Do what you love
Follow your bliss
Let your passion be your guide
It means the same thing… if you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.
And you know what? I’m calling B.S!
Yes, I know I might “ruffle” feathers and maybe get some hate mail from coaches or gurus who live by this rule and tell their clients it’s the ONLY way to achieve success and happiness but that’s just not true.
I know because I’ve seen people invest a ton of money and thousands of hours building a business they’re passionate about only to watch it crash and burn.
And it’s not like I don’t have personal experience with “doing what I love”
I followed that advice for 10 years straight. I took photos, made art and created documentary films but it didn’t work.
I was doing exactly what I loved and yet, I didn’t have the life or business I really wanted.
- I was working way too hard — 50-60 hours/week
- I hit an income ceiling at just $1000/week
- I didn’t get paid when I didn’t go to work
- And most of all… I didn’t feel like my work was reaching people, and I didn’t feel like I was making a difference.
I knew it was 1 of 2 things… either something was wrong with me or something was wrong with that advice.
And it wasn’t me!
How to Get Everything You Want in Life
Building a business around your passion seems like a great idea and we all want to believe it’s true.
It sounds good, and it feels right but it doesn’t work in the real world and here’s why…
When you only follow YOUR bliss, and YOUR passion, and do what YOU love…
When you only listen to the “whispers of your heart” you’re ignoring the most important thing to having a successful business…
What your customer wants and needs.
Do what you love is ultimately about you and it’s self-absorbed because you’re not considering your followers, your audience or your tribe.
You’re not considering what they want and what they’ll pay for.
You’re not asking the most important question of all… how can I be of service to the people who need me and what I have to offer?
Because that’s the secret to making money and making an impact. That’s the REAL secret to building a business that matters, a business that lasts and ultimately a business that fulfills you.
As I like to say…
You can have everything you want in life if you’ll just help enough other people get what they want.
Finding Your Reason for Being
So, when it comes to following your heart and doing what you love I want you to start thinking about it in a whole new way.
Here’s an image I like to share at Live Your Message LIVE:
It’s based on the ancient Japanese concept of Ikigai which roughly translates to “a reason for being”. “Iki” means life. And “gai” means “the realisation of what one expects and hopes for”.
The Japanese believe that everybody has an Ikigai or a “reason for being” and when you find it, you also find meaning and satisfaction in your life.
And when I came across this amazing concept everything fell into place.
Doing what you love is just ONE piece of the puzzle because finding meaning and satisfaction in your life and getting paid for it also means you must:
Do what you’re good at
Do what the world needs
Your Heart Has No Business Running Your Business
How many times has your heart led you astray? How many times have you dated the wrong person?
How many times have you poured yourself into a business you believed in with your heart and soul but nobody else cared about in the way that you did?
The truth is there’s more — a LOT more — to starting, growing and sustaining a profitable business.
And doing what you love just doesn’t cut it because it’s just one part of the path to success.
If you want to create a business that also lets you pay the rent and the bills (and maybe even take a couple of bucket list trips), then…
Do what comes naturally and easily to you AND also makes you money.
Do the thing that’s wanted and needed in the market and do what’s going to actually make the world a better place.
So just to be clear…
I’m not saying that you need to avoid doing what you love…
I’m saying you need to find that balance in all 4 of those circles you see above.
If you don’t and if all you do is follow your heart and follow your bliss, I’ve got news for you…
You’ll work long, you’ll work hard and you’ll get nowhere fast.
So now that you know the worst business advice out there, I’d like to offer you the opposite of that 🙂
It’s a powerful, step-by-step masterclass (it’s free!) and it includes insider insights and strategies — basically my BEST advice — on building the business you’re truly meant to build and sharing it with the world.
You’ll learn:
- The 3 paths you can follow to start a business – and why only one leads to purpose, passion, profit and play!
- The 7 key criteria to identify the perfect niche for you … so you can make great money AND love what you do
- How to tune into what you really want … so you can design a business you’ll love, that aligns with your natural strengths … and that will pay you well for doing the work you’re meant to do in the world and a whole lot more!
Now over to you…
What’s the worst business advice YOU ever received? Did you follow it? What happened?
Share your thoughts in the comments below… I read and reply to each one 🙂
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