Why Passion Projects?
By: Amara Shein
Tags: Passion, Entrepreneurship, Creativity, Women, Motivation

Post-Passion Project Positivity

The finished product!

“I was very happy about how this project turned out,” Mia expressed. “I think my biggest tip of advice is don’t be too hard on yourself when you’re doing something that makes you happy! It’s obviously easier said than done, but just focus on the process, get relaxed, and don’t worry about the outcome.”

Given the business of being a college student, finding time to pursue passion projects, such as Mia and her bag, can be a great way to relax and destress. Notably, it also provides an opportunity for individuals to finally indulge in an activity that they genuinely enjoy. The mundane cycle college students face from balancing their academic, professional, and social lives, prevents many from pursuing their true hobbies. Because of the overwhelming responsibilities one already has from simply existing and “doing your part,” an individual’s genuine passions in life are oftentimes buried away for later.

But you can’t simply wait for an opportunity to finally do something you love; you have to create the opportunity for yourself.

Setting aside an hour after dinner to knit a sweater or waking up a bit earlier to paint the sunrise are small yet impactful steps you can take to live a life that is about your passions.

How to Start

1. Identify the passion

Why do you want to dedicate time from your day to this project? Without a clear, identified reason and purpose, it can be hard to find motivation, thus this step is essential in ensuring that you will hold yourself accountable and take the necessary steps towards achieving your end goal. What makes this appealing to you? Pursuing a passion project requires a level of commitment and sacrifice. Rather than an hour of Netflix, you will have to dedicate that valuable time towards this activity, so make sure it is one you find pleasurable, not burdensome.

2. Commit

A fear of commitment isn’t exclusive to relationships, but applicable to any area of life, including passions. The major factor that fosters this is the lack of trust — how do you know that this will be worthwhile? Better yet, what defines something as being worthwhile? The value in passion projects is not exclusive to monetary growth but lies in finding meaning in learning new skills, making time to do what you love, meeting new people, and collaborating with like-minded individuals. The notion that activity requires financial benefits to be worth doing is a deeply rooted one, created by decades of societal pressures forcing individuals to produce value, not find it. This should be abolished. Individuality is rarely celebrated but frequently criticized, thus it is important to trust yourself. The idea for this project stemmed from your own mind, and you must trust that this is your genuine self speaking. Take a leap of faith for yourself, because you deserve to believe in yourself. Have reminders of why you decided to embark on this journey — some find post-it notes at workspaces and bathroom mirrors to be helpful.

3. Brainstorm to organize your thoughts

Ideation is a key step in any thought process, so make the most out of it. Think about the steps you would need to take to achieve your final end goal. For example, when it comes to making a bag, you would think about what skills you may need to learn, materials you want to use, and the design you want to create. By doing your research and dumping your project out of your brain and onto paper, it becomes more tangible and real!

4. Plan and schedule it

You have your idea down, now what? Just do it! Well, it is easier said than done. Many have schedules that don’t allow you to drop all responsibilities to spend your afternoon making a bag. But just like how we allot times for work-related activities, consider this as just the same. When planning out your week, find a slot that you would normally dedicate to leisure to your passion project. See if you could sacrifice a responsibility in order for you to work on your passion project — rather than you working an extra shift, perhaps you could sacrifice that every once in a while.

5. Keep at it

Just do it is easy to achieve, however, keep at it is a whole different monster. Your responsibilities will inevitably push you to question the worth of the project. Stick to your plan and keep finding ways to incorporate your passion project into your life. Think of it as a responsibility in and of itself and require that you allow time for it. Propose that other friends join you and hold one another accountable. Set mini-goals and benchmarks to continue to push yourself towards your end goal, if you have one. Schedule a specific time every week to reflect on your progress, ensuring that something is being done. Reward yourself for your dedication — a passion project is still a responsibility despite it being something you enjoy, thus have a system that motivates you to complete the necessary tasks.

6. Be proud of your work

Congratulations! You just did something for yourself in the best way possible. Now, keep doing things for yourself and not for anyone else.