Having multiple hobbies can be a good thing and a bad thing. When you're interested in many subjects, you tend to have a vast knowledge. But where can it lead us if we can't decide what we should do with our life?

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I know many people who have a diploma in a specific field but decided that the job did not suit them. You need to have the courage to admit to yourself that it is not for you. It is never too late to switchgear and takes another path. Pursuing your passion is the most beautiful decision you can take for yourself and your life.

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Look at it from a different perspective. How do you know for sure that the person you are going to marry is THE one? There is no correct answer to this question. You simply know. Some were right, and they're still married. Others failed and got divorced, but did their life stopped? No, many of them got married again, and they're blooming.

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The point is, no matter what age and no matter what background you have, it is never too late to either switch your career or start what you're genuinely passionate about.

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Last but not least, how I found the balance between my hobbies and my job. I will share how I discovered my true passion that even I did not notice it. The power of what other people can teach you is incredible.

Determine your true passion

Have you ever known someone who wanted so badly to become a professional athlete but failed? Are you one of them? For me, I wasn't, but I dreamed about it for sure. 

There is a massive gap between being talented and being coachable. You can be the more passionate person about a specific sport but won't ever have the capabilities to become one of the elite—wrong timing, lousy coach, injuries, etc. Who the hell am I to tell you that? Nobody, everyone is different. Dedication beats anything. But, we sometimes hit a wall, and we need to get the evidence that we need to take another path.

Having a passion is not sufficient when you don't have the skills that come with it. Hear me out, you may think that you know what your passion is, and you were doing everything in your power to make it your dream job. The real question is, are you fulfilled? 

Are you enjoying doing what you're doing? If the answer is no, you need to wake up and ask yourself the right questions. You may not notice, but it can lead you to a hole. See for yourself. Some people think their true "passion" is trading, sports betting, or even crypto. Is everyone making a living from it? Probably not. The ego and "the if they did it, I can do it too" can bring you down like never before.

Is your passion aligned with what you studied in your life? Not everyone took the path to please themselves. The sad reality is that many people become or want to become doctors, lawyers, and dentists because of their parents. 

You find yourself working in a job you don't enjoy, and you become stressed with almost everything: depression, anxiety, insomnia, and so on. For god sake Imed, just tell me how I find my true passion. Sorry, I'll stop bs'ing, but I think it was necessary to address this matter.

Finding my true passion was not an easy task. Since my teens, I have loved drawing, mangas, photoshopping. As I became older, my passion shifted toward online business. I was only interested in this subject and forgot almost anything. I'm still interested in many topics, but I stay focused on what matters to me. 

If I knew that I could monetize my passion for drawing in the long term, I would've never looked in another direction. How? Youtube, drawing lessons, affiliate marketing. Without notice, this is how I found my true passion; TEACHING.

I looked in the wrong direction and did not conduct my research the right way. I was only chasing the fast money, it was in front of me the whole time, but I passed by. 

Your passion can be in front of you the entire time. I mean, your TRUE passion, what can you talk about for countless hours without being bored? It can be one, two, or even more than three. But one of them will always beat them.

Here is what I'm passionate about and how it translated to my true identity:

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1. Drawing: Translated to logos design
2. Mangas: Translated to learning Japanese
3. Basketball: Translated to become very disciplined

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I can talk about every subject mentioned above for hours without being bored. One thing in common amongst all of them is, teaching it. I loved it. Seeing the progress of someone who took your advice is an incredible feeling. 

Up until now, I have been an aspiring Educator. Starting my blog called "The Knowledge Booster" is one of many upcoming projects regarding my chosen path. But how can you live off your passion? We will cover this a little bit further down this article.

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Hobbies are important

Hobbies can sometimes transform into your full-time job. I presume this is the dream of everyone, why some people got their "lucky chance" and became influencers—young tik toker's making hundreds of thousands of dollars every month. I guess that not everyone has this "lucky chance," but you can work your way up to it.

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Instead of hoping to get lucky, focus on doing baby steps, from hobby to side hustle, and from side hustle to a full-time job. You start a YouTube channel vlogging your life, you start making passive income with affiliate marketing, and now you are doing more than your actual job. Another example can be a graphic designer working in an agency, doing side gigs on illustrations. From a side hustle, his demand expanded and required his full-time and energy.

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I have soo many examples. I can write a whole article about side-hustles. The possibilities are endless, so don't jump to a conclusion, a hobby is something we do because we love it and don't expect any money from it. But don't underestimate what it can bring you to the table.

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Distinguish your hobbies from your job 

As I mentioned before, if you have the wrong passion, it can drain your energy and even bring you to a hole. How can you distinguish between your hobbies and your potential future job?

Make a list of all your hobbies and see if they can bring you an income. Let's take mine as an example:

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1. Drawing: Selling art, become an illustrator or logo designer
2. Mangas: If I don't become a mangaka, I don't think it's a possibility. Although, a youtube channel or a review website about mangas can bring an income if consistency is applied.
3. Learning: Yes, it is a hobby, and teaching what you learn is a possibility for an income.
4. Basketball: Not possible, don't fool yourself. Not everyone can become an elite athlete.
5. Cooking: A YouTube channel about cooking for beginners, catering service as a side-hustle.
6. Reading books: Writing reviews about books that I read, earn a small commission from affiliate marketing

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These are only my hobbies. Things that I'm interested in are all over the place. I struggled between design and development. Later on, I became very interested in marketing. I needed to put myself together to find clarity in what I love. 

I asked myself one question: If I had the choice between being a designer or a developer and I would've been paid the same salary, which job would I have chosen? It was clear to me. What is crazy is, no-code development took a spike, and it was a no-brainer. I can design And Develop at the same time, but wait, what about marketing? I looked everywhere at how I could combine marketing and design. That is when I discovered brand strategy. Everything aligned perfectly together! It was only later on that I noticed that I loved teaching and decided to take action.

I distinguished my hobbies from what can become a job. Every hobby can become a side-hustle later on. Do this exercise, and you may find your clarity.

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How to decide

To begin with, what are your deciding factors. Are you looking for salary, peace of mind, or experience? If you're pursuing your passion, money cannot be your deciding factor. But don't under evaluate yourself, study the competition, and talk about money. I always put mental health over salary, and again pursuing your passion is not only a beautiful thing every day. There are some challenges, mistakes, and lessons down the road.

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Learning from some else's mistakes is the best thing you can do before choosing your career amongst the many things you're interested in. It can help you decide if it will suit you or not.

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I have always been freelance, I learned the hard way, and the fact is, I'm still learning, but I'm doing everything by myself, finding clients, creating content, and performing. It is not easy to do, I can guarantee you that, but this makes me happy, that's what it is all about.

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The sweet spot

Doing everything at the same time is not the way to go. You are learning this and that, wanting to do this and that. You can't succeed and won't last long in that way. 

Finding your sweet spot is technically aligning what you can mix between your hobbies and your job to make a living off it. You probably encountered some people who have their primary job and are earning income, being YouTubers, podcasters, or even writers on the side. The possibilities are endless, take a hobby you're GOOD at. Don't let the triple P's paralyze you; Procrastination, Perfectionism, and Paralysis by analysis.

As of now, I'm not earning a dime from any of my hobbies. Maybe I will, or perhaps I won't. The reality is I don't care. I'm pursuing my true passion, which is teaching, and if it helps only one person, I'm genuinely happy with that.

Are you fulfilled with your job? Are you planning to switch, or have you already changed your career? I am very interested in knowing more, don't hesitate to connect with me and share your story.

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