What’s the one thing holding you back from pursuing your passion? For most of us, it’s fear. The fear of failure, of judgment, of not being good enough. But what if you could transform that fear into fuel? This journey of self-discovery and action is crucial, especially when considering life-changing financial rules for middle-class success.
How I Pursued My Passions
My journey began in a familiar place: a stable, unfulfilling office job after college. I knew I needed a creative outlet, so I finally started a blog, The Blissful Mind, to merge my love for writing and web design. It was terrifying. I was convinced my ideas would be seen as lame or my writing would be criticized. But I did it anyway.
Pushing past that initial fear was the first step. I connected with other bloggers and discovered a community that embraced my work. Their encouragement built my confidence, which in turn made me want to write more. It became a positive feedback loop: the more I wrote, the more confident I became.
Continuing to Learn
To deepen my knowledge, I enrolled in a health & wellness coaching graduate program. I wasn’t sure where it would lead, but I followed my curiosity. Two years later, as I was finishing the program, my hand was forced when my job ended unexpectedly. Instead of panicking, I saw it as a sign. I gave myself a two-month trial run to make self-employment work. One year later, I’m still here.
My path wasn’t a straight line. It was built on three key actions:
- Nurture Your Passion: Start before you feel ready. Do the work for the love of it.
- Commit to Learning: Deepen your expertise. It builds genuine confidence.
- Take the Leap: You’ll never feel 100% “ready.” Trust yourself enough to begin.
As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “To map out a course of action and follow it to an end requires courage.” Have the courage to start.
5 Things You Need to Pursue Your Passions
Wondering how you can find the confidence to pursue your own dreams and passions? The first step is to make sure you’re actually on your own team. If you’re constantly afraid of failure or judgment from others, you’ll never feel ready to go after what you want.
The key is to be confident in your decisions, beliefs, and abilities. Some people have a natural aura of confidence about them, but you can build your own self-confidence if you focus on the following elements:
1. Trust: Trust that you will make the right decision or figure out the next best step on your own. Believe that things have a way of working out in your favor.
2. Self-Respect: Respect yourself enough to not let others make decisions for you. Get clear on your boundaries and values in life.
3. Acceptance: Accept yourself without feeling the need to change to meet the desires of others. Know that you are worthy of success despite your flaws.
4. Commitment: Take responsibility for your life. Commit to being consistent with your actions.
5. Compassion: Be patient with yourself and your situation, even when things seem to take forever. Treat yourself with kind thoughts and encouragement.
“When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.”
Jean Shinoda Bolen
How To Start Pursuing Your Passions
I think it’s important to mention that you can’t keep using lack of confidence as an excuse to not get started. Those excuses are simply a form of procrastination.
Instead of searching for the confidence you think you need, how about you get started right now? Here’s where to go from here:
Take Imperfect Action
We’re so convinced that everything has to be perfect the first time we do something when it truly doesn’t. When you’re just getting started, there’s no need to put too much pressure on yourself. Instead, take one little step that will move you closer to your goal. Done is better than perfect. This mindset is key to avoiding common bad money habits, which often stem from a fear of making mistakes.
Learn Everything You Can
Build up your confidence in yourself by learning everything you possibly can about what you’re trying to accomplish. If it’s starting a blog, research how to start a blog. If it’s going into a new profession, learn everything you can about that profession. What if it’s traveling the world? Then find out how other people have done it. The key here is to never stop learning.
Commit 100%
In order to successfully pursue your passions and goals, you have to have an unwavering commitment to yourself and your ideas (even if no one else gets it). I recommended listening to Suzy Batiz on the Skinny Confidential podcast talk about how everyone thought she was crazy to create Poo Pourri. If she hadn’t have committed to her idea, she never would have known that it would become a multi-million-dollar company.
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