3 Surprising Benefits of Pursuing Your Passions Outside of Work
We may be in the depths of winter, but before you blink, it’ll be
spring. Then the long, balmy summer nights will be here, and suddenly—holy
sh*t—it's the holidays again.
When next winter arrives on your doorstep, how do you want to
feel? More alive, inspired, and full? Do you want to feel more like who you
really are, more connected to the inner you, and more fire in your spirit?
Well, there's a shortcut to achieving that: setting aside at least
four to six hours per week to do what you love. Block off chunks of time in
your calendar like any other non-negotiable appointment.
Whether your dream is to make your hobby a priority during the
busy workweek or to make your passion profitable by starting a side gig, there
is no time like the present to begin using your natural talents to elevate your
spirit (and maybe even your bank balance).
Here are just a few of the hobbies and side hustles my clients
have picked up: singing part-time, creating beautiful aprons, starting a
high-end matchmaking service, health coaching, creating organic skin-care
products, customizing healthy family meal plans on a budget, designing custom
bras, making travel plans, helping entrepreneurs create high-impact personal
brands, and writing a novel. Phew. The options are truly unlimited and endless!
No matter your interest, pursuing it can revolutionize your life.
When you make your passions as important as your workouts, date nights, and
undying commitment to Bravo, amazing things start to happen. Here are three of
them.
3 Happy Side Effects
1. You'll be a
better friend, partner, and relative.
Have you ever noticed that when someone is engaged in doing
something they love—volunteering for a cause close to their
heart, typing away at their blog, planning a travel adventure, knitting their
new nephew a perfect beanie—they seem happier? There's a glow, a beam, and a
certain magic in people who are proactively doing something that matters to
them.
And the beauty is that when we feel happier, we radiate this
happiness no matter where we are. Our lives cannot be compartmentalized (work,
sleep, eat, relationships), and no one is siloed off from others without
overlap (me, my mom, my husband, my friends, my boss). Our existence is all
part of one gorgeous, sometimes messy, complete whole. And when you are
happier, every relationship and aspect of your life will improve and feel more
connected.
2. You'll
alleviate sadness.
When I was in corporate sales, I thought I was pretty happy. The
money was great, and I traveled and went out a lot. As an extrovert I was used
to people commenting on my cheerful, upbeat attitude. But when Sundays rolled
around, I'd start to feel down just thinking about the week ahead.
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When I finally started to coach and write actively on the side
(and started making great money doing it, which felt like the biggest bonus on
the planet), I really felt the way I acted. People said I looked better. I felt
lighter and led by a deeper sense of purpose. Every spare second in my life was
allocated, without neglecting my valued meditation and downtime.
I replaced long boozy brunches (to alleviate my Sunday
back-to-work blues) with penning articles and helping people work through their
relationship and career struggles. This left no time for my own whimsical,
often self-indulgent, depressive moods at the end of every weekend.
3. You'll enjoy
your day job more.
Win-win, right? If you think the only point of your job is a
paycheck, living life with more purpose outside the office will help you care a
lot less about being unsatisfied at work. In fact, when I was employed and coaching
on the side, the money I was making took all financial pressure off my
business, which, funnily enough, helped it grow so rapidly. I also loved
jetting out of the office twice a week to meet clients and using my weekends
more wisely. My life and work mattered.
The same goes for having a consistent, real hobby. I worked with
an engineer who started attending improv classes twice a week and did stand-up
around New York City every month—unpaid. This changed his attitude at work: He
was not a complainer like a lot of the other people on his team. His passion
gave him balance and more intentionality in his life, and, hey, he was having a
ton of fun!
The Bottom Line
Why not make passion a priority this year? There's no good reason
to delay. Whether doing what you love garners extra cash or not, the benefits
are awesome and unlimited. Some of the most impactful innovations were created
on the side, such as Spanx (inventor Sara Blakely sold fax machines full-time
while creating the game-changing hosiery) and Pitch Perfect (the
author wrote the entire thing on the subway during her commute to work).
BY SUSIE MOORE
http://greatist.com/live/follow-your-passion?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_newsletter_2016-02-16_mails_daily_new_header
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