what they're doing. Then there are big corporations that have their hands in a little bit of everything and are solely interested in the bottom line. However, when an entrepreneur starts a business from scratch or chooses an existing one to take over, passion is a key ingredient. If you don't believe in what you're doing, chances are you won't get very far.
When you start a business that you're passionate about, it makes it easier to do what it takes to get it off the ground. You're willing to put in extra hours. You find creative ways to raise the capital you need. You pour your heart and soul into it, because it's more than just a means of putting food on the table. It's something you look forward to when you wake up in the morning and think about during your last waking hours at night.
Once you've gotten your business going strong, that initial fervor may wane a bit. The newness wears off, and you get into a routine. It's kind of like a marriage. Once the honeymoon is over the bride and groom don't stop loving each other, but life together eventually becomes a little less thrilling. The same could be said for some entrepreneurs and their businesses.
If you can effortlessly maintain that sense of excitement about your business, you're one of the lucky ones. Most business owners find themselves experiencing a slump every now and then. Maybe revenues drop, or new regulations necessitate changes in the way they do business, or they just get bored.
Whatever the reason, you may find yourself wondering if you should continue. You may question whether you got into the right type of business, or if you are even cut out to be an entrepreneur in the first place. You probably still care about your businesses and likes what you do, but it just doesn't hold the allure it once did.
In order to keep moving forward, keeping your passion alive is crucial. Sometimes that's easier said than done. If you're not feeling it, you can't force yourself to feel it, right?
That's true to a point. However, there are things you can do to rekindle your passion. If you're doing something that you truly love deep down inside, a gentle reminder can bring that back to the surface and steer you back onto the right track.
Take a Break
During the startup phase of your business, you probably worked very hard. You had to come up with the money needed to get going, set up your office/retail space/website, get all of your paperwork in order, and much more. Then you had to market your business effectively to start bringing customers in. Perhaps you put in insane amounts of overtime to get things going. It may have paid off, but it probably also left you feeling exhausted.
This phenomenon is known as burnout. It can happen at any time, not just following startup, and it's a real passion zapper. So what do you do about it? Take a breather!
Immersing yourself in your business is not a bad thing. It can help you become profitable faster. We've all heard this saying: ?All work and no play makes Johnny a dull, dull boy.? It also makes him cranky, which can have an adverse effect on the business. Taking a week off and having some non-work related fun could help him regain focus and remember why he chose the profession he's in.
Outsource
When getting started in business, sometimes we have to wear many hats. Limited funds might prohibit hiring employees to take care of the administrative tasks, marketing and other things that are necessary to get things going. When you're going into business to do something you love, you don't mind doing those things for a while. After a while, it starts to get old.
When you're juggling all sorts of tasks, it's easy to lose sight of the reasons you wanted to do what you're doing for a living. You get bogged down with paperwork and other tasks that are essential yet not the focus of your business. That's one reason why it's so important to outsource these things.
If you can outsource from the beginning, that's great. In many cases, business owners start out doing these things for themselves. If you're still doing everything on your own out of necessity, try setting a sales goal. When you reach that goal, reward yourself by hiring out some of the work you don't care for to a contractor. You'll have the opportunity to hand it off to someone who is a professional, and you'll free up your time to concentrate on more enjoyable (and profitable) activities.
Talk to Someone Who Understands
Very few people in business haven't experienced a decrease in interest at some point. Most of them get through it and move on. So if you're having the same problem, talking to a seasoned professional might help.
Perhaps you already have a mentor. If so, sitting down and discussing the obstacles you're facing could be quite beneficial. Just having someone who's ?been there and done that? to talk to can help. And you might walk away with some sage advice that will help you get back in the swing of things.
If you don't have a mentor, now would be a good time to get one. Mentors can be infinitely helpful to anyone who is new (or even not-so-new) to the business world. If you don't know someone personally who can help you along, check with the Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE.org). They can set you up with a mentor in your area, or with someone you can connect with online.
Maintaining Your Enthusiasm
Once you've renewed your passion for your business, it's important to keep the fires burning. Going back to your old habits could leave you feeling restless again before you know it.
When you find something that works, be sure to stick with it. Keep some contractors on retainer for your future outsourcing needs. Schedule some time off or rearrange your workweek so that you can participate in activities that you enjoy. Talk to your mentor on a regular basis. Do whatever it takes to ward off those doldrums.
Keeping your passion alive isn't always as easy as it sounds. However, if you have a genuine and intense interest in what you do, you can recover from those slumps quickly and get back to building your business.
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Both Lisa Thomas & Maury Klein are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Lisa Thomas has sinced written about articles on various topics from Marketing Strategies, self improvement and motivation and Writing. As founder and president of The Power, Passion & Purpose Group, Lisa Thomas brings over twenty years experience in business, relationship and individual life coaching. Her vision is every woman lives a life of power, passion and dreams come true. Join the. Lisa Thomas's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.
Maury Klein has sinced written about articles on various topics from Credit Cards, Religion and Malware. Jeremy Gislason is an entrepreneur, online business owner and marketer. He is also a philanthropist with over 12 years of offline and online business experience. He owns the website. Maury Klein's top article generates over 1830000 views. to your Favourites.