Here's Why Not All Passions Should Become Business Ventures

People probably started asking you what you were going to do with your life when you were a child. Back then, you might not have known what you realistically wanted to achieve in the future. However, you may well have had certain passions that stayed with you throughout your childhood and beyond.

As you got older, you might have considered turning one of those passions into a career. It may even be something you're thinking about right now. Is that actually a good idea, though? The consensus seems to be quite mixed on this, and for a good reason. While doing something you love should be an excellent way to feel fulfilled, there are reasons why not all passions should become business ventures.

Turning a passion into a business venture changes the experience

When you enjoy doing something, it's natural to want to make it into a career. After all, if you're going to spend a third of your life working, it may as well be in something you like. Plus, the only difference between something being a hobby and a profession is that you get paid for the latter, right? Unfortunately, no. Once you turn a passion into a job, it becomes an entirely new experience. For example, you now likely have to deal with deadlines, which puts extra pressure on you. 

Many new businesses come with a host of stress

The extra pressure might negatively impact the quality of what you produce or possibly even teach you to hate what you were once so passionate about. There's also the question of whether what you create is good enough to sustain a career in that field. It can be hard to stand out in today's crowded markets, especially if there are obstacles standing in the way of your creative potential. The risk of rejection is very real, especially if your passion is in a creative field.

Garrett Lerner has experienced the ups and downs of turning passions into careers

Garrett Lerner is someone who understands the potential dangers of turning a passion into a career. He's found great success as a writer and executive producer, but not before hitting some bumps in the road. When Lerner was in college, he had his eyes on a career in sports because it was his passion. However, after an internship left him disillusioned with this career path, he was at a loss. On the flip side, Lerner wouldn't be where he is now if he wasn't always passionate about writing and filmmaking. So, why did one venture work out but not the other? Some experts believe they've come up with an exercise to figure that out. 

There's supposedly a three-step plan to identifying how to live your life

According to Jon Jachimowicz of Harvard Business School, there are three things you should do when determining what to do with your career. These are reflecting on what you care about in life, determining what your values are, and seeing if your daily activities align with any of those. Apparently, you should be aiming to meet all of those values in some way, either through your job or other means.

There are ways to see if your passion could become a business venture

If you're already covering everything outside of work, turning a passion into a career might do more harm than good. If something's missing, though, then it might be time to take your hobby to the next level. Either that or find a way to make more time for your passions away from work, something that Jachimowicz thinks employers should actually help with more. 

Consider everything as much as possible before turning any passions into careers

It can be hard to know in advance whether turning passions into careers is worthwhile or not. A stepping stone like Lerner’s can be helpful in identifying what to do with your future. After all, it avoids the risk of going all-in on a job that you might end up hating. However, this isn't always an option. In place of that, it's best to consider what will be expected of you once you turn a passion into a career. Do as much research as possible, and then see how you feel. If your heart's not in it, it's best to steer clear and keep that passion as a hobby. Otherwise, you risk falling out of love with it forever.

If it's possible to build a career out of something you love, it's definitely worth considering. Given that the average person spends so much time at work, a job should always be something enjoyable. However, just think carefully before making any big decisions about what you're going to do. The only thing worse than doing a job you hate is doing a job you hate that you thought you were going to love.