“Man is only great when he acts from passion.” Benjamin Disraeli, Nineteenth Century British Prime Minister.
You want to start up a business, but you’re not sure what to pursue. Great inventors and business persons are not super human. There’s a very thin line between success and failure. Creativity and success are mostly affiliated to a seven-letter word called Passion. Passion goes a long way in all spheres of life, and you can only go far in life if you are passionate about what you do. From passion comes satisfaction, and from satisfaction comes money. Without passion you won’t have that spark that keeps you going, even when it seems like your dreams aren’t coming true. Your life would be more like chasing shadows in the dark. The quickest route to increase your chances of launching a successful business, for today’s aspiring entrepreneur, exploring avenues of creativity is to find your Passion.
So where do you start from? How do you know that one thing that catches your heart? That one thing that you would do if you wouldn’t need to be paid? Here are some exercises that will help you uncover your passion.
Step 1: As a child, what did you love to do?
We all had latent skills as children, growing into adulthood we give up a lot of our creativity. It’s amazing how disconnected we become to things that brought us the most joy in favour of what’s practical. As a child I loved painting with crayons. Making a list of all the things you remember enjoying as a child is the number one step to take. Research shows that there is much to be discovered in play, even as adults. Revisit some of the positive activities, foods and events of your childhood. Take a journey back to your memory lane and find out who you really wanted to be when you believed, as a child, that anything was possible.
Step 2: Create a “Creativity Board”.
The idea behind this is that when you surround yourself with images of your intention—who you want to become or what you want to create—your awareness and passion will grow.
Start by taking a large poster board; put the words “New Business” in the center. Next, create a collage of images, sayings, articles, poems and other inspirations. As your board evolves and becomes more focused, you will begin to recognize what is missing and imagine ways to fill the blanks and realize your vision. Your intentions stare at you every day. In reverse, you are self-inspired because your dream is pictorial.
Step 3: Make a list of people you aspire to be like.
Save time and energy, you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. Study people who have been successful in the area you want to pursue. For example, during the recession, many people shied away from the real estate market because they thought it was a dead end. That’s the perfect time to jump in, when others are bailing out—because no matter the business, there are people who are successful in it. Study them, figure out how and why they remained successful when everyone else was folding, and then set up structures to emulate them. “If you want to be creative, create a rigorous and formal plan. It’s not the plan that is creative; it’s the process that you go through that opens up so many possibilities. Levit.
Step 4: Go with the flow
Start doing what you love, even without a business plan. Please, don’t get me wrong here, having a business plan is a wonderful idea/step in business, but a lot of people wait until they have an extensive business plan written down, along with investors who want to throw cash at their ideas that never see the light of day. Do what you enjoy—even if you haven’t yet figured out how to monetize it. Test what it might be like to work in an area you’re passionate about, build your business network and ask for feedback that will help you develop and refine a business plan. I have seen it work for so many people. This method gives you testimonials that will help launch your business when you’re ready to make it official. Most importantly it’ll shift you out of fear, as your personal contribution will stir up your creativity.
Step 5: Shift grounds Take a break. Take a mental vacation indulging in something you’re passionate about. You can have by your side a pen and a pad to write down any business idea that comes to your mind, as a process you’re having a mental vacation. It might feel uncomfortable or out of place to step outside of business mode, but the mind sometimes needs a rest from such. Remember variety is the spice of life. Maybe for you, it will be creative writing, painting, swimming, running, gardening or sightseeing. You’ll be amazed at how refreshed your ideas are. Looking at beautiful things – art and nature – creates connections that we often fail to notice. Notice them, capture them in writing, and use them. For me, I get inspiration when I am around water bodies.
So, make choices, don’t look back, and never let your fears lead you. Resolve to pursue your passions.
