http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BM8HQLK

Great article. So many people spend time chasing the many get-rich quick schemes that they forget about their own passion and skills. That is a path to failure.

I agree wholeheartedly – when you combine that which you are passionate about with skills, that is where happiness and success are found.

I am definitely planning to read your book. Thanks for the inspiration!

Lisa

Maybe you could contract with the state and offer your program & services for a fee.

I’m 34 years old, and in my 5th career (none of which are related to each other). The difference this time around is that I followed my own “$100 Startup” formula, and created a one-man operation that requires me to work about 20 minutes a DAY, and replaced my entire salary from my last job.

That business is by no means my passion (in fact, it’s boring as heck), but building it gave me the freedom to do other things, like work on other little business projects that I feel like working on whenever I get the whim to do so.

But even more importantly, it gives me time to do the things I really *am* passionate about (in short bursts, at least). In the past few years, I’ve trained full time as a figure skater, made a run at making the U.S. Olympic shooting team, spent two months living in Japan, and I just got back from a couple weeks in Europe and am now in the Pacific Northwest learning how to sail for the rest of the summer. After that, I’m probably going to spend the US winter/Australian summer in Sydney Harbor.

And no, I’m *not* making six figures (yet), and I had ZERO savings when I started. No trust fund, no lottery winnings. In fact, I make less money per year right now than the average American that’s reading this, most likely.

But let me tell you — I don’t feel poor, because I have TIME to do pretty much anything I want, within reason.

Just pick something, and run with it. You won’t regret it.

Thank you very much!

Stay tuned tomorrow when I actively ask people to give feedback about the site, both positive and negative.

On the other hand is the question of responsibility to readers. Is posting two articles that are basically ads for his friend a violation of that responsibility? Does it betray what we come here for, by wasting our time?

I don’t know the answer, I just think it’s an interesting question.

“Dont Follow Your Passion, Follow Your Effort”

http://blogmaverick.com/2012/03/18/dont-follow-your-passion-follow-your-effort/

Go read that now, and this post will make more sense.

Just my 2 cents.

The particular sequence of postings was just weird. April’s review, the article about friends and marketing, then the next day a mid afternoon post from Chris about his book. It was incredibly distracting to many of us, I think, to read Chris’s column after that.

I tend to miss things when GRS posts more than once a day–even with GRS as my homepage.
Unless it’s a topic I want to read the comments on, like women and retirement yesterday, I rarely stop in again.

I mention these criticisms, at the risk of sounding like a crankypants, because JD and GRS have been invaluable to my ongoing financial education. I want them to get it right.

With multiple interests, you have an enormous advantage! Pick one you think might produce value and try building something small on the side. That doesn’t work? Try another! Or find a way to blend your interests. Or instead of pursuing one full-time, persue two or three part time (which is what I’m working towards doing at the moment).

You’re in a rather enviable position, actually.

If nothing else I feel like we might have an advantage – we’ll be happy doing one thing now, and if conditions change or it doesn’t work out, there are other activities we could try that would be just as successful both from a personal as well as professional standpoint.

I haven’t read Chris’s book (yet, waiting for a library copy), but I can recommend another: Anything You Want by Derek Sivers. I just read it last week, but when I did it sent shivers up my spine. The way he ran his business is the same way I ran mine. Not based on $$, but based on what is right for the customer. I am not affiliated in any way with Sivers or his book (never heard of him before I read it).