There is no doubt that we all aim for: Freedom and Joy.
We are all seeking freedom of choice and having continuous joyful experiences. Most people live in pain because they are deprived of one or both.
For example, you’re hungry to quit a job you hate and start doing what you love.
However, you feel obliged to stay due to your responsibilities towards your family and your concerns about how you’re going to put food on the table and secure a decent lifestyle for your spouse and kids.
Scott Dinsmore of Live Your Legend recently hosted a great article by Leo Babauta of Zen Habits that answers this important question:
“I have a wife (or husband) and kids to support so how can I possibly make the transition to doing work I love?”
Leo created Zen Habits, one of the most popular blogs in the world, while supporting a family of 8! Which means that it’s possible to pursue your dreams while supporting your family.
Here’s what stood out for me in Leo’s answer to the important question above:
“When I finally found the passion ignited inside me, I stopped making excuses and started making priorities.”
He nailed it!
Passion is KING.
If you are truly passionate about what you want to do, you won’t accept making excuses for a long time. One day you’ll stop making excuses and start transforming your life.
No one said it is going to be easy. But, you can definitely expect that it is going to be worth it.
It will never remain hard all the time. As you move towards your passion, things will get easier. You just need to start. If you give up easily and keep on following your excuses, then don’t blame your family obligations. It’s your choice.
I believe that, “Where there is a heart, there is a way”
If you’re passionate enough, you can find the time and make the effort to create a life you can be proud of.
Conquer your excuses.
Here’re five tips to help you do work you love while supporting a family:
1. Simplify
Simplify your life. Make less commitments. Say ‘NO’ to things that don’t matter.
You will juggle between your day job and your passion business for some time, until your passion grows and takes on a life of its own.
That’s why you need to simplify every aspect of your life, so that you can find time and space to do what matters most in your spare time.
2. Safety Net
Start saving one year’s worth of living expenses. You will need it to feel secure when you make the leap from being a corporate prisoner to becoming a free soul.
It might take some time for your passion to generate solid and stable income. By having a safety net, you won’t put yourself and your family under a big risk.
3. Prototype
You must have a tested offer. You need to turn your passion into an offer that people find valuable and are willing to pay for.
When you have a successful prototype, you can be confident that when you quit you job and devote all your time and energy to its development, you’re going to be successful in the end.
4. Multiple Streams
You should create multiple streams of income. Things always don’t go as planned. Expect that your main stream of income may be blocked for a while due to unexpected reasons.
You need to be prepared. Having multiple streams of income ready makes the transition more safe. When I quit my job, four streams of income were blocked unexpectedly.
Thankfully, I was planning for more and my safety net played an important role in the transition phase too.
5. Support Group
Who will be on your corner? Who will have your back covered?
Leo’s wife was a cornerstone in his ability to pursue his passion while supporting the family. You also need to surround yourself with passionate people and key influencers in your field.
Those people will give you the support and advice you need when things get complicated.
Never underestimate the importance of connecting with passionate people.
Pursuing your passion while supporting a family is POSSIBLE.
All you need is a solid plan and to turn your back to your excuses.
When you do that, freedom and joy will be waiting for you around the corner.
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Mohamed Tohami is a bestselling author and the creator of “The P.A.S. Technique: The World’s Easiest Way To Find Your Passion and Purpose In Life”. Visit his Transformational Motivation blog now to grab a free copy of his special report “4 Steps to a Life of Passion” and join his free life purpose coaching online classes.
Photo credit: ‘Campfire‘ by Big Stock
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