I was talking to a friend recently about blogging. We’ve both been doing it for years now and we talked about how it used to be. There used to be more genuine connection, authenticity passion and fun. We used to share freely and enjoy the connection with other people who related to our spot in life. For many of us, this is still true. The passion is still there. There’s room for both.
In some ways, things have changed where blogging can be more business than anything else. Because people approached me all the time about how to blog, I started consulting. From that, I’m learning that people sometimes approach blogging in a way that’s less about sharing and more about how to reach huge numbers and make money. So where blogging may have started as a passion for some, it became this numbers game and a business. That’s not a problem. If that’s what you want. The issue comes when you’re not the success you think you should be and hate it all. Your passion is now a burden. No bueno.
It’s not a secret that I’m big on dreams and passions. Having them, chasing them, reaching them – it’s part of what fuels me. I love to see people go after what they want. I love to see people figure out what their passions are. It makes my heart smile to see people reach their dreams. As a mom, I have a special place in my heart for other moms. It’s because I know how hard it is to carve out time for yourself to finish a cup of coffee or read a book. Finding time to zoom in on our goals or pursue our passions is a struggle. Yeah, I get that.
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Here’s what I also get about dreams, goals and passions. Every passion we have doesn’t have to turn into a business. It doesn’t have to be that because we’re great at singing that it has to be our career. Because we’re really good at something doesn’t mean that it has to be a money making venture. It’s completely OK to be passionate about blogging or anything else and NOT turn it into a business. Maybe you don’t want the stress that comes with the business part. Maybe creating a business out of something you are so passionate about sucks the joy right out of it. That’s never a good feeling.
Here’s the other thing. Most of us have more than one passion. I have a number of things I’m passionate about swirling around in my head at all times! It’s a good thing. The hardest part is finding time for it all. I’m really passionate about music. It’s not something that I’m going to create a business around though. The same goes for my love of all things pop culture. I can be passionate about these things and love them and indulge. Adding the pressure of building a business around them would change how I feel about them.
There’s a woman I used to work with. She can make absolutely anything. She sews clothes, bedding and jewelry. She knits and crochets anything you can imagine – even plush baby toys. I used to always be in her ear about what she could do with her talent. I just saw a business brewing for her. She wasn’t interested. I didn’t understand – at first. But making all of these beautiful things just made her happy. It is her passion. Her pay off was the happiness it brought other people when they received something she’d made. Her pay off were the tears in my eyes as I opened the blanket she’d quilted for my first born. THAT was enough for her. She didn’t want to change how she felt about her passion by making it into something that she wasn’t interested in. I had to respect that.
Whatever your passion is it doesn’t have to be your career. You can do it for yourself. Do it for the joy. What else you get from it is totally up to you. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.
21 Comments on When your passion burns out
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Yes, all of this! I am new to the blogging world and I’m constantly torn about how seriously to take it. I blog about simplifying my life and being very intentional about how I spend money and I just don’t see a genuine way (at this point) to monetize my blog without being a hypocrite. It’s not about the money for me right now, but it takes so much time and energy to put myself out there and without those strong connections I’m not sure if it will be worth it.
Jenerra recently posted…Generation to Generation: Personal Advocacy in Healthcare
Key word is balance but at times that can be hard to attain.
Coffee is on
I think that the days of a blog just being an electronic record of life have long gone, these days blogs are about business directly or content creation to support a business indirectly and unfortunately this is what people have come to expect. The old days were nice and sometimes I think the simplification we had in those early days of blogging still have a place but have been replaced by FB and Twtter
Mike Gardner is The Time Doctor recently posted…Increase Your Personal Efficiency
Yea people get pushed into thinking if they love it why not make it their job. But the reality is everyone is not suited for the entrepreneur lifestyle and it ends up making things complicated thus unfun for the individual. Great point!
Bijee recently posted…Girl Just Quit! {#GrowBetterChallenge}
I blog out of passion for writing. Not to make a business. I notice it takes money to make money in the blogging world.
I feel like being a mom as taken over my life and my dreams/passions fizzled out a long time ago. I need to find them again.
I love blogging, and absolutely love what I do for a living! I get burned out, but haven’t ever lost my passion, for sure.
It is absolutely true, if you have no passion for what you do, what you do will have no passion. I love blogging, it gives me outlet for my passion for beauty.
Cindy Ingalls recently posted…Fashion Flash!
This is a really good reminder. My daughter clearly has a passion for fitness and bodybuilding and she loves writing about it on our blog.
Blogging has definitely changed but that doesn’t mean we need to change as well. There is still this drive to write a post to express yourself without worrying about sponsors or anything like that. I love that it has given me the freedom to write what I feel. And for that I am passionate about blogging. This is such a nice reminder. Not everything needs to be turned in to a money making machine, sometimes we just got to do it for ourselves.
You have to find a balance in life. If you let something become the main focus of your time it is easy to become burned out quickly.
I love this! I’m debating on keeping my photography business going. It was a lot more fun just as a hobby!
Amy @ Marvelous Mommy recently posted…5 Incredible Strawberry Recipes + Link Up Your Projects
Sometimes, I feel so tired and burnt out doing my job but the passion is still there. It;s just a matter of putting some spark into it to make it go wild again.
Ron Leyba recently posted…Don’t Remodel Your Kitchen Without Reading This Kitchen Tiles Information
While my blog is part business, it’s also a passion for things I love and want to share. I don’t always care if the traffic is up or how may views something gets. Sometimes I just love sharing something I made.
Stephanie of The TipToe Fairy recently posted…Top FIVE Ways to Save Money on Energy Costs
Though I believe that everyone has the right to make a living doing something that they are passionate about, I do agree that not every passion needs to be monetized. It is perfectly fine to do something just because you enjoy it.
I love all the quotes and the tips and points you have shared here. I have a passion for writing, crafting and making lovely things with my own hands and I continue to dothem everyday and sharing the things I create or thoughts on my blog. Thank you for this beautiful post! Passion is such a broad word but it’s important to have that in your life!
This is a great post for me, I feel burns out doing my job at home and take care for the baby, Glad you share this post
I have 3 passions that have turned into businesses… and I cycle through which one is getting the focus weekly! It keeps things interesting ans so far has worked to avoid burn out 🙂
I agree that blogging has changed from a few years ago. It does take passion to sound authentic in writing.
Kendra recently posted…A Day of Play in May
I love writing things qabout my familym the only thing that hinders me from doing it constantly is time.
Great post! I love writing especially for my blog – and being able to make income out of that is a dream come true! I’ve been monetizing basically since I started and it’s been a blast.