22 Feb Passion

When you were a little girl you probably wanted to be about ten things when you grew up. At some point you needed to figure out what that thing was going to be. Of those ideas, how did you know which idea was – The One? Some of us follow our parent’s paths under strict advisory. Some of us are disruptors, motivated to do anything our parents don’t approve of. The rest of us are “Waiting for inspiration.“

Did anyone ever tell you to just “Find your passion?” Starting from scratch, you might not know what you’re looking for. Luckily, it’s pretty easy to spot. It’s how we’re constantly doing something around it. It’s how we light up when we talk about it that tells us. And it’s how we pretty much can’t ever stop talking about it. When we play the game 100 ways to bring up what we’re doing in a conversation when it wasn’t the topic and nobody asked us – we’re passionate.

Being passionate about what we’re doing is the driving force behind us taking that scary first step. On the surface passion seems like some pretty compelling stuff. But is it enough to be passionate?

The truth is passion in and of it self is overrated. It gets a little too much clout. You’re going to need a couple of other things in your tool kit besides passion if you’re going to make a go of it. Staying the course for the long haul with all its ups and downs takes a plan.

Here’s a relatable example: When you’re dating someone you love, you might hope that it leads to marriage A.K.A. Forever. You get butterflies when you think about the impending proposal. When you get engaged, you start getting excited about the big day. When the big day comes, you’re over the moon! Then you’re married! Hooray! Next stop honeymoon! Fantastic! Now what?

What milestones do you have planned for after the big day? Without a plan, how do you know you’re on the right track? On any given day a business can come to a fork in the road. Without a chartered course it’s hard to know which way you should go. Your business is like a marriage. You fall in love with the idea and you vow to honor and see it through, forever. You can’t predict what the future holds, but I promise you’re better off having considered it exists.

Passion is good for the spark. It’ll get you excited. But one day the flame on that spark will smolder. Without a map and some direction, you could find yourself at a loss for what to do next. The kicker is, the world will keep moving whether you have a plan or not. You can try relying on your intuition and hope for the best or you can prepare for the unknown. Which do you think is the better bet?

The truth is passion is a driver, not the answer. To have the best chance at success, you need the right tools and a guide.

Built By She – Tool Kit

• You’re passionate. Damn Right. Great start.
• Identify the WHY in the WHY you are doing this.
• Are you making things better, more convenient, more beautiful, even more meaningful? How?
• Tell that story.
• Allow people to challenge your idea. Tweak the idea and the story.
• Let people test your idea for you. Then collect the feedback. Make more tweaks.
• Map out your goals. Soundboard with someone you can trust.
• Have a back-up plan for your back-up plan.
• Prepare to change course often in the beginning.
• Find a way to decompress regularly.
• Surround yourself with other entrepreneurs in all phases of business.

Take the leap.