By Pearson Mbendera.
We live in a country that is starved of employment and business opportunities. Finding a job is so difficult in this economy and that is the reality we are living in. No one knows when things will get better but we are all hopeful, yet expecting the worst. It’s no surprise that many people are not doing what they love or what they should be doing given their academic qualification and experience, but what should you do when you are stuck in something that doesn’t suit you.
Hopes and dreams, unless they have been turned into something operational and revenue producing, do not feed the family, pay the bills or put clothes on your back. For that reason, people may have to settle at doing something that doesn’t satisfy them, that’s just the way of Zimbabwean life.
We all have things we are passionate about, things that makes us tick. It may be a business, maybe you want to be a writer, a singer, a poet or something else totally different. It may not be easy to do and may not guarantee instant success, what do you do in such a scenario.
It’s difficult already finding anything to do, finding what you really want to do, what you are passionate about is even harder. But that shouldn’t mean that you can’t pursue your hopes and dreams. So what do you do if you have a job you hate yet there are something out there you really love doing.
So here are a few things that may help you out.
1)Do what you love on the side. Having a job doesn’t mean you are satisfied with it. But the fact that you are not satisfied doesn’t always mean that you have to quit the job. Do what you love on the side. Dedicate some time to make sure that you are advancing your own passion projects. You may not get much out of that, the satisfaction that you are being fulfilled doing what you love should be enough. So ask yourself, what is it that you love, and what is it that you are doing currently. If the two answers are different, then it means you have to do what you love on the side.
2)Invest in yourself. You are your greatest asset. Invest in yourself, that means educate yourself, treat yourself well and ensure that you are happy. There are some things that professionals overlook, like happiness and the state of their wellbeing, but they are just as important if not more. Read more, eat healthy, exercise, keep your mind clean and pray. This may look like it’s nothing but it will take you further. It doesn’t help if you further your career or achieve all your dreams but end up losing your health.
3)Don’t think about the money. Putting a price tag on anything complicates things, you start thinking more of the financial value gained rather than other non-financial benefits you may be deriving from your passion project. The bible says money is the answer to everything, but sometimes, let the money motive take a back seat and just do things because you love doing it. When the time comes, the financial reward you will reap will over compensate for the time you didn’t realize anything.
4)Dream big. You cannot say you love doing anything if it isn’t your dream. And if a dream is worth having, let it be a big dream. There is nothing wrong about dreaming big, everyone should do it. But it’s also important to turn those dreams into actions, the bigger the dream, the bigger the action. Nothing should stand in your way of your dreams.
5)Protect yourself. Finally, ensure that you are well protected. Don’t lose out following your dreams and passion projects that you lose sight of reality. Sometimes dreams are just that, dreams, something you can only visualize with your eyes closed, and turning them into a reality may be next to impossible. That doesn’t mean you cannot pursue them, because you owe it to yourself to do so, but this means that you shouldn’t lose grip on reality chasing dreams. The last thing you need is to end up with nothing, losing on the stable job you have and failing to achieve your dreams. Make sure that you do things at the right time. The time at work is for advancing whatever goals the company has for you, you may have to lay your dreams on the side, and do what you have to, and when you are done, only then can you focus on your dreams.
The pursuance of dreams shouldn’t be something anyone should take lightly. The economy, the political state of this nation and the people in your life should not stand in your way. They may not understand you, but as long as you feel that deep inside of you there is reason to pursue what you love, go ahead and do just that. You never know where this will take you, but whatever that place will be, it will be better that where you are right now. So ask yourself, are you doing what you love? If the answer is no, make some amends right now.
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