I think nowadays with all kinds of internet hypes and the ability to work from home, a lot of people feel a kind of hyped, fake pressure to turn their precious and healthy hobby into something more.
Suddenly, it’s not good enough to work on a project just for fun, as a creative outlet, or as an escape.
Suddenly it’s not good enough to be a parent full-time because since you are at home, you might as well work from home too, right?
Yet, here is one essential thing to consider about turning something fun into something lucrative:
A hobby is easy, a business takes push
When you’re a parent, or you already have a full-time job, or you are taking care of an ill family member more or less full-time, the day to day grind eats up a lot of your discipline.
There are things you must do, there are things you are responsible for, and there are things you’d rather do but that you don’t have time for.
A business-like project can seem like the perfect play-ground, until you have to do things you don’t like, your inner saboteurs pop up, and you have to try new things that make you uncomfortable.
When that happens, you can end up retreating to your comfy creative zone: with lots of ideas, starting lots of things, finishing very little and definitely not doing the work needed to sell what you created.
This is because a business that makes money – while fun when you do it well – is also work.
- It takes disciplined, consistent action.
- You’ll need to learn new things that are hard.
- You’ll have to do some things you’d rather not do.
- You’ll need to not just create things based on what feels good, you’ll also need to fact check: what are people interested in and willing to pay for?
- How do you communicate with your customers? What sales and marketing skills are you missing?
- How do you set up structures and processes that make recurring sales possible?
Suddenly, it’s no longer fun and breezy per se. You don’t get to jam in your pajama’s and do whatever. Looking at the numbers, looking at what you want to create, honestly looking what really is and isn’t working can be incredibly scary.
And since you’ve had a busy day that was plenty hard as is, you may just want to knit 20 more tiny hats without thinking about who you’ll sell them to. Because knitting feels good. Figuring out sales doesn’t.
Turning a hobby into a business takes push. You only have so much pushing you can do in a day, without getting exhausted. So when you’ve taken – let’s say – 15 decisions already that were hard to follow through on, you’re pretty much done for the day and can’t expect yourself to do any more than just knit.
In fact, knitting just for fun is the healthy thing to do. It recharges your creative batteries. It’s relaxing. It’s easy.
It doesn’t matter whether your thing is knitting or having interesting conversations, or teaching kids cool dance routines, writing a book, creating a podcast, advising your friends, organising a wedding or anything else.
Point is, doing it as a hobby takes the pressure off. Doing it as a business creates pressure. It’s important to evaluate whether your life is set up in such a way that you have plenty of push left to put into a business, or whether you really just need a fun way to unwind.
Otherwise what can happen is that you – somehow – end up with a hobby – for years! – while beating yourself up for not having a business.
It’s not a mysterious misunderstanding. It’s all a matter of what you need to put in day to day, and whether your life is set up to allow for that.
P.S. Not sure where you’re at and need someone to evaluate your situation with in an HSP friendly way? Book a Biz Clarity Call with me here.
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