They say if you love what you do, you won’t work a day in your life…the unfortunate thing, though, is that a very small number of people actually love what they do.
While there is little difficulty for people in determining what they would love to do, the biggest hurdle they seem to struggle to get over—and thus, inevitably don’t even try—is how to create a sustainable income by doing what they truly love for a living.
StaffSquared reported, back in 2019, that “A global poll conducted by Gallup has uncovered that out of the world’s one billion full-time workers, only 15% of people are engaged at work. That means that an astronomical 85% of people are unhappy in their jobs.”
85%!? That’s a number that pains me because I know for a fact that you CAN make money doing something you love, and live a more fulfilling life that is in alignment with your personal and professional goals and dreams.
Today, I’m going to share with you THREE key questions to ask yourself to help you determine how to make money doing what you love, and then apply those answers to your life TODAY!
What are you the go-to person for?
When people call you for help or advice, what is the common theme of what they’re always asking for? Reflecting on this question will likely bring a few key answers that prove you’re the go-to person for a few key things.
Maybe your friends always call you to help them take photo content for their websites/family photos/Instagram page. Maybe you’re always called upon when your family or friends need help redecorating or revamping their home.
Don’t judge the answer you come up with to this question! The things that you’re the go-to person for don’t have to be “business-y” things, like tax questions, or marketing strategy advice—it could be cooking tips or styling help!
Take note of the answer that comes up most frequently, and then move onto the next question.
What do you love doing—love so much that you’d do it for free?
What would you happily give your time to without looking for anything in return? This is something you genuinely enjoy doing.
Maybe it’s volunteering at your local animal shelter and spending time with the various animals there. Maybe it’s reading books to seniors at your local library.
Most of us have only two or three things that we’d be happy to spend our time doing for personal fulfillment. That’s OKAY! Take the time to think on this answer, it’s absolutely normal to actually need time to really discover what you would happily invest your valuable time in FOR FREE.
How do you help others?
Being able to make money doing something you love often means that what you love to do adds genuine value to people’s lives. Whether that’s helping to build their self-confidence, helping them to build their own businesses, helping them to become healthier, etc.
Identifying how what you love to do can improve others’ lives is key. It also helps to identify how you can help others on an emotional level—for example, your offering or service can help alleviate stress from their lives, remove obstacles from their path, etc.
Are you struggling to find where your answers overlap?
Often when I ask my clients these questions, they tend to say, “The things I am the go-to person and the things I love so much I’d do them for free don’t match up.”
If the same is true for you, that’s OKAY! That’s exactly why I want you to do this exercise, and write down your answers! You will undoubtedly find an overlap in your answers.
If you’ve yet to find that overlap, keep repeating this exercise on a regular (monthly) basis. Between each time you sit down to do this exercise, take note of the things that people are asking you for help with, and you’ll start to see more clear answers!
The secret sauce to making money doing what you love is this: Identify what you love to do that people (your friends, family, acquaintances, etc.) see you as an authority on, and uncover exactly how your skills and expertise in that area help people and improve their lives. There is your money-making business!
If you want to dive into this deeper with me, I have a podcast on this topic! Click here to listen.