Do what you love, love what you do

What is it that you really love doing? Is it travelling, painting, collecting, playing music? Do you have a hobby? Do you love animals? Whatever it is you love to do, do you get the opportunity to enjoy doing it regularly?

Don’t get caught on the merry-go-round like lots of others. I was once there but I took heed and changed my course to something more fulfilling a long time ago. I remember a certain person hinting to me that I should be master of my own destiny. I thought that was good
advice.

FIND THE KEY THAT WORKS

I knew there was a way, a key so to speak that would unlock the door and open the opportunity to live life on my terms, I was watching people around me do it quite frequently and earning good money while doing it also. I was only young back then but I knew that self-employment was what I wanted for me.

Self-employment can mean a lot of different things to various people. They may be tradies, shopkeepers, land lords or even investors all earning their income doing whatever it is they do – but are they really happy? Do they do what they love …and love what they do?

Some people find a comfort zone in their lives and are content to ride it out while things are good or until circumstances change while others unlock new opportunities using the key that works for them.

TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE

I still remember the day I decided to be serious about pursuing my passion. I was well and truly over being a slave for somebody else when I finally threw the towel in. I came home that day and told my wife, I quit! I’m going to do what I love. She thought I was mad but she happily supported me in my new endeavor.

I wanted a life, a life I could be in charge of, in fact, I wanted my life, not someone else’s life. I wanted to start work when I was ready, finish when I wanted to finish and stop and do other things any time it pleased me to.

Taking charge of your life is a big move if you have never had to make that move before. My sister was the type of gal that went from one job to another always seeking better pay and conditions. I never understood why she never really took charge of her own life. I knew she could draw and paint well but I never understood why she didn’t capitalize on her talents when it would have been so easy to do so, but that’s another story altogether.

I saw the opportunity when I was young to benefit from my hobby which was surfing. I lived ate and breathed it and I had learnt from being around those in the industry how to make and repair my own surfboards. It was so rewarding for me to be able to do this but I had a small problem, I had never been self-employed before. What to do?

FOLLOW THOSE WHO ARE WHERE YOU WANT TO GO

There was a time long before I decided to take charge of my destiny and the life I dreamed of when I was already gathering information just quietly by myself, secret information, business information, how to operate a business, know what business expenses were, what I could claim as tax deductions and the things I couldn’t. All this knowledge was accruing in the background for the day I went out on my own.

Mentors is a word that wasn’t in my vocabulary back then but I guess I had them. They were the people who were where I wanted to be, the surfboard makers, the business owners, the tradies, the self-employed. I asked lots of questions and of course I got lots of answers and information in return. It was this information that would help me make the decision that was to be a major lifestyle change for myself and my young family.

Following those who are where you want to go is the best way to get where you want to be. There’s lots of mentors about, one only needs to look. Often they will offer advice, share experiences willingly if they know you genuinely want to head in their direction.

My advice is don’t be scared to ask questions, after all, how are you ever going to learn if you don’t ask questions?

ARE YOU DOING WHAT YOU LOVE?

It’s been said that if you truly love what you do you’ll never work a day in your life. Well that statement might be debatable but I’m sure you’d agree when we enjoy the things we do it never seems like work simply because we enjoy it so much for it to be like work.

The word work is often associated with eight hours a day, repetition, early rises, long hours, home late but when you do what you love and love what you do life just changes for the better.

It’s now been more than thirty years since I plunged myself into doing what I love and I still love doing it and I have never regretted my decision to do that. Back then I chose time over money and a simple life over a complicated.

I love having the freedom to down tools and go for lunch with my wife or start late after having a surf. These are just some of the perks that come to those who take charge of their lives.

I’ve always lived by the ocean because I am a water baby and doing what I love has been the best decision I ever made. I’ve been able to enjoy life travelling and doing things as a family. And now that our son is chasing his own dreams I get to spend lots of time with my beautiful wife living out our dream life.

Time waits for no one, so get in now while you’re thinking of it and chase your dreams. Do what you love and love what you do and enjoy the blessings and benefits that come from doing it.