Finding Zen in the City

Honest--and sometimes comical--daily stories of reflection and inspiration.

by Ilana Donna Arazie

Turn Your Passion into to a Paycheck

Love what you do for a living.

Published on May 15, 2010 by Ilana Donna Arazie in Finding Zen in the City

I’ve got a new video out about turning your passion into a paying gig. To promote it, I visited Sirius radio station offices (just minutes after Jessica Simpson left the building, ho hum), and spent time with career coach and Martha Stuart radio show host Maggie Mistal.

Maggie was there with another career coach, Nancy Anderson, who penned the book Work with Passion: How to Do What You Love for a Living.

Here are a few tips she broke down for me (and all of you!):

Finding your passion is like marriage—not a hot date. It takes time to find and grow. (Ain’t that the truth!)
To figure out your passion, ask yourself: What would you sit around and do for free? (G-rated answers only, please!)
Pay attention to the activities you enjoy, but others might think is hard work. Are you an organizer? Can you whip up a matzah ball soup like nobody’s mother?

Your passion comes from your feelings. We’re all so in our heads, we don’t usually know how we feel. Well, except for that time each month when we women need you to step away from the premises so no one will get hurt.

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Nancy also pointed out that our fear of money stops us from pursuing our passions. We have old, extreme beliefs handed down from our grandparents (who lived in the depression years, remember?) that we will be destitute if we do what we love. But come on, people! That can’t really happen. That’s what living in Queens is for! The right niche and path for us is profitable.

Check out my “From Passion to Paycheck” video here. And on May 26, I'm hosting a "Turn Your Passion into Your Paycheck" panel discussion with five great career coaches. If you're nearby, join us!