How to Make Time for Passion Projects and Personal Development
You don’t start a passion project because you have to—you do it because you want to. Still, even a longtime dream which would bring nothing but joy, can be surprisingly hard to fit into a busy schedule. Of course our duties comes first, we all have obligations, and we all have to pay our rent and manage our bills.
Passion Project
So what do we do with those dreams nagging in the back of our heads? Well, if we do nothing they will eventually wither away, and our lives will be less vibrant and joyful. If we don’t cater to our needs at all, we’ll actually risk becoming bitter, and make the world a sour place to be, not only for ourselves. Everyone around us will be sucked in to our gloom. So make the world a favor and indulge in your passion. Here is how:
Fear of Failure
Put that nagging fear of failure aside and focus on the happiness your passion project will bring you. Close you eyes and imagine there is no such thing as failure. Feel the joy of your passion. Worrying too much about failure will take the joy away, and inevitable lead to failure. On the contrary, if you just focus on the positive, and end up failing anyways, you will still have a joyous experience, and you will find satisfaction in that you tried, rather than spend the rest of your life regretting not trying. Most likely, the failure won’t be all bad, but push you in a different direction so you can find your new passion, or do something different with it.
Make Time
You just have to find a way to make time. One way is to wake up a little early, so you have an hour or half hour to yourself in the morning. Mornings are actually considered the best time to get work done by many successful people. It’s quiet and you can work undisturbed. What better way to take your first baby steps with your passion project! Also, try to manage your time better and see if you can find gaps during the day.
How much time do you spend on social media? Can you work during your commute to school or work? Do you have time in the weekend where you sleep in, or spend an afternoon watching films? Use that time to start your project instead. It’s like going to the gym—getting into the routine takes some effort, but you just never regret a good workout. Soon you’ll be hooked and invigorated by the joy of allowing yourself to do something you truly love.
Start Small
It’s important to set realistic goals. Even the most joyful task will become a burden if it’s too unmanageable in size, and putting too much pressure on yourself defeats the whole purpose of a passion project. Set small goals that you can easily manage. Perhaps the small goals combined will contribute to your larger end goal. Just remember the journey is supposed to be fun too!
Personal Development
What if you don’t have a passion project, or know what your true calling is yet? Maybe you need to invest in yourself to find out by setting time aside for personal development. Similarly to a passion project, personal development is time you invest in yourself to explore which areas in your life you’d like to develop or improve, and to find a greater understanding of yourself, your goals and your quality of life.
Just like with your passion project, time is essential, and you should set aside enough time every day to reflect on your goals, your areas of improvement, and your successes. Make sure you learn something new regularly, whether it is furthering your education by a quick online course, reading a book, or starting a new hobby. Learning is good for your brain, and treating yourself kindly will also bring happiness and good health!
Another thing you might want to consider for your wellbeing is giving to others. Helping others is often considered a key to personal development in the long-term. Volunteer at a charity, or do a favor for a friend in need. The mere act of giving is both uplifting and empowering, and may be as good a way to start your journey of finding inspiration as any other, if not the most important of all.
Jason Galaif, aka The CPA Exam Guy, uses his experience to help others thrive when pursuing a career in accounting. He started his website to give tips and hacks to young professionals who need a little help passing their CPA Exam. He also uses his extensive experience and knowledge to review CPA study materials and offer insider tips in order to help would-be CPAs pass with as little effort and time as possible.
