When was the last time you really connected with yourself? Your interests? Your passions?
Maybe you’ve been dreaming about doing something you desire but you keep putting it off. It could be that you feel you don’t have enough time or energy. It could be that you feel engaging in your interests is selfish or irresponsible.
Whatever your reason, know that you deserve to connect with your interests. Don’t let your reasons hold you back from investing in yourself.
Give yourself permission to cultivate and grow. It’s not silly, selfish, or irresponsible to start a passion project.
Before you push it aside for another day, I want to share with you a bit more about passion projects. What they are, the benefits and how to get started even if you feel you don’t have the time.
Know that a pursuing a passion project is extremely beneficial and doable not matter what stage of life you are in.
We all have aspirations, keep reading to discover what your passion is and how you can get started.
What is a Passion Project?
A passion project is any activity that inspires you and allows you to explore your interests. While some suggest passion projects are big, they don’t have to be. It can be big or small. All that matters is that it’s an activity that helps you grow and brings you happiness. Even the smallest projects can bring big rewards.
What are some of the benefits?
- Mentally stimulates you.
- Develops new skills.
- Leads to new opportunities.
- Reduces stress.
- Builds confidence.
- Supports health and happiness.
These are just a few benefits that you can experience. This short list of benefits above are clearly worth the time and energy. Still not convinced? Keep reading.
Do you need a passion project?
It might be hard to justify engaging in a passion project when you’re busy with work and/or domestic responsibilities. However, supporting your own personal growth is necessary and is especially true if you’re a full-time stay-at-home mom.
The daily grind of motherhood can wear you down, making it harder to nurture your personal growth and interests.
Here are some signs that you need to start a passion project.
- You feel the need to escape – a lot.
- You never feel refreshed mentally. You always feel drained of energy.
- You’ve forgotten what lights you up. Your interests got lost along the way on your journey into motherhood.
- You’re resentful of others happiness.
- You feel dread when you wake in the morning.
- You’re feeling bored. You’re tired of doing the same tasks day in-day out.
Being a mom has its highs and lows, that’s completely normal. But if you are feeling stifled, it’s time to prioritize yourself and find your passion.
YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN: 97 Ways Moms Can Reclaim Their Passion.
Types of interests you can pursue
Creative
If you’re a creative type and enjoy expression and exploration, finding a creative project might be for you. Easy and fun creative projects you can start are photography, design, flipping/upcycling, or creative writing.
Personal Development
You might be craving something that builds your skills and your self-confidence. Exploring personal development projects and activities will help you get there.
It could be taking a course on a subject you’ve always wanted to take (and can be unrelated to your career). Or it could be teaching other people skills that you know and are good at.
Everyone has something unique to offer.
Social passion
Are you an extroverted type and thrive in the company of others? Some examples of social passion projects are public speaking, mentoring, or volunteering with your favorite charity.
Outdoor / Health & Wellness
Have you always enjoyed being outdoors and in nature? Maybe you are already doing plenty of outdoor activities, but you can take it further. You can host an outdoor yoga class, start a walking or hiking club for other like-minded moms or become a fitness coach.
Organization
For some moms, organization is the bee’s knees, and they couldn’t imagine anything more exciting than to organize and declutter. If that’s you, you can be a professional organizer and get paid to do it too!
Imagine getting paid for something that comes so naturally to you and that you enjoy? But it’s not all about the money, it’s about reclaiming your identity and reconnecting with your desires.
Entrepreneurial
It’s fair to say this would fall under the big passion project category. Building a business is a big project and it takes time to build. If the entrepreneurial spirit is in you and are willing to commit 100%, it is a very worthwhile project to pursue.
As you can see, a simple activity you enjoy can lead to many opportunities. The biggest one is getting the opportunity to flourish and reignite your sense of self.
Read 97 Ways Moms Can Reclaim Their Passion for a master list of fun and fulfilling activities for any mom of any stage.
Sounds good so far? Awesome! Let’s get started.
How to find your passion in 4-steps
1.Think about what interests you and make a list. Think about what are you good at and what you enjoy doing or wish you could be doing?
For example, you are creative and enjoy designing beautiful spaces. Your passion project could be something related to interior design, or home staging. Your project can be solely for pleasure, or you could make it a side business.
2.Narrow down your list of interests. Looking at your list of interests, which one do you crave to start the most? Narrow down to your top three and consider your lifestyle and your schedule.
Which one of those top three interests fit best into your lifestyle and schedule? Choose one interest that fits best.
Be careful not to dismiss any potential passion project because of the time you will need to invest.
Sometimes a project can appear more time consuming that it really is. That’s why assessing your interests and the resources you need to start are so important.
3.Create a plan for your project. Get specific. What resources do you need? What steps do you need to take to go from start to finish? Plan and organize your passion project as you would a goal.
If you’re worried you won’t be able to pursue your passion project, start small.
4.Carve out time in your schedule for your project. It won’t be easy to start and finish a passion project especially if you don’t schedule it. Think of your project as a necessary part of your self-care. Even if it’s a few minutes a day, it’s time you would not otherwise use towards your growth.
Make time for yourself. Prioritize yourself.
Final thoughts and some tips
When you’re a busy mom and you’re used to putting your needs and desires last, it can be challenging to start a passion project.
Don’t think of it as adding another thing to your list, it’s a practice for personal growth, health, and happiness.
If you have the “do it later” attitude, ditch it! Nothing good comes from procrastinating. Just start, commit and be consistent with your efforts.
Remember to give yourself permission to grow. No one is holding you back but you. You are the one in control of your passion project. You decide what, why, when, and where. Isn’t that great?
I hope that this post gives you the motivation to prioritize yourself and see that pursuing a passion project can really pay off.
Are you ready to uncover your talents and flourish?
"Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you." Oprah Winfrey.
Hi, I’m Melanie. I’m the woman behind Mommy Life Strategies. Here you will discover ways to manage your time more efficiently, how to create positive daily habits that stick, mindset exercises that energize, and health & wellness tips that work even for the busiest moms.