WHAT WOULD YOU HAPPILY DO FOR FREE?

Struggling to find your true passion? Think of it like this

The idea that you should do what you love is irresistible. Especially if you’ve worked for years doing something you no longer love, and yearn for a sense of true fulfilment. But what if you don’t know what your true passion is?

As Matt from Proof Branding says “It’s because we get hung up on one thing: Money. We’re afraid of it. We’re downright terrified of it. And it warps us into believing that “fun” and “passion” are lightyears away from “profit”. But that line of thinking is out of order. If you’re stifling your ideas and passions based on the potential paycheck, they’ll likely never see the light of day”.

So ask yourself what you would do if money were no object. How would you spend your time? What do you love doing so much that you’d do it without expecting payment? Think about the things you often do – or long to do more of – in your free time. Advising friends, helping out in your community, sharing your expertise, creating or growing beautiful things… What comes naturally to you? What do you enjoy so much you’d do it for free?

If it’s still a struggle to pin down what you love, keep a ‘what do I love?’ list in a notebook, and add to it every time you get that joyful feeling that comes from doing something that has meaning for you. It could be an afternoon of crafting, creating or gardening. It could be helping teens write their CVs in a local school, or browsing vintage markets, or upcycling an unloved old chair. It could be brainstorming funding-raising ideas for a friend’s charity. Or just being in an environment that reminds you of a cherished period of your life, an activity that made you truly happy. Whenever you get that buzz of excitement, write it down on your ‘what do I love?’ list.

Do any particular themes keep emerging? After a while, you should get an idea of what you love so much that you’d do it for free, that you’d work tirelessly to achieve. Now think about how you could monetise this. Perhaps as a little side hustle. Perhaps just to cover your costs, at least just to start with. But could this passion turn into a new way of earning a living? It’s certainly worth exploring – because doing something that has real meaning for you, that gets you out of bed with a spring in your step, instead of a sense of dread, pays in more ways than one.

Words: Marina Gask, Audrey co-founder and copywriter.