Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Hi Everyone,

The question of the post is what prevents you from pursuing your passion. In other words, what are the obstacles that stand in your way of doing what you really love, all the time?

I ask this because I am in the process of writing a book that aims to help young, aspiring people find a path to a fulfilling and meaningful career.

Posting on forums is just one of the many ways I am conducting research. I will also be traveling the country this summer to survey over a thousand college students, and to interview over 200 passionate professionals about their career path.

Any insight on this topic would be appreciated. If your reply fits into the context of a chapter I`m writing, you`ll get a shot out in the book (with your permission).

Thanks!

I`d say the single biggest obstacle is money. I don`t mean tons of money or an investment. Right now, on my fifth career, writing this time, I`ve learned that I want to do something very original. I also have learned that I can`t be too distracted by the eventual use or sale of what I write.

To that end, I want to write only what I want to write. That takes two things. One is the time to write. The other is having a calm enough mind to "see" the wholeness of what I`m writing so it makes sense.

The problem is having limited money at any given time, and all the ensuing worries about bills and daily living. It`s the same problem for countless other people who want to quit their job and start their business.

Yes, there are problems of finding investment and startup capital, but that`s not what I mean by money. I mean the day-to-day maintenance of food, clothing, and shelter.

Hundreds of years ago artists tended to live through benefactors. Those were usually "patrons of the arts," being wealthy aristocrats. In a democratic, free-market society, there aren`t so many of those avenues. The problem then becomes working for a living, to pay for the money to build the business.

In the music industry I chose to play cover material to make the daily bread. But that led to a never-ending postponment of writing original material, and a fear of taking the risk to play original material in a standard niteclub. So the originals didn`t get written, and it ended up basically a factory job...playing the piano.

This time, I understand I can split the "passion" into smaller components. So instead of writing an entire book all in one continuous segment, I do what I can with notes, chapters, outlines, and parts of the book. It`ll take longer, but at least I see ongoing progress.

I think fear is the greatest obstacle to overcome. Fear of not having enough money, or the fear of not "making it" may inhibit someone from starting their own business, or fear of the unknown may inhibit someone from taking chances. Either way (or in many other ways), without fear, we wouldn`t worry so much about the potential  consequences of pursuing our passions. 

Fantastic responses!  Keep them coming...

i was going to say fear of the unknown. but emilyp beat me to it. for me i would have to say not willing to take the chance and suffer failure at whatever it is you`re doing. i know that edison went through hundreds of filament choices for the light bulb before he found one that works. most people including myself probably would have stopped after about 10, but he kept working at it til he got it right.

most successful people i know have not let failure get in their way of success.

 

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No Eternal Reward Will Forgive Us Now for Wasting the Dawn.

For myself, I`m not all that afraid of failure.  I`ve failed at several things in business and in life.  It`s not easy but it`s also not a big deal.  I just pick myself up and move on the best I can!

I`d have to say passion gets in the way of my pursuit of passion.  I often find that I have too many passions going on at once.  It`s a focus issue for me.  I do get easily distracted I admit but the result isn`t a lack of productivity, rather over-productivity.  I work on this project, on that business, on another thing, mixed in with the kind of active recreation I am passionate about and the result is often feeling overwhelmed.  I dream of the days when I only have one business to focus on but I even wonder if that will ever come.

Steve,
I`d rephrase that to "lack of focus." Too often people think a lack of focus means having no specific ideas, no particular plan, or no goal. But it can just as easily be exactly what you just described---so many ideas, it`s hard to stay focused and follow through on one particular idea. :-)

Per Txbassguy, I`d also say that for the purposes of categorization, "fear of taking a chance" would be more easily listed under "risk" and fear of risks. Some people call it "risk aversion," or being "risk averse."

I did say it was a focus issue.  And while I did describe a "lack of focus", I preferred to stress my level of productivity.  Like you say, people often think of lack of focus as having no goals OR I will add in relation to that, being lazy.  But one can have great goals but still be unproductive and not follow through.  I wanted to make the point that I do follow through as well.  It`s just an unfocused follow-through.  :)

Yup....you made the point well, and I particularly like the link between lack of focus and laziness. Too many people make that connection, and it`s not valid. It`s like saying that a kid who needs glasses is "dumb" because they can`t read, although nobody`s figured out yet that they can`t see the words.

The other point is more sophisticated---being unproductive and its connection with not pursuing a passion. I think most of us have a very basic sense that effort should produce results. Yet how often does an entrepreneur exert a tremendous amount of effort, only to see no results at all.

There`s the short-term and long-term, and it takes some getting used to, where it comes to understanding long-term pay-offs, and investment of energy. I wonder how many entrepreneurs don`t pursue their passion simply because it`s taking too long to see viable results?

I agree with Craig. My business doesn`t need startup capital, but I personally need income to live on while I get things established and to the point of having a livable income. So I work on the business startup in my spare time while I continue working, which really slows the process down :) But although it`s slowing the process, it`s not preventing it. I`m moving forward, encouraged by Jeff, Rich, the StartupNation community and podcasts, and any other entrepreneural-minded people I can learn from and interact with.

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Brian O`Keefe
Web Designer & Writer @ YiNZCO
Athlete & T-Shirt Guy @ STR!VE NATiON