Why it should still start with passion

Photo credit: Brandon Redfern

I love having a goal to shoot for. It gives me a reason to jump out of bed in the morning and get things done. Now, to be fair, I still have my good days and bad, just like everyone else. But for me, my life is about defining what I want, developing a plan to get there, and then passionately pursuing that goal. After all, if you’re not living a life full of passion, are you really living at all?

1. There’s only one guarantee in life

I’ve had some amazing opportunities in my life. Whether it was establishing a network of close friends around the world, or building relationships with powerful mentors, I’ve been able to live vicariously through others.

Life isn’t easy. Everything is a struggle (of varying degrees), but it’s the goal at the end that makes this thing we call life significantly more enjoyable.

Remember, the only guarantee in life is that one day, we will die. Other than that, what happens in life is totally up to you. Even the things that appear to be outside of your control give you an opportunity to decide how you will react.

2. Money buys opportunity

No, money doesn’t buy happiness.

But it does buy additional choices for you and your family. I can afford to work on projects that I’m passionate about, because I’ve carefully managed my personal finances. One of my goals was financial independence. I’m very close to hitting my goal, and I know that with a little more effort, I’ll be able to get there.

On my journey towards my goal of wealth creation, I’ve found that when I’m passionate about a project, the quality of my work greatly improves. The improved quality of my work results in satisfied clients, which lead to additional opportunities to sell my services.

And, you guessed it, having that financial cushion means that I am free to pass on the projects I’m just not passionate about.

3. Time is my most valuable resource

Looking back on the years spent investing in both my career and my family, I have a different appreciation for the value of my time. As I’ve grown older (and hopefully a little wiser), a quote from Oprah Winfrey has stuck with me:

Energy is the essence of life. Every day you decide how you’re going to use it by knowing what you want and what it takes to reach that goal, and by maintaining focus.

Maintaining a laser focus on what’s important to me allows me to budget my time wisely. It would be easy to follow every moment of inspiration and see where it leads, but in the end, you’ll find yourself chasing your tail and missing out on realizing your dreams.

4. Failure is the tuition fees paid to the school of life

I have yet to meet anyone that has never failed in their life.

5. Leading by example