Turn your passion into a payday
John Strelecky knows a bit about taking risks. At the height of his career as a strategy consultant in 2002, he quit his job.
“I was on track to be partner and all was going great, but it wasn’t making me happy,” said Strelecky, author of two bestselling books, The Why Cafe and The Big Five For Life. “Nothing was spectacular. So I decided to take my wife backpacking around the world for a year.”
Strelecky returned with a new perspective and the realization that life was too short to be apathetic about your work.
“The average person spends about 28,500 days on the planet, so you have to ask yourself, ‘What am I going to do while I’m here?’” Strelecky said. “It’s a rare ‘A-ha!’ moment when you realize you get to pick.”
Strelecky now coaches others to discover their Purpose For Existing, or PFE. To get started, he has people write down the five things they’re most passionate about (he calls them the big five for life) and then begin taking daily actions in line with those passions. Those actions can be as simple as watching a video or taking a lesson, Strelecky said — and that helps retrain the brain to understand that doing what you love can be a part of everyday life.
“Culturally there is a perception you cannot do what you love and be successful,” Strelecky said. “This ties into one of the most basic fears we have: The big fear that we will someday be living under a bridge … But you and I can both go on Google and find 20 people who are doing it successfully.”
Here are some of Strelecky’s tips to discovering your passions and changing your life:
Interview yourself: “Everyone knows their PFE, but the trick is to move it from your subconscious to your conscious,” he said. “So ask yourself, what are your three favourite movies of all time and why? The answer to this will tell you a lot about your passions for life. Another question is, ‘If I had $300 and could spend it any way I want to, what would I do with it?’
“When you start getting things on your list, ask yourself, ‘Would I still want to do this if I only had six months to live?’ If the answer is ‘No,’ it’s probably not part of your core values so you can take it off your list.”
Discover your assets: “Everyone has something they bring to the table,” he said. “Maybe you have a house you need to rent. Do you have a nice voice for radio? Are you a natural on TV or talking in front of people? I have a friend who looks like Paula Abdul and she gets booked to do these spoof reality shows.”
Don’t put it off: “People say it’s like a bucket list. The difference is we don’t need to be diagnosed with a terminal illness to start doing this,” Strelecky said. “Why not live large and do the things that give you joy now?”