F E A T U R E   A R T I C L E: 
Find Your Entrepreneurial Passion

10 Great Tips to the Life You Really Want!  Angela Woo (c)

Seeking your passion is just another way of saying this life is not a dress-rehearsal, I want my life's work to have meaning and I want to  enjoy what I do. 
Try these 10 Great Tips to Create the Life You Really Want:

1. LISTEN TO YOUR HEART. We all have dreams.  Do you shrug it off as just a fantasy?  How wonderful would it be to do what you love and earn a living doing it.  Will you regret it?  How much will that regret hurt?  Do you want to hurt?  Do you listen to the little voice inside - your critic saying how hard it will be or how embarrassing if you fail? - Don't!  Few of us will look back and wish we had not tried to fulfill a dream.  If you are dissatisfied with your day job and yearn to do more you have a right to follow your entrepreneurial passion.  Take the plunge.

2. FOCUS ON WHAT YOU WANT. Many of us spend our time in a negative mindset.  We focus on what dissatisfies us instead of what we desire.  This starts early - look at how a child will sit at the table and say "I don't like green beans or this soup is cold".  Practice focusing on what you do want.  Make lists, keep a tape recorder handy. when you read an article, book or see a picture and you feel your heart race or your interest grabbed - become attentive.  What was it that inspired you?  Try to analyze what gave you the feeling.  Wouldn't it be great to continue to have that feeling - passion.  The next time you are distracted with the annoyance of meaningless work, office politics, or someone telling you what to do -- start with a positive picture of what you DO want. A small amount of time spent visualizing what you want and fashioning a plan to get there will move you far closer to your goal than 30 minutes of complaining.

3. GET GOING. This tip is to do it.  If it was easy anyone could do it.  We also would not have so many work drones. Why wait for someone to tell you that you are not suited for the job your in.  If this is true - do yourself a favor and be honest.  Entrepreneurs who love what they do are more apt to be successful.

4. FEEL THE FEAR.  In her book Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, Susan Jeffers says IT is what scares you -- and, ultimately, what's holding you back from going after your dream. When you finally decide to take control of your own life - oh no.  Who do you have to blame?  This also means taking full responsibility for both success and failure.  Many women are afraid of success.  They have been trained to function in a supportive role.  To be a president, founder, director - is quite frankly a bit scary.  Indulge in your worst-case fantasy. How hard was it?  Did you see your name in print?  You are now on Oprah being interviewed.  You survived.  Figure out why you have these fears and work hard to rid yourself of these feelings. 

5. NOBODY GETS RICH OVERNIGHT. Okay some do, but not very often.  Don't fall for a scam.  Is this really your passion - to be rich?  Being rich is not really a passion it is what you do with the money that is truly your passion.  If you had all the money you wanted would you go and ride horses all day - then maybe your passion is horse husbandry.  If you want to stuff envelopes with your time then maybe the pitch "Earn $1,000 a week stuffing envelopes in the comfort of your own home" sounds great, right?  Launching your own business takes time and effort and you seldom see results overnight.  Be prepared to run into obstacles (call them opportunities for growth). 

6. FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN. Research your new business and become the expert.  One way to do this is to create a business plan.  Once you have identified the requirements of a standard plan you can see up front what the industry is like.  Things always seem scarier when we have either inadequate, or, worse, inaccurate information. Join your local woman's association.  Talk to people in a similar field, research on the Internet. Talk to people who have started similar businesses. The SBA is available for taking classes and free consulting.  The more informed you are, the more manageable -- and less "risky" -- the risks become.

7. SET GOALS. A goal has been described as a dream with a deadline. Some people stop at the research step or business plan development phase of starting a new business.  If you don't write down on paper a goal chart you will never have a deadline to meet.  The kids got sick, the dog was sprayed by a skunk that month, blah, blah, blah...  You must meet your goals so make them achievable.  I didn't say easy.  Even if you don't have all the details worked out for your new business (and this may never happen), it's important to set a target date for when you want your "new life" to begin.

8. SUPPORT. If you have never started a business then I am assuming most of your acquaintances are either working for a company or not small business owners, typically.  I don't know what it is about human nature but I have seen time and time again a sort of pessimism that overtakes individuals when they see someone doing something different.  You may be upsetting their apple cart (because they are too afraid to follow their dream).  Whatever the case may be, avoid the naysayers and make an effort to seek out others who share your passion for working from home.

9. BREAK IT INTO STEPS.  Before you learn to run you must learn to stand.  Don't be afraid to say "I don't know".  Most people will understand and be forgiving while you get your business going.  They will appreciate your integrity.  A Chinese proverb reminds us, moving a mountain begins by lifting one stone. If you find a task overwhelming you may want to break down the goals you have set for your business into more manageable steps.  

10. BE GRATEFUL. If you have read this far I applaud you.  You are obviously a creative individual that is ready to improve your life.  What a wonderful feeling.  Take the gifts that you have today and begin to give them to the world.  On your journey to achieving your goals be mindful of how much wonderful abundance you have in your life RIGHT NOW!

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Angela is the editor of Online Business Basics, a practical guide that shows eBusiness beginners how to build an online business on a shoestring budget. Visit her online at http://onlinebusinessbasics.com/article.html or request a series of 10 free reports to get you started: mailto:businessbasics@workyourleads.com .