My Passion...

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[California Girl]

   Still unemployed and trying to find what my passion in life is.  I have been an auditor, accountant, financial analyst, trainer, author (if I may call myself that for creating a Lotus workbook), teacher, and supervisor of a career and technical school program.  Now, I'm unemployed and the question seems to continue to be:  What do I want to be when I grow up?  What is my passion?     I would love to get some help, here.  What is your passion?  How did you find it?

[benny]

I know what you mean.  My son is now making his year 11 choices and has to aim at some sort of career.  He has no idea what he wants to be.  He asked me how I knew.  I told him that I still don't know what I want to be.  Just start off with one that interests and see where it leads.  What more can we do?

[Evan]

Try different stuff (do we really want a Year 11 student deciding the rest of our life).

There are various ways to try.
Imagine your ideal day, week, year.
What do you do when you have free time?
Ask others who know you well (if there are some).
Laddering: choose three things you like to do (three jobs you've liked if there are some) and ask why you liked it.  For each answer to why ask why about that. . . until you get to something like, because I do, because that's just me.  You can do it for stuff you don't like to.
A great book that takes this approach is Zen and the Art of Making a Living by Laurence Bouldt.
Ask yourself: if I had enough support and knew I couldn't fail, what would I do?

Hope this helps.

[goatlady]

i think often that our passions find us.

California Girl, you've got a pretty diverse employment background! It sounds like you could turn your hand to pretty much anything. A lot of people these days are moving to self-employment rather than trying to find a job. Sounds like you have what it takes, you just need to pick a direction

[California Girl]

Benny, Evan, and Goatlady.  Your advice is very welcomed and has gotten me thinking in a new direction.  Deep down I know I have a lot of skills but on the surface which is what I seem to be working on lately, I feel like I don't have any skills and I will never be employed, again.  It’s very scary to not have any income coming in.  I checked your websites and they got me thinking.  Squadron commented on another one of my posts and I checked his website and googled him.  I got a lot out his published articles.  Aussie Forum, keep on posting ideas.  I need all the help I can get.

[chucknthem]

I agree with goat lady, you have a very diverse background and it seems like you can do anything!

If you've changed careers that much while looking for your passion, then you probably prefer to have things done the way  you like it rather than someone else's way. Maybe you would rather work for yourself rather than someone else because that gives you the most freedom to explore and find your passion.

A few things to consider

Do you like talking to people? What if they're strangers? children?
Do you like the outdoors or a quiet office?
Do you  have any hobbies?
- Can other people benefit from your hobbies? (i.e. can you sell it, can you provide knowledge/expertise experience, etc)
Do you know people with similar interests as you?
 - is there already a community with these interests or can you start one and become it's leader?
If you decided to start a new project or business, do you know people who might want to join or help you? if not, do you know where to find them?

I think those questions are important if you're looking for a passion where you can be self employed.

I hope to be self employed one day, but my problem is the the lack of life experience It looks like you have what it takes, it's a matter of finding what you like doing, figuring out how someone else can benefit from what you do, and put the two together.

There's a bit of danger in going down this route though. You may not like doing what you're passionate about as a career, especially if your standard of living depends on it. e.g. Just because you enjoy writing doesn't mean you'll enjoy forcing your self to write because it's your career. Just because you enjoy golf doesn't mean you'll enjoy competitive golf. So keep that in mind too when you're deciding!

[California Girl]

  Wow!  I wish I had started this post earlier.  Some great ideas have been posted.  I have shared them with some of my co-workers that are also being unemployed.  Aussie Forum, keep those ideas coming.  My learning curve is sky rocketing but there is lots more room for improvement.  Keep on writing.

[LinenKids]

Hey my passion is linen, I found it when I was searching for best clothes for my kids.  I discovered linen products. I was immediately struck by the beauty and uniqueness of linen, which seemed so different to those soulless, mass-produced items that crowd the shelves of department stores. Now I am working with it.

I am sure you will find your passion as well, do not waist your time for things you are not interested in, do what you want to do and you will love it!!!

[wchingya]

California Girl,
As many have given some nice things to ponder, I just like to add:

I've just quit my day job that I worked for 4 years, that gotten a bit too 'comfortable'. There's no room to expand, and definitely not I plan to do for the rest of my life. I've started blogging since Aug 08 last year, and only gotten serious in Feb, 09. I found out I could do a lot more online in parallel of my personal interests: love IT, social networking, web/banner/logo designing, freelance writing...  It's amazing to see all of these rolled into one, and currently having fun while exploring more possibility of making it a lifetime career.

With your expertise, as goatlady had put it, you could venture yourself in almost anything. Are you enjoying helping people? solving problems? perhaps a Virtual assistant if you like to work from home. Or if you enjoy social networking, why not try to build a blog about your expertise, or what you've learned and slowly figure out your 'biggest' passion.

There are so many things you could do to make all of these happen, after you getting to know yourself better. In order to do so, you might need to start 'somewhere'. 

Best wishes! *hugs* for luck!

[California Girl]

   Thank you, Wchingya, for your thoughts.  It's amazing how all of you are so successful in what you are going.  You mention blogging, starting my own blogging site.  I'm wondering if that would be more of a hobby not earning a living.  Many of you have suggested I think about starting my own business.  I used to want that until I got tired of working all the time.  Now, I want a job with less responsibility where I live at 5 PM and I do not have to think about what got done or what didn't until I get back to work the next day.  I think if I owned my own business I would not be alble to do that.  I want to have a job with flexible working hours where I can take time to travel.  In the US you start with only two weeks paid vacation.  Some companies raise it to three weeks after you work there 5-7 years.  Very seldom do you hear someone that gets 4 weeks paid vacation a year.  The culture here is work, work, work.  Education gave me the flexicle hours and the time off.  The problem is our State budget. 

I will ponder on your ideas.  I like several of them.  I know this is an opportunity for me to, maybe, do something I enjoy.  Thanks.

[Gemisht]

There is a possibility of the best of both worlds - start your own business doing something education-related.

 That way you are your own boss, you get the school holidays still and in an environment that you feel comfortable. 

[Anonymum]

I tend to agree with goatlady.
More often than not our passions find us, and where they find us can be quite surprising at times.

When I was in school, I failed maths every single solitary year other than the one year I needed to, in order to pass.

These days I work with figures all day, every day and love every minute of it.

Big figures, at times in the millions of $.

Maybe look at doing something you've never done before? There are times in life when stepping outside of our comfort zone can be the best thing in the world.

We're currently in the USA, and I'm quite stunned at the wages and conditions our friends speak of. I sit here with my mouth open, and many times in horror. I can see why you guys need to work as hard as you do.

As you know here in Oz, 4 weeks annual leave is the norm in pretty much any full time job, but not casual ones.

The difference between the 2 countries is quite astounding.

Good luck with whatever it is you decide. And let us know ok??
 

[California Girl]

Annonymous, hope you are having a great time in the USA, Boston, at the moment.  I would love to hear more about the difference about the two countries.  I can learn to be an Aussie, even while living in the USA.  Please share.  Should we start a new post on that topic?

[ashy]

OK, I'm only 17 like anyone will listen to me but I've had a few dreams... Orginally I wanted to be an archaeologist or historian but I also had a great passion to become a interior/graphic/architect or fashion designer... with any of these I'll be able to have my own business one day.  I did also think of becoming a teacher so that I could teach english, history and art in high school so then I could put all of my passions into one job. But, now that I've finished school I'm going to lead one dream at a time... I'm going to become an interior designer  then ad to this skill with graphic's. History... this dream to have become a historian or Archaeologist are not exactly would I ahve in mind anymore but this is because.. I don't have to be either of these to love and learn history and arts as this I can study in my own time as it is a pleasure not something I need to earn money to love.
I think... you need to look at all the passions and loves you have in life, such as I have mentioned for myself above and then what is going to work best for yourself and fulfil more dreams ... When I have children... don't worry that's not for a little bit longer  haha but I wanted to make a career with something I can create my own business and still be able to work from home with my one day to be, beautiful children. I don't have to miss out on anything and I get to enjoy all of my passions such as art, design, history...
I don't know if this would have made any sense to any other readers but when I look at it that way I think things are going to be comfortable and happy for myself as I become a success and live a life I want and dream of.  Thanks for the time
ashleigh.

[California Girl]

   Thank you, Ashley, for your thoughts.  I think for a seventeen year old, you are ahead of the game.  Following your dreams, your likes, from this early age is the right thing.  I wish you the best...and always follow those dreams.

[scribbler]

  Thank you, Ashley, for your thoughts.  I think for a seventeen year old, you are ahead of the game. 

I agree.  Most people don't take the time to reflect on their lives the way you have, let alone at such a young age.  Good luck in your endeavors but it sounds as though you won't need it

[CrystalsQuest]

I've been in the same boat, except then I discovered I had too many passions and now I'm trying to figure out which one to chase first.

One of the exercises I got told about that helped was to imagine as vividly as you could that you'd won a major jackpot in Lotto.  Fast forward a few weeks to after you've paid everything off, quit your job and booked or done all the trips you wanted.  How do you fill your days?

There's a book I've also been recommended which is called "The Passion Test" - I believe if you search for it online there may be a version you can take at their website.

Also, I have to point you to a free ebook gift from one of my favourite (but non-aussie) bloggers, Jonathan Mead of Illuminated Mind (illuminatedmind.net).  Download his book "The Zero Hour Workweek" - I don't think you even need to give an email address - and in the back there's a link to an online test to see where passion and profits can coincide.  It's a fairly short book, well worth your time.

Good luck,

Crystal

[farmerswife]

I just found this thread and wanted to add my bit.  I am just about to head back into part time work as I have been at home raising my 3 kids for the last 10 years.  I am terrified of going back as I have zero confidence and have baby brain I was in property management previously where I looked after a 300 strong portfolio of properties and I don't know how I did it.

Now I am heading back to work but I want to do something FOR ME, I have always had a PASSION for travel and tourism so am looking into that... Its exciting and scary at the same time...But I feel this is the time to do it, to make a change..

[Tamsyn]

I too am at a crossroads (the opposite one to farmerswife) I am about to have a baby and would love to be able to have a job where I can work from home part-time and bring up my kids.  I love my current job, it is an amazing company and although I am at the bottom of the ladder it has heaps of opportunity to further my career, but I just don't know if I want to be spending all day everyday at work whilst my kids are young....

I am about to head over to illuminated mind (thanks for the link Crystal) and read the e-book.

California Girl, where are you up to with the career decisions? Have you made any progress?

Tamsyn

[California Girl]

   Hi Tasmyn,
After taking in all the advice given here and careful consideration, I decided to take the part time job my old organization was offering me in going back to teaching adults how to use Microsoft Office and focusing on finishing my Masters.  If everything goes well, I will be finished in May 2010.  I will then sell my house and move from the Silicon Valley to San Diego, CA where my best friends live and most of my relatives.  I have decided to buy down, meaning, buy a condo instead of a house like I have now.  My sons are grown up and the last one has a couple of years at the university.  I don't need a four bedroom house anymore.  I would like to work at a university where I can continue to help young people get where they want to get.  That is my passion, helping others.  My change of life will allow me to do what I have loved to do since I was a teenager, travel. 

So, you Aussies help me a lot.  I hope you continue to post on this thread as I always seem to learn from "your passions".  Have a great one.