Monetize Your Passion

I talk to so many people that are counting down the days until retirement. While I understand the concept, I find myself feeling sad for them. If you truly love what you do every day, in a sense, you are already retired.

I am fortunate to be passionate about my work. That’s no accident. It’s the byproduct of a conscious decision, extreme focus, discipline and drive. It hasn’t always been this way, but I’ve learned that if you truly want to monetize your passion, you must decide what you love to do professionally, figure out how you are going to get there, and execute every day until you’re doing it.

A very good friend of mine was in the corporate world for years and lost his passion for the business. He has always loved working with children and also happens to be a huge Rock and Roll fan. Today he is one of the most successful franchisees of The School of Rock–a music school for children that puts them into bands and teaches them to how to jam together. He identified his passion, figured out a way to monetize it, determined his plan for getting there, and executed every day.

So I ask you, are you passionate about your work? If not, what are you passionate about? Is there a way to monetize your passion? What’s stopping you from moving forward?

If you love what you do every day, you have the week off. For everyone else, decide how you can drive revenue from something you’re passionate about. Put a plan in place to make it happen and execute on your plan. It could be as simple as a subtle redirection in your company or industry. It could be as complex as building a new business from the ground up. It all begins with a decision and a plan to monetize your passion.