Your passion drives you. It motivates you to accomplish your dreams, reach for the unknown, and question those who stop you.
Your day job is your support. It’s the wage incentive, client-facing, often shift-based act that provides your income. Your earnings give you opportunity to pursue your passion.
If you’re lucky, your passion is linked to your day job.
Maybe your dream is to become CEO of a large company – Google, perhaps? To work your way towards that goal, you might work as an assistant to a low-level manager at Google. By attaining such a position, you’ve managed to get your foot in the door. While learning the ropes at Google, you can pursue your long-term goal on the side.
For most, this is an ideal situation. Often, the link between the job we rely on, and our ultimate goal, is small. Why is that? What’s standing in your way? Here are some reasons your passion might not be your day job.
1. You’re young.
Maybe you’re 35 with a plethora of job experience on your resume. Perhaps you’re 23 – a college graduate with a degree and possibly some food service experience under your belt.
In relation to your passion you may be young. In age, experience, or understanding – your pursuit of this dream might be in its birth. Maybe you need more experience. Perhaps you just realized your long-term aspirations. It’s possible you were just given the opportunity to control your pursuits.
No matter which category you fall under, don’t rush.
What you’re about to undertake might be difficult. But don’t let this control your progress. Whether you’re young in age, or related experiences, your dreams matter. Everyone starts out young. It takes a driven individual to push past that barrier into the unknown.
2. Your location may limit you.
Depending on where you live, location could be holding you back. 
Consider your passion – is it widely known? Is the field a relatively untouched area, such as Social Media Management? If so, it’s possible your dream isn’t common in your place of residence.
Certain job prospects might not be deemed profitable in your small town. You want to call this city home, but opportunities are limited. When this factor stands in your way, it’s tough to pursue your passion.
Eventually, you may give up. This could happen for a number of reasons – financial concerns, personal morals, or the realization that your location is more important.
Research your ultimate goal – where is it considered a viable profession? You may have to move across country, maybe take up residence in a larger city. Don’t let your location limit you.
You may forgo your dream to reside in a city you’ve grown to love. But if your ultimate goal matters more, pursue it! Branch out to a new area – the change will do you some good.
3. Your passion may not be a reliable source of income.
Not every career opportunity will help you make a decent wage – at least, not at the start.
Want to pursue art? Great! Sadly, the money in this field is, at first, low. Unless you’ve been blessed with a fantastic network of connections, getting your name out there is tough. It takes time, effort, and motivation – qualities certain folks lose midway through pursuit of such a dream.
Paychecks are essential components of a sensible living. Right now, you might be a manager at a local grocery store. Sure, you may wish to pursue a more creative outlet. But that field may not be financially worth the effort.
Depending on your personal life, pursuing your passion may be difficult. You may not have family to help pay your tuition. Maybe you want to publish a book, or develop an impressive mobile app.
Without an investor, money for such pursuits might have to come out of your pocket. If this is the case, you have to rely on your day job. At least for the time being. But don’t let this deter you. Use your job to pay your bills and save on the side. Eventually, you’ll save up enough to reach your goal. Until then, remain optimistic.
4. Your previous experience may be unrelated.
Have you checked your resume lately?
Maybe your employment history is impressive. Perhaps you’ve gained experience in multiple environments, such as hospitality, marketing, clerical, and retail.
Sadly, quality is often more impressive than quantity, especially when in pursuit of a lifelong career. Maybe your ultimate desire is to be an administrative assistant at a local university. What’s holding you back? It might be your lack of administrative experience.
Your time spent in retail or waiting tables may be impressive. But that job you’ve been pushing for in administration may require different experience.
If you’re lucky, someone will take a chance on you.
An employer with an open-mind and a willingness to train the right candidate may hire you. Unfortunately, not all businesses have the energy or time to introduce a flexible new hire to the world of accounting. You may have climbed the ranks at a local retail store. No matter your skills, a new employer may not connect your skills to the job ad.
If you’re serious about a specific career, your experience should be a high priority. Your lack of clerical experience may not be your fault. But you might have to knock on doors outside your comfort zone to reach your goal.
5. You’re stuck.
That passion you wish to pursue has taken over your entire being.
When you consider tackling steps to reach it, you freeze. Lost in your thoughts of worry and preconceived consequences, you’re unable to progress. The thought of leaving a stable job with a dependable income scares you. You may be an entry-level billing clerk, but at least you can put food on the table each night – right?
A dependable living is important.
Bills pile high, living off of Ramen noodles isn’t a nutritional diet source, and emergency room visits happen. It’s inevitable. Leaving a practical job with a heavy load of payments and other expenses may feel unnecessary.
You’re likely gauging if this pursuit is worth it, or whether your dream truly matters. Instead of taking the plunge into the future you deserve, you let your worries gain control. In a world where a decent living somehow defines you, you’ve stopped considering the possibilities.
Eventually, you become stuck. Unmoving, disheartened, and unmotivated – your passion is left behind. Hidden underneath piles of inventory forms and customer complaints, your desire dwindles.
Taking that leap is scary. But to become what, or who, you want, you must let go.
Tweet ThisWork hard – eventually, you’ll meet success. Sooner than you realize, that day job will be a thing of the past. Don’t give up on your dreams before you try to reach them.
6. The notion, “You’re lucky to even have a job,” is your motto.
Sadly, more people feel this way than most realize. In a faltering economy, folks lost sight of opportunity. Rather than pursuing a job relative to their intended career, they accept the first offer.
Obviously, a stable living is ideal. 
It’s sought by everyone, and a potentially dependable job is considered vital. Job seekers prowl job ads searching for one central thing – stability. Such openings, though sometimes a far cry from ideal, are coveted by the masses.
Why is that?
Those who feel this way understand the perks of a dependable job. Such folks feel that getting a job – no matter the personal cost – is vital. They consider themselves lucky to have a job in the first place.
If you wish to achieve a passion-filled career, the above notion cannot be your motto. It must be put to rest. Sure, it helps to take on a standard job to pay the bills, but don’t let it take over your dreams.
For those led to believe a mere achievement of job stability is key, rethink your morals. Let go of that harmful notion. Your dreams will thank you later.
7. Your passion appears far-fetched.
Not everyone is fortunate enough to pursue their dreams. Certain careers demand lengthy schooling and multiple degrees.
Want to become a doctor? Consider the following questions.
Are you financially stable and motivated enough to invest in your schooling? Sure, you can take out loans to pay tuition, but will you find a promising cosigner – if needed – in time? Do you want to invest 8+ years of your life into a doctoral pursuit? Right now, you may be 20 years old, wondering if you’ll falter halfway through the program.
Maybe you’re 30 with a newfound dream of becoming a university professor. If your current degree is unrelated to education or if you’ve ever pursued a degree, your hopes of becoming a professor may seem far-fetched.
Your passion is worth your time. But your day job may differ because you haven’t been able to pursue that passion until now.
Are finances standing in your way? If so, take the appropriate steps to balance your money. Speak with a loan consultant. Seek advice from others. Is motivation your concern? Research your goal and motivate yourself. If this dream is something you wish to pursue, you’ll find a way to make it happen.
Read success stories. Don’t let uninformed critics take control of your destiny.
From your point of view, things may seem far-fetched. Over time, those bumps will diminish, and your passion will unfold.
Don’t Ignore Your Dreams
Pursuing your ultimate passion may be difficult. The number of things holding you back could be numerous.
Ultimately, your life should be lived.
Take control of your life – live for a change.
