How To Create A Life As If Money Were No Object And Pay The Bills

Have you ever been asked this career services question, “what would you do with your life if money were no object?”

I always found this inquiry challenging to answer. Money has always been an object for me. (Still is.) But a few years ago, I came up with an answer. 

If money were no object, I would learn new ways to make people’s lives easier, more fulfilling, and more fun. Then I would share what I’ve learned to help people make fundamental shifts in the way they approached their lives. 

Basically, I wanted to get paid to teach people what I’ve learned through education and experience.  Luckily that job already existed. It’s called coaching and consulting, and it’s what I do now.  

Did discovering my passion suddenly make my bills and the expenses of life melt away?  Nope. All that stuff is still there. However, understanding what I really wanted to do stopped me from doing things I didn’t like to afford a life I didn’t want to live.

The Problem With Passion

We often talk about passion as if it is the key to feeling fulfilled in our careers. But here’s the problem with that approach. Most people never find it. Studies show that only 1 and 5 people discover their passion in their lifetime.  

So how, then, do we create a life where money is no object and pay the bills on time with those odds?  We take action. 

Passion-finding isn’t a passive process.  You won’t be able to think hard enough or read enough books to figure it out.  You have to act. 

Give yourself the freedom to try out some of the experiences you think might be your passion.  Then see what you like and don’t. Once you decide what you want, go about the business of mastering your chosen field. Your passion will develop within this process of mastery. Not the other way around.

What To Do In The Meantime

In the meantime, get curious. Use your current job to fund your life and things that interest you.  This may be a paintbrush and an easel or an online course. Whatever it is, immerse yourself and see what happens. 

Curiosity doesn’t ask you to quit your job or to couch surf.  It merely asks for your attention. From that place, you can begin to see yourself and your work more clearly.  

One of my favorite quotes on this topic is this,

In seasons of confusion, of loss, of boredom, of insecurity, of distraction, the idea of “passion” can feel completely inaccessible and impossible…But curiosity, I have found, is always within reach. – Elizabeth Gilbert

Do whatever is within reach for you for now. Pay your bills. And let the creative process unfold.

What are your thoughts on curiosity, passion, and finding a career you love?  Let me know in the comments below. Let’s start a discussion together.