"Work and Play are words used to describe the same thing under ... ... - Mark TwainOur work really should be an ... of ... we enjoy. You have probably thought this many
"Work and Play are words used to describe the same thing under
different circumstances." - Mark Twain
Our work really should be an outworking of something we enjoy. You have probably thought this many times as you struggle to get up on Monday morning dreading the thought of another week at the office. "If only I could be fishing or shopping or reading or... you fill in the blank. We all have different interests and passions - different things that get us going. There are ways to make money doing something that you love, but there are a couple of things you have to do first.
1. You have to stretch your thinking - You have to move past the current work model of a 9-5 job with benefits and paid vacation. There are so many other possibilities out there, but you have to open your mind to see them. I would read everything I could get my hands on about people who have turned their hobby into money. The stories are out there and they will inspire you. Eventually, you will need to narrow your search to people who have successfully turned your hobby or passion into money. Learn from them. Find out what made them successful and what mistakes they made. You'll find three stories at the end of this article to get you started. Or listen to an audio by Dan Miller to inspire you.
2. You have to become more creative in general - Creativity breeds more creativity. So start working on yours now. Gather resources to foster creativity...I have found a great website to get you started. Also, practice thinking outside the box. When you are faced with a problem in your job, family, church, etc. sit down for a brainstorming session to find a creative way to reach a solution. Exercise your powers of problem solving with puzzles and brainteasers here or try the Free-The-Genie cards.
3. You have to create a plan to make your dream a reality - It is not optional to grow your creativity and problem solving skills, but you also have to have a plan to get where you want to go. You will find everything you need to get started here.
Jim Miller enjoyed planning celebration events, so he came up with the idea of putting corporate picnics together for companies. He earns $1,500 to $7,000 net profit per picnic after all expenses and has also written a 355 page manual How to Start and Operate a Corporate Picnic Business which retails for $49.95. He also puts together kid’s entertainment parties as well.
Marco Johnson, 38, a firefighter from Lancaster, Ca. saw too many deaths in his profession that could have been prevented if someone at the scene had taken action. He began offering medical training classes in 1997, teaching first aid and CPR. His wife, Sandra, organized the time and place and secured the students for him as well. In the last seven years, the demand has increased and he now employees 42 staff members and certifies 8,000 people per year in CPR and first aid. What started out as offering classes each week has exploded into Antelope Valley Medical College which now offers certification programs for medical assistants, vocational nurses, paramedics, and EMTs. The projected sales for 2004 are estimated to be close to $7.5 million.
Carmel Sullivan felt isolated and alone after her sudden divorce, and attempted to find a roommate, preferably a single mother like herself. She found that no service existed to help her, so she placed her own ad and eventually found a match. This gave her the idea to help other woman like herself who were in similar circumstances. She found that there were 14 million single mothers many who were struggling financially and emotionally. She decided to create a web site with member profiles dedicated to helping single mothers look for roommates. The web site also offers a “Circle of Friends” page where members can go to get support. How does she earn an income doing this? She has over 4,800 users who pay a $30 annual fee for membership. That adds up to $144,000. Her business has been featured on CBS News, Good Morning America and Inside Edition. Her web site can be found at www.co-abode.com.
Remember what Mark Twain said, "Work and Play are words used to describe the same thing under different circumstances." Resolve today to make this a reality in your life!
To access the links in this article, visit www.careercalling.com/Archives.htm and read the March 25, 2005 edition.
Do What You Love!
... as I drove back from ... I listened to an ... on the Dave Ramsey Show between Dave and ... ... author Frank Peretti. With over 15 million of his ... novels
Don't Fear Failure
What a great admonition - Don't Fear Failure! It sounds so simple and so easy to achieve when you see it like that, but when it comes to life changing decisions that we all face, we often get sweaty palms, weak knees, and panic attacks at the thought of failing. But, unfortunately, failure is unavoidable. All successful people have failures in their past, and many will tell you that their failures have led them to the success they have today. It is hard to believe sometimes, though, when you see people that seem to have it all, that they have ever failed. Imagine if Thomas Edison had quit after he failed the 9,999th time in his attempt to invent the incandescent light bulb! Or what if Ray Charles had listened to the advice of one of his teachers..."You can't play the piano, and God knows you can't sing. You'd better learn to weave chairs so you can support yourself." Or what if Mary Kay Ash had listened to her attorney just weeks before she opened her first store..."Liquidate the business right now and recoup whatever cash you can. If you don't, you'll end up penniless."
How To Stay Motivated
You walk in the door from work and a sense of despair rolls over you. Your list of thing to do at home starts running through your head and you start to feel overwhelmed. Thoughts of what you should be doing haunt you as you sit down to another night of sitcoms and reruns. We've all been there at some point.
