I have always been struggling to find that one thing that I am passionate about. There are so many things that I like to do, so many things I want to try and so many careers that I find absolutely fascinating. But all these things were changing constantly. One passion however, never resided: traveling.
Ever since my first trip to Australia after High School, I am absolutely fixed on it and I am so happy about being able to live the nomad lifestyle now as a freelancer.
In order to live this lifestyle though, you have to figure out what it is that you want to offer as a freelancer. There are tons of things that you could do, quite literally, the world is your oyster. So before you quit your job and start dreaming about all these places you could go to as a digital nomad, you should figure out where your passion lies and how you can make a career out of it.
Today we want to share with you six ways to figure out what your true passion is.
Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash
1. What did you dream of when you were a child?
The good thing about being a naïve little child is that you don’t ask yourself if what you dream about is realistic or not. It is simply something you love doing.
So what were your dreams when you were a child? What did stop you from pursuing those dreams? Maybe you already knew as a child what your perfect career would be.
Start making a list with all the things that you loved doing as a child. Would you still enjoy doing that? What of these dreams can be translated into your life now?
2. Figure out what it is that you’re good in
Sometimes it’s hard to figure out what exactly you’re good at. Not because you’re not talented, but because we just don’t see it ourselves. That’s why it’s a good idea to ask your family and friends for help. They know you the best and might see talents that you didn’t even consider before. Also, what you are good in doesn’t necessarily have to be an obvious talent. Maybe you are an extremely helpful person, a good listener, very organized or very empathetic. Try to also consider that and think about how you can translate these talents into an online career.
3. What would you study if you could study anything you want?
It might also help to read through a University Course Catalog to identify your interests. Every course is described very detailed so that you can see if it would appeal to you or not. The catalog is a good source of inspiration to get some more information about what jobs are out there.
4. Who is your professional hero?
Your professional hero might be someone in your family or in your circle of friends or even someone you don’t even know. Whose career do you envy the most? Isn’t that something you could do too?
Start studying people who you envy and who are successful in what they are doing. Keep in mind that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel. How did these people get to where they are now? What were the obstacles they had to overcome? How did they do it? Now ask yourself: Could you do the same?
5. Connect with people in the industry you’re interested in
To get some insights into what it is like to work in an industry that you’re interested in, it’s always a got idea to catch up with people who are already working it. They can give you valuable information about what it’s really like to work there, what the day to day life looks like and what the actual tasks are. It’s also always interesting to know what they don’t like about their jobs. It’s easy to sell you on something that is awesome, but what about the downsides? Are you still keen on it?
6.Read, take Online Courses, and do a lot of Research
Photo by Giulia Bertelli on Unsplash.
Know as much as possible about the industry you are interested in. Chances are, that if it’s been your passion for a while, you’ve already read a lot of books and done a lot of research. Do even more, read even more. Take online courses to find out, if you really like doing what has to be done in that particular industry. What skills do you have to have? How much can you earn? How can you get started?
Translate your passion into an online career
The world wide web offers so many opportunities for people who want to work location-independent. After you’ve figured out what it is that you’re passionate about, you have to find a way to translate it into an online career. That shouldn’t be too hard though. Maybe you are passionate about fitness - just start an online fitness course. Or you are addicted to social media. Agencies are always looking for people who know the ins and outs of social platforms. There are endless opportunities. It’s because of platforms that these days everybody is able to transform a passion into a lucrative business. And let me fill you in another secret: Nobody really cares about university degrees anymore. So even if you don't have a degree in the field that you want to work in (with a few exceptions of course) you can still do that. Just impress with your knowledge and your passion for the topic.
Of course, even as a digital nomad the offline world still exists. Maybe it’s important for you to help people and give something back. There are numerous social projects that are looking for help. All you have to do is find out how you can combine your passion with your love for traveling.
