Every person sooner or later begins to ask questions: “What is my calling?” or “How to find something you like so that it brings maximum pleasure?” Some people already have a clear idea in which direction they should move from school. And for some, such a search continues almost their entire life.
There are people who, in despair, never find something they like, go with the flow, not enjoying their work. But it makes up a third of our lives. A person who regularly experiences stress at work and has no other positive activities in life risks seriously undermining his health and losing interest in everything around him.
What it is
This is any activity that brings pleasure, a sense of self-realization and other positive qualities. The work may be commercial or charitable, social and creative. But today I will talk about what also brings material benefits.
It is wrong to think that employment in someone else’s company is always a bad stage in life. Not all people are proactive and born with a calling to lead. Of the majority of smart, worthy employees, at least 50% will not be able to occupy leadership positions, but they are ideally suited to their place, become indispensable, and develop creatively and professionally.
For others, sitting in an office is contraindicated; it holds back their potential, opportunities and ambitions. But most of these individuals do not know how to find themselves in business in order to simultaneously realize themselves and not work at a loss. Non-profit activities – charity, creativity, social assistance – can also become a favorite activity. Initially, they were not created to receive money and other material benefits. But with the right approach, you can put each of these principles on the rails of business.
Example: Do you appreciate paintings and love to write? Exhibit your creativity in your own art gallery along with other emerging artists. This is both practical and consistent with the morality of art.
To summarize, “my favorite thing in life” is an activity that brings pleasure and does not make me want to leave my workplace as soon as possible. No chronic fatigue or autumn depression, only pleasant fatigue and a state of euphoria from the quality and quantity of work done. Women who have not found such a place, have not been able to realize themselves, very often cling to marriage and the birth of children as an attempt to leave an unloved office.
Copy-paste
Copying foreign analogues - this approach works great in Russia. The world is designed in such a way that the most successful ideas and business models are based on the needs of people, and the basic needs of people are the same everywhere. This means that if a business is popular in the USA, then with a high degree of probability it will be in demand in Russia. Successful examples of such a scheme include Groupon, KupiVIP, and Ostrovok. The latter borrowed the idea from Expedia and Booking. Of course, such a scheme also has its risks: one idea may take root, but another may not.
Still, local differences can have a significant impact on business, and a business model that is profitable in the United States may turn out to be unprofitable in Russia. For example, in the USA the state post office works well, and all e-commerce companies deliver through the post office. In Russia, we had to create our own delivery services. Another example is subscription services. In the US, people are used to signing up for monthly auto payments. In Russia, consumers usually do not want to set up automatic debiting from their cards for a long period of time. In addition, there are always implementation risks. Any successful business model can be ruined by poor implementation.
We at Travelata also took the path of copying, having noticed that package tours are selling well online in Germany and the UK. But everything turned out to be more complicated than we initially thought. The rate of transition of tour buyers from offline to online began to grow only in the last two years and increased from 1 to 5%. We still feel skepticism and mistrust of the Russian buyer towards online. People believe that if you look a travel agent in the eye, he will not deceive you, but online money goes into the unknown, and this is scary. Russia turned out to be not one market, but two: one is located in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and the second is in regions where people still make purchases online much less often than in the two capitals.
Is it worth changing your usual life?
Routine is addictive. Let's figure out why a person who is not in his place does not change it? Causes:
- Stability. This is the limit of comfort. The narrower it is, the more stable the individual’s position in society, in the family. The most non-deformable geometric figure in this matter is a point. This is complete staticity, the absence of any actions or actions. But the narrower this circle, the fewer opportunities there are, including evading the blows of fate. We conclude: a stable position is an imaginary self-confidence, it is also shaky (you can be fired and other changes), but it limits you.
- Fear of change. What if it gets worse? Indeed, not every attempt ends in success, but in most cases it largely depends on the mood, confidence, and motivation. Fear paralyzes, makes you inactive, amorphous. But if you go with the flow, you will never gain more strength to resist the movement of the river.
- Family, friends, colleagues will not understand and will not support. Here a reasonable question arises - why do you need people around you and loved ones who value you only as a workhorse, but will not provide support when trying to become happier and will not tell you how to find what you like to do? Often this is a selfish friendship, based not on shared happiness, but on an attempt to feel more confident than a friend.
- Material instability. Many changes require financial security. If you are confident in your undertaking, you can take out a loan to develop your business or save in advance for start-up capital for several months.
All these reasons are fictitious. Each of the problems can be easily solved if the necessary incentive is provided. If you dare to change your usual life, you will no longer fear for changes, lack of money and support from loved ones. You will feel that your comfort boundaries are becoming wider every day. This means that practically nothing can unsettle you.
Recommended books
Once you want to build your life according to your own rules, the chain of events is built in the most necessary way.
Famous writer Barbara Sher
has published several masterpieces on the topic of self-development and search for purpose. How to find something you like is the main theme of her books. “I refuse to choose” - I read it from cover to cover.
At one time I really liked the training book “ The Artist’s Way”
”, containing 12 chapters.
Author: Julia Cameron
. It can bring you out of an unsuccessful period of life and restore your creative path through the practical tasks described in this book.
I can advise with a clear conscience, because I completed all the tasks during 3 months of reading during breaks at a hired job, which I soon left without regrets.
I will reveal only one of the strong tasks - this is a creative date with yourself once a week. I still practice it now - I love being in a bookstore with a reading room, drinking cocoa and enjoying new bestsellers on self-development and business literature, or walking around the city at night with a camera.
How to choose and find your life's work
Think you're on the right track, but aren't sure? There are traits that distinguish a person who is passionate about his favorite activity:
Psychologist Daria Milai
Make an appointment
- The opportunity to devote the maximum amount of time to your hobby. Such people combine business with pleasure, benefit from every day, and are ready to spend hours on end understanding the desired topic without experiencing fatigue or weariness. Time flies very quickly.
- Full concentration. Nothing can distract you from doing your favorite work - neither sounds nor strangers. A person is maximally immersed in an activity and can do it in any conditions.
- Searching for something new, expanding your skills. Self-improvement is the key to success, professional growth and increased self-esteem. If you are ready to take additional courses on the topic, read literature, learn more information, this means that you have understood how to do what you love.
- Constant emotional upsurge. Every accomplishment brings a charge of positive emotions. It may be fatigue, but it does not mean that the person has “exhausted” - he still has many ideas, plans, plans.
At the same time, it should be a profitable hobby. At first, any undertaking can go into the red - you will need funds to open a business, purchase equipment, inventory, pay for training, but then profit will become one of the indicators of success.
Entrepreneurs are not born
Many motivational coaches cite Richard Branson's phrase as an example: “To hell with everything - get out there and do it!” I believe that it is misleading and leads to mistakes, and costly ones at that. Yes, indeed, the most important thing in entrepreneurship is action. Businesses are not born on their own; they are created. However, it is worth remembering that Branson began doing business at the age of 16, and when he came to success, he had solid experience behind him. Why not say honestly that running a business requires skills in financial management, working with people, and sales? People often think that if they have worked in a large company, then, thanks to their experience, everything will come naturally.
Imagine that you suddenly take up boxing. Are you ready to start competing in the ring against professionals in the first week? I think not, because there is a risk of getting hit on the head. In business, in the same way, you can quickly and seriously get screwed if you do not fully master the basic business skills, but for some reason many people forget about this. My recommendation: if you want to be an entrepreneur, go work with entrepreneurs, but immediately act and think like an entrepreneur, and not like an employee. Take responsibility for the result and constantly perform as many tasks as possible from various areas of the business, without becoming a narrow specialist. Insist on feedback and do not forget about feedback on your part in order to better understand the decisions and actions of your mentors.
- Business for dummies: what a budding entrepreneur should not forget
How to find your favorite job - 8 proven methods
Search is not an easy task. Sometimes it can be long, especially for those who do not have a hobby. Most likely, you have a talent or predisposition for something, but you haven’t looked for it. I suggest several exercises that will help you.
No. 1: Voice your desires
Take a piece of paper, set aside an hour of free time and list 100 points. Each of them should contain one of your “wants” - small or large. From “bake a three-tier cake” to “conquer all of South America on a bicycle.”
Then gradually highlight your most cherished dreams, reduce them to 3 or 5. These desires will show you what exactly inspires you and gives you pleasure. Parse them into their components and note what steps can be taken in this direction, related professions. For example, a love of travel goes well with opening a travel agency.
#2: You are a millionaire
Visualize the situation - you have received a million-dollar inheritance or a lottery win. To understand how to choose your favorite business, answer three questions:
- What will you do, what purchases will you make, what will be your primary activity?
- What will you give up? From boring work or worries around the house?
- What will you not give up even if you get rich? For example, never give up cooking or knitting sweaters for your household.
I suggest writing down the answers. Often the first and last have several similar points. Perhaps they will help you find the right path.
#3: Analyze your queries
Most often, we share secret desires with our personal computer. We look at websites on a specific topic. For example, if 50-60 percent of open pages are about fashion and clothing, then you have a talent for modeling outfits, accessories, and shoes.
Also view contextual advertising topics. Typically, search engines select online banners that match your regular requests.
#4: Look to yourself, not others
Often, when asking a question to loved ones, we expect a certain answer in advance and get upset when we receive the opposite. The very formulation of the phrase prompts the first reaction, which arises not after analysis or reasoning, but at the level of emotions.
I suggest keeping a diary and writing down questions and then conclusions. For example:
- Do I love my job?
- Why is it so important for me to do what I love?
- What do I do best?
#5: Try something new
Not all activities are on the surface. Sometimes they need to be sorted out. Start attending courses and master classes that you have long wanted, but never got around to. During your visit, “try on” new responsibilities to the extent you like them. If the idea is uninteresting, without regret, part with it. The most cherished desires that you could not refuse will remain.
No. 6: Children's role-playing games and hobbies
Remember or ask your parents what your favorite activities and toys were in your childhood - drawing and coloring, kitchen utensils, or helping your mother make cookies. Often our dreams arise during the period of development and personality formation.
No. 7: How to find a profitable activity for yourself: evaluate your life
Close all gadgets, turn off the TV, be alone with yourself and your own memories. Write down your achievements, actions, pleasant moments and events on a piece of paper. What you are proud of, what brought you positive emotions. And then assign points to each fact - from 1 to 10. This will give you the opportunity to understand what you love most.
Example: Did you enjoy preparing for your own wedding? Could you make other families happy by organizing celebrations?
#8: Break your skills and abilities into three columns
Make a table and enter true information in each column. Then analyze the sub-points, if they are repeated in all three, great. But sometimes you can find related activities, such as “talking to people” and “writing articles,” that will make an excellent journalist. Below we present an approximate table of how to find an interesting activity for yourself.
Questions to help in your search
| What am I doing great? | What do I like to do? | Skills from the second column. |
| I'm cooking. | Learn something new. | Use the acquired knowledge. |
| I delegate powers - I give instructions. | To communicate with people. | Win the favor of your interlocutors. |
| I save, I calculate any budget. | Prepare | Prepare. |
Ask a question
A simple analysis allows you to understand that your area of interest is cooking. Plus, there are good management data, so you can safely think about opening a cafe or restaurant.
Pros and cons of starting your own business
Before you do what you love, invest capital and open a business, you need to know about all its pros and cons.
Any activity has positive sides. Here are the advantages that your business has:
- You work for yourself and you don’t have a boss who dictates your requirements;
- Only you develop a strategy for your business and direct it in the right direction;
- You select personnel and create a team with which you are comfortable working;
- You work where it is convenient for you (at home, in rented premises, etc.);
- The amount of income depends on you. The more you work, the better your business develops, the higher your material well-being.
Also, the future manager needs to know about the negative aspects of his own business:
- In case of failure, all responsibility falls on you;
- The risk of organizing your business incorrectly and being left with nothing is quite high;
- An incorrectly selected business idea can lead to failure, and this most often leads to the loss of the initial investment.
Everything in life has pros and cons, but you shouldn't pay too much attention to it. In times of doubt, be guided by the expression “He who loves business, life is sweet,” then all fears will dissipate.
Advice for those who are looking for an interesting business
Answer five “Whys?” A good example.
I want a fur coat:
- Why do I want her? So that those around you will be surprised.
- Why do I need to surprise others? Because they don't notice me.
- Why do I need everyone's attention? I feel insecure.
- Why did the uncertainty arise? I was not fulfilled in life.
- Why did this happen? My job doesn't suit me.
Conclusion - I need to change my activity, and why do I need a fur coat? This shows that we are looking for answers not at the root of the problem, but at the top. My recommendation is to get to the root of the discontent and find ways to correct it.
Why do people do things they don't like?
There are several reasons for this phenomenon:
- Other people's attitudes are taken as personal. In many families, children are taught from an early age about their future profession. If there are hereditary activities, then the child is usually inclined towards them. But you may not like the “imposed” work, so it is important to take into account personal desire.
- Physical data and abilities are not taken into account. Among the athletes, coaches select the best, but in ordinary life it is easy to make mistakes. Often difficult physical work with a fragile physique is a threat to health.
- The most difficult path is chosen. Many people act on the principle: do not look for easy ways. But then you can go astray from the happy path using your setup.
- Initial skills are not taken into account. It is much easier to choose an interesting business if you have been doing it since childhood. And mastering a prestigious profession will take more time.
- Fear of change. In this case, life may not be interesting. Therefore, it is important to eliminate the fear of change, otherwise doing what you love will only be a dream.
How to find your interest in life and make your business successful
Any business is based on the following stages:
- The emergence of an idea. This should be a unique selling proposition, that is, a service/product that has its own flavor and difference.
- First try. Before investing money and development, you should test it - advertise, advertise, if there are responses, then it is in demand.
- Make a plan. He must take into account the strategy of behavior with clients, promotion methods, estimates for monthly expenses, profit estimates, and possible force majeure.
- Constantly develop yourself. If you have recouped the initial costs, add new services, open more outlets - do not stop with what you have.
Eternal Needs
One of the key questions that needs to be answered is: “What basic consumer needs does my business idea fill?” The fact is that trends in the modern world are short-term and you need to constantly adapt to them, but basic needs do not change. We see that now everyone uses mobile applications, and after some time, for example, holograms will appear that will broadcast images directly to the brain, and the trend will change. However, the need for communication between people and the need to be accepted in the company of other people is eternal. To identify the basic needs, it is worth considering another question: “Why will my business be in demand in 10–20 years?” For example, the desire of consumers to save money and receive quality service will remain unchanged. As Jeff Bezos said: “I can’t imagine that in 20 years my clients will say - your service is great, but could you raise your prices a little, otherwise it’s too cheap.” Therefore, from the very beginning, Amazon relied on the lowest prices.
Having answered all the questions listed above, you can proceed to choosing a niche. Let's look at a few of the most common types of businesses.
Types of hobbies
In general, hobbies are divided into 3 groups:
- Sport. It includes active activities - from skydiving to dancing. Each person is attracted to their own sports. This could be running, swimming, alpine skiing, yoga, fencing, horse riding, Nordic walking. Your favorite sport will definitely bring positive emotions.
- Creation. If you are attracted to quiet activities at home, then this type of hobby is perfect. Master classes are organized in almost every city. When visiting them, you can determine whether this type of creativity is suitable or not. You can take classes in painting, pottery, cutting and sewing, and knitting. Some people are attracted to beadwork, painting objects, and wool felting. Handcrafted items delight and bring joy.
- Interesting activities. If you are interested in practicing your skills and communicating with new people, then you can enroll in a photography school. These can also include courses in acting and public speaking, which can help you get rid of embarrassment and find new friends. Interesting activities include language and music courses.
These types of hobbies are great for any age. There would be a desire to do them. For many people, interesting activities have improved their well-being. But for this, a hobby must inspire, bring only positive emotions, and eliminate negativity.
The benefits of having something you love
When a person has a favorite activity, he:
- there is an idea, a goal, aspiration;
- a charge of positive energy, enthusiasm, activity is felt;
- there is pleasure from the result and the activity itself;
- there is a desire to work, so the process will be fast, high-quality and effective;
- the important need for self-realization is satisfied;
- fatigue decreases, stress is overcome more easily;
- cheerfulness and happiness appear;
- the skills of an expert in your field appear;
- there is a feeling of interest in life and faith in strength.
