Lack of Passion

One of the main reasons people give up on their dreams is because they lack the passion required to see them through. Without passion, it’s difficult to maintain motivation when things get tough. If you’re not passionate about what you’re doing, it’s easy to become discouraged and give up.

Passion is like a fuel that kindles your desire to move forward and keeps that desire burning no
matter how rough the roads can be.

In this article, you will learn how passion can become a game-changer in your journey as an
aspiring entrepreneur.

Contents

1. What is Passion?
2. Following Your Passion is a Privilege
3. How Would You Know That What You’re Doing Right Now is Your Passion?
4. How to Determine Your Passion?
5. How to Find Your Passion If You’re Not Aware of It?
6. Do You Need to Follow Your Passion in Doing a Business?
7. What Would Happen If You Don’t Follow Your Passion?
8. Benefits of Having Passion in What You Do
9. What to Do If You’ve Started a Business or Side Hustle that You’re Not Passionate About?
10. Reflect on Yourself

1. What is Passion? 

What does it mean to have passion for what you do?

Passion has several definitions.

According to Merriam Webster dictionary, passion as human emotion is a strong feeling of
enthusiasm or excitement for something or about doing something.

Since enthusiasm and excitement indicate having passion, it means that you don’t easily get tired when doing something that you love.

It feels like you’re looking forward to doing your passion every day and it’s the first thing that
you think of every time you get up in the morning.

Now, some people say, “Passion is not a job, a sport, or a hobby, it is the full force of your
attention and energy that you give to whatever is right in front of you.”

Passion can certainly be a job, sport, or hobby that you’re fond of doing repeatedly without
losing your interest in it. Your interest even deepens as time goes by.

No matter what passion means to you, I want to use the word passion here as something you
love or like doing.

2. Following Your Passion is a Privilege

Some people say “don’t follow your passion.” Passion can make you broke or hungry.

In the context of business and entrepreneurship, some experts say that following your passion is
not suitable for making money or becoming rich.

According to the Asian billionaire Dan Lok, aspiring entrepreneurs should not follow their
passion if they have bills to pay or a family to feed.

The dilemma of putting aside your passion to pursue a more lucrative job is a common issue
among young adult Asians.

Some say that “following your passion is a privilege” because only those people who have the time and luxury to pursue a talent or hobby can thrive in the field that they’re passionate about.

If you’re a breadwinner in the family, the eldest child, and have a bunch of siblings to send to
school, pursuing your passion that earns less than the minimum wage could be detrimental to your responsibilities.

Finding another job or source of income may be heartbreaking but it is more practical.

I’ve read one blogger that said, you become more motivated to focus on your passion when you have money.

Indeed, money can buy you the resources needed for your passion and it can save you from hunger, homelessness, and distress.

Despite the ongoing debates on whether you should follow your passion or not in business, I am sure of one thing that passion can do to you in putting up a business.

Passion can keep you interested and engaged in your chosen industry.

3. How Would You Know That What You’re Doing Right Now is Your Passion?

Go back to the reason why you started doing it in the first place. Simply analyze what you have
been doing in the past years.

Identify what you did that made you spend so much time and days with or without pay. You
even exceeded the 9-5 cycle and still enjoyed doing it anyway.

That’s something you can consider as your passion!

4. How to Determine Your Passion?

For some people, passion can be hard to determine especially if you’re an easy-go-lucky person who just goes with the flow and still doesn’t know what he or she wants in life.

If you’re undecided about your passion, you can ask these four questions to yourself.

These were written by Kevin Wood from HostGator in a 2015 article: What Does Passion Mean for Your Small Business.

What would you do every day even if you weren’t paid for it?

One way to determine your passion is to find out the things that you would do with no money
involved.

People are always in dire need of money to sustain their daily needs and wants.

If you can do something for free and wholeheartedly, it could be an indicator that you’re passionate about that thing.

Think about the volunteers in charitable institutions: they are not paid for their services but they accept the responsibilities with open arms.

It only means that their passion is in the field of Social Work or in helping other people.

If you can do something without being paid, it means that your heart is highly invested in it that you don’t need any extrinsic motivation to do it.

What do you think your core strengths are?

To know what your strengths are, you can list down the things that you can do easily or with
minimal supervision.

List down the skills that you can do within a short or limited time, things that make you
genuinely happy, or things that people usually praise about you.

Once you have written them down, you can shortlist the ones that you are highly skilled at.

You can ask some friends to help you decide the skills that you’re good at because you often
don’t notice the strengths that other people may find admirable or attractive in you.

They can also point out your mistakes and weaknesses which makes it easier for you to figure out and improve your strengths.

What could you immerse yourself in for hours at a time?

Do you spend hours reading a book, watching a baseball game, or playing a musical instrument?

Isn’t it amazing how you can devote hours to a hobby that feeds your motivation in life?

Think about a romantic relationship: you wouldn’t mind spending time with someone if you
don’t love them enough, right?

Fetching your girlfriend from work every day, talking to her ’til midnight, and binge-watching
movies with her all day could tell how much you’re invested in that woman.

The same goes with passion— if you can spend hours doing something without being tired, that
hobby or skill must be your passion.

If you could only do one activity for the rest of your life, what would it be?

Experts say that you can tell what a person values the most if he or she is put in a complicated
situation.

In this question, you’re put in a situation where you need to choose an activity that you won’t
find boring or exhausting for the rest of your life.

For extroverts, they might say something like partying, traveling, or shopping with friends.

For introverts, they might say staying indoors with their favorite pets, books, games, or movies.

Whatever your personality is, your decision can tell about your passion in life.

You would choose an activity that could either make you happy, productive or fulfilling.

I’m sure that if a friend asks you this question right now, you already have something in mind.

Reflect on it and ask yourself why you came up with that answer.

5. How to find your passion if you’re not aware of it?

Sometimes you are not aware that you love doing something.

You might just do it for fun or out of necessity but you learn to love it in the long run.

I’ve known young adults who went to college not wanting their course but eventually loved it
when they graduated.

It even became their dream job and it gave them a comfortable life.

Passion can also be something that you hated at first but learned to love as time went by.

It doesn’t have to be something that you have practiced since you were a child.

It could come out of a mere realization that you want to try it because you want to get out of
your comfort zone.

Passion can come in unexpected ways, too.

6. Do You Need to Follow Your Passion in Doing a Business?

Definitely. You need to follow your passion for doing business.

Contrary to what Dan Lok said that passion can hinder your business success, I believe that it
depends upon the person.

It depends on how you will invest and handle your time, energy, and resources, regardless of
whether you follow your passion or not.

Passion is not a hindrance, it is an advantage.

Compared with jobs or activities where you drag your feet and feel uncomfortable doing them,
a business venture that involves passion can go a long way because you love what you’re doing.

Also, beware that it’s possible to choose a niche market or a business that you will not be
passionate about. It’s practical.

But jumping into it without prior knowledge and interest could just lead to failure.

Sometimes you would think that what you repeatedly do is your passion but later on, you’d
learn that it is not.

I’d take my experience as an example.

When I started an eatery, I thought it was my passion.

I thought so because I told myself that I’m a bit of a foodie and I had enough capital to start the
business.

After a few days, I had learned that I didn’t want to be in that store, standing and managing the
business.

By the way, I also don’t cook that much.

So, after a few days upon opening the store, it dawned on me that I needed to close it! Part of it
is there’s not enough capital to work on, and obviously, it’s not my passion!

After opening the eatery, I realized I was not too fond of the environment and the routines
involved in running an eatery, such as:

● Waking up early and going to the market.
● Cooking a variety of dishes every single day.
● Staying at the store and attending to customers.

So, I can say that there was no “strong feeling of enthusiasm or excitement” when I ventured
into that short-lived business.

Well, I had the feeling at first that it was my passion. I was so excited to find a location for the
eatery, so eager to create a simple business plan or feasibility study.

But in the end, I found out that it was not for me.

So, I suggest, if you can apply as an apprentice or trainee first before doing the actual business,
it would be better.

It’s because you will learn tons of valuable information and experiences in your chosen industry.

You will be able to manage the business well if you have firsthand experience in doing it.

You can always quit as a trainee or apprentice if you don’t like the industry. You can do it
without losing a lot of money, time, and energy.

An internship is an effective way of learning the processes in business without fearing failure
and investing a huge amount of money.

7. What Would Happen If You Don’t Follow Your Passion?

I understand that in entrepreneurship, you have to know what your target market needs and
how you will meet those.

However, it is advisable to include your passion in business because it’s something that you’re
deeply interested in.

If you’re passionate about music, you can put up a business that sells musical instruments.

If you’re passionate about make-ups, you can resell cosmetic products.

If you have prior interest in the industry that you will enter, it’s more likely that you’re already
knowledgeable about it.

Unlike when you’re not inclined to it, you need to hire an expert who can educate you about it
or handle the job for you.

Let’s say you’re passionate about taking care of pets but you put up a business that sells
women’s apparel.

Do you think it will work out for you?

Women’s clothes have varieties that you need to study and if you don’t know them well, it may
cause poor service to the customers.

It’s either you devote your time and energy studying your business or you hire a fashion expert who can manage it for you.

You want to be hands-on with your business and don’t want someone advising you what to do
all the time, right?

8. Benefits of Having Passion in What You Do

In general, here are the benefits that you will feel and observe when you’re able to live your
passion:

● You’re happy with what you do.
● You’re excited and enthusiastic.
● You choose to see the bright side of things.
● You don’t whine or complain too much.
● You don’t drag your feet to work.
● You don’t care about how long you work.
● You don’t care how challenging the tasks are.
● You’re happy with the environment you are in.
● You face and overcome challenges with bravery.
● You don’t easily lose hope every time you fail.

There’s also a massive value in doing what you love.

Putting it in the business context, some of the benefits and indications that could tell you’re
passionate about your business are as follows:

● You produce quality products and provide quality service to customers.
● You attract fellow entrepreneurs and investors with your positive outlook in business.
● Your business flows smoothly because of organized and well-planned processes.
● Your employees (if any) are satisfied with your management and leadership.
● You can provide a comfortable life for yourself and your family.

9. What to Do if you’ve Started a Business or Side Hustle That you’re Not Passionate About?

You will only last doing something if you like what you’re doing. If you have a business or side
hustle with an adequate income right now, you can continue operating it.

On the other hand, you can hire someone to do it to start another business or side hustle that
you are passionate about.

At the end of the day, as long as you are earning and can pay your bills, it’s not a question of
whether it’s your passion or not, correct?

But what I’m saying is, if you can find that business/side hustle that you are passionate about, the sky’s the limit.

Some indications that you don’t have a passion for what you do now:

● Limited sales
● Tired of doing the marketing
● Fed up dealing with customers with complaints or not
● Not happy with everyday activities

Again, you will position yourself to succeed if you start a side hustle or small business that you
are passionate about compared with the one you don’t like.

In other words, the one who perseveres is the one who has passion in what he does against all
odds.

I think we can all relate when I say most of us have a passion for watching movies, right?

Let me use that example.

If you’re focused and determined in doing your side hustle or business like watching a movie,
what do you think will be the outcome?

I love watching movies, and if I’m not busy, I can watch around 14 hours a day!

Just imagine that that’s why I run out of movies and series to watch on Netflix, so I need to
subscribe to Apple TV, etc.

Imagine the focus we’re giving when watching TV, movies, or series.

Sometimes you will eat your meal while watching since you don’t want to pause the show.

You will stay on your seat or sofa or bed even though your body is already aching while
watching.

You don’t care about the time you’re spending while watching.

I believe that’s passion right there.

Now, if you can translate that into making, managing, and marketing your side hustle or
business, I wonder what can stop you.

I can’t imagine the focus, determination, and energy you will put into that business to grow and
succeed.

I would think that you will be successful in due time.

10. Reflect on Yourself

Can’t still find what your passion is?

How about the things that you are willing to do and learn?

You can start from there till you find exactly what you want to do in your life.

Lastly, if you don’t get it right, change the business and try a side hustle or company you think
you will love or like. Period!

Sometimes it takes a few trials and errors before you can get to that point and say that this is it!

Want to change something in your life after reading this article?

Transform your life now by finding your passion.

For some, it might be easy to find their passion. For others or most of us, it is not that easy at all.

But don’t give up! One way or another, you’ll find and live your passion soon if you’re willing to look and live for it.

That fuel could just be within or around you. Keep your passion burning once you found it, seize it, and it will transform your life forever.