Passion Development

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Every new year, many people set aside time to come up with new resolutions and goals with the hopes of making positive changes in the upcoming year. I hate to be the bad news messenger but most of these resolutions and goals don’t stick for one big reason. They aren’t based in passion and purpose and don’t align to who you are at your core and what your key values are.

Because these goals aren’t in alignment with what you REALLY desire, you’re bound to lose motivation.

This is why I’m a huge advocate of passion projects and in this article, you’ll learn the reasons why you should start your own passion project in 2022.

What’s a passion project?

Let’s start with the basics. A passion project is an activity you pursue (usually on the side of your job) mainly for the purpose of greater fulfillment in life and exploration of your passions. It’s an opportunity that you create for yourself, and many times it can lead to a new career or business venture.

What’s the difference between a passion project and a side hustle?

Passion projects are different from side hustles because the main source of motivation behind a passion project is the feeling you get from working on your passions on a regular basis. Passion projects can generate income as well, but they don’t need to. Side hustles on the other hand are mainly pursued for additional income. Hence the name “hustle”.

I find that because the main motivator behind a side hustle is monetary, it’s easier to lose motivation when you don’t see results quickly. The beauty behind passion projects is you’re more likely to enjoy the process over the outcome because you are working on something you’re actually passionate about. This is a complete game (and life) changer.

Why is 2022 the year of the passion project?

More and more people are quitting their jobs because they lack fulfillment and purpose at work and feel undervalued as employees. The Great Resignation isn’t a laughing matter. Until employers begin to value their employees, people will continue to leave their corporate jobs in pursuit of more meaningful work. Oftentimes, this work might be the pursuit of a new small business.

I’m a firm believer that any new business you decide to start should be rooted in some type of purpose and that’s where the passion project comes in.

A passion project is a great foundation to starting your own business. A passion project can be the difference between a successful and unsuccessful business venture. This is because you’re taking the time to test out an idea and see if it brings you the feelings and outcomes you’re looking for before choosing to turn it into a business.

You can have multiple passion projects and if one doesn’t work out, you can start another until you find something you’re completely obsessed with and wouldn’t mind doing on a daily basis. This is the key to long-term success, consistency and motivation with your own business.

Why should you start a passion project in 2022?

1. It’ll give you more fulfillment in life.

Passion projects are rooted in a bigger purpose. Oftentimes they’re started because you want to solve a problem or help people directly, something that you might be lacking in your current job. Working towards this bigger “why” can give you a greater sense of fulfillment in life and it’s a wonderful reason to wake up every single morning because you know you’ll be working on developing your passions and potentially helping other people.

2. You can learn something new.

Many people like to set learning goals for the new year and a passion project is a great way to learn new things. There are a ton of great resources out there that will help you achieve your passion project goals be it educational videos on Youtube, tutorials, books, online courses, etc. If you want to learn something new in the new year there’s no doubt that a passion project will help you achieve that goal.

3. You develop your skill set.

One of the best things about learning something new is that you can develop your skill set. This is beneficial for many aspects of life, from professional to personal development.

4. You can turn it into your own business.

As I mentioned earlier, passion projects can very well turn into your own business if you work on it long enough and you start seeing results. I personally have worked on several passion projects that started generating income and turned into a business.

One way I did that was through creating my own online course. Online courses are an amazing way to turn your passion into profits and passive income. I learned everything I needed to create my first online course through Online Course Academy.

Learn how to create your own online course and receive $200 off OCA with my referral link

5. You can make like-minded and life-long connections.

Another solid reason to start a passion project in 2022 is because you’re likely to make like-minded connections through it, especially if you put yourself out there on social media. As an example, my business (lowkeyhappiness) started as an Instagram account where I’ve been able to connect and collaborate with a ton of inspiring people, many of which are also working on their own passion projects to make a difference in the world.

6. You can earn side income.

If you’re not ready to turn your passion project into a business, you can also choose to make some side income to fund other expenses in your life. As an example, I design and sell motivational digital art prints on Etsy and make passive income every month that funds the business operations of lowkeyhappiness. It’s really a win-win!

7. You can learn a lot about yourself.

Self-discovery and self-awareness are critical processes to get to know yourself on a deeper level. Starting a successful passion project will require you to dive a little deeper at the start of your project to understand your bigger “why”, how you operate, and what exactly you’d like to accomplish with your passion project and why. You’ll be surprised about how much you’re able to learn about yourself by starting your own passion project.

8. It’s something exciting to talk about with your friends.

I remember when I’d really hate talking about my corporate job to my friends and family - I just didn’t love to talk about work in general. Now, I’m able to spark up inspiring discussions around my passion projects because I know they’re making a difference in people’s lives.

9. You can learn on your own terms.

Another great reason to start a passion project in 2022 is because you get to learn on your own terms. You get to choose what you want to pursue and learn about - you don’t have to wait for a boss to tell you what to do. In this way, you’re creating your own opportunity for yourself and the learning is really endless.

10. You build on your passions and purpose.

Finally, with passion projects you’re able to develop your passions and drive your purpose further. There’s really no greater feeling than working on something on a consistent basis that’s founded in activities you absolutely love to do and you feel like it’s serving your purpose!

And those were just 10 of the countless reasons to start a passion project in 2022. If you’re ready to start, I’d encourage you to download my free “Ultimate Passion Project Checklist” which will lay out the step-by-step process for starting your first passion project.

You can download it here.

If you're ready to launch a passion project this year that can bring you daily fulfillment, generate income and serve as your corporate escape plan, learn more about how Passion Project Academy can help you get there.

Cheers to developing your passions in 2022!

10 Reasons To Start a Passion Project in 2022

Passion Project Academy™