Why people don’t make a living doing what they love

You’ve seen it before: people who make a hullabaloo about
following their dreams and then end up broke, busted and
disgusted. If this has made you put your own dreams on
hold, here are 5 reasons why most people fail and how to
avoid making those same mistakes as you strive to make a
living doing what you love.

1.They don’t carve out their own niche- Many aspiring
singers fail for instance, because they’re too busy trying
to become the next Kelly Clarkson, James Brown or Michael
Jackson. Same thing goes for wannabe models, writers and
business people. Does the world really need what it already
has? Stop trying to clone somebody else, learn from
successful people by all means but project your uniqueness
too. On a sheet of paper list your talents, hobbies, life
experiences, educational background and practical skills.
Can you infuse your culture into your work? For instance
American author, Amy Tan, has made a fortune writing
stories about the trials and triumphs of Chinese
immigrants. If she’d tried to become the next Joan Collins
she would have failed to convince her audience. Think, ‘how
can my life experiences, education and practical skills
contribute toward creating my desired lifestyle?’
Thoughtfully write down the answers to these questions. If
you require further insight, get some feedback from family
and friends. Work with what you’ve got- it’s more than
enough.

2. They don’t perfect their craft- You’d be surprised how
many times an actor rehearses for a single movie scene or
how many times a writer has to proofread a manuscript. Some
dreamers think that raw talent will fetch them a fortune
overnight. When crude oil is drilled out of the earth’s
crust is it supplied to gas stations right away? No one
shells out their hard earned money to amateurs. Work on
your skills so that you can compete with the best in the
world. Get a guru to mentor you, enrol in a refresher
course or practice devotedly. The more you work at your
craft, the better it’ll become and the more remuneration
you can command for what you do. Strive for excellence if
you want to make a living doing what you love.

3. They don’t establish demand- Many dreamers assume that
there is an instant market for the products and services
they aim to provide. If you plan to make a living doing
what you love, don’t make assumptions- do some market
research. Is there really a demand for your homemade
scented candles? Will people outside of Hollywood queue up
to buy your doggie haute couture? Test the waters
thoroughly before stepping out of the boat. Hand out
questionnaires to friends and neighbours, visit local shops
and find out what sort of items sell best. Read newspapers
and learn to spot and analyse emerging trends. Think big by
all means but if you don’t start small you may well be
sorry.

4. They don’t sell to persistent needs- You don’t want to
invest precious time and money crafting a product, only to
find out that demand isn’t steady. You want the need (for
whatever you plan to sell) to be as regular as your utility
bill. One can’t go wrong in the food industry for instance
because whatever happens people have to eat and in order to
serve their customers, cooks have to buy crockery from the
manufacturing industry. People who eat also have to
defecate at some point and that’s where toilet roll
production comes in. Think strategically. Seek to meet a
genuinely pressing need or at least have the ability to
convince your target audience that they can’t do without
your offering. Again, determine persistent needs and sell
accordingly.

5. They give up too soon- If it was that easy then everyone
would make a living doing what they love. A lot of people
have failed not because they weren’t talented enough but
because they gave up way too soon. Is your dream worth
waiting for? Are you willing to leave (and stay outside)
your comfort zone or endure rejection for the sake of what
you want to accomplish? Can you really bear to live your
life burdened with the pain of unfulfilled dreams?
Sylvester Stallone endured poverty and abuse in his
childhood. It is said that Sylvester was often beaten up by
his father and advised to develop his body as he had no
brains. Stallone struggled as an actor for many years but
one day whilst watching a Mohammed Ali boxing match, he was
inspired to write the script for the movie ‘Rocky’. He
finished the script in less than a week and peddled it to
producers demanding that he be cast in the lead role. His
persistence paid off and today ‘Rocky’ (asides earning Sly
millions of dollars) has become one of the most loved
American movies of all time.

You can take the word ‘starving’ out of starving artist,
you can turn any hobby, habit, skill or craft into a decent
livelihood. Bored with your day job? You can change that.
Perhaps you’ve got children and want flexible work that
allows you to be the best parent you can be? Create it.
Want some extra income on the side? Go for it. There’s no
better motivator than satisfying work. So long as you avoid
common mistakes like these, you too can make a living doing
what you love.

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Ọgọ Ọgbata is a writer, speaker and
founder of http://www.creativityandsense.com -the number
one website for those who want to make a living doing what
they love. A lifestyle expert, she empowers people to
create more fulfilling lives by discovering, developing and
harnessing their many talents. Visit her site right away
for a variety of helpful articles, FREE resources and
specialist business tools.