One of the 3 P’s for creating a successful website is passion. You need to be passionate about the website you are creating to help you keep motivation going in the long run. In reality, there is no way to tell you how to find you passion, it is something that you just discover and feel. I can however, provide you with a few tips that can help you get closer to finding your passion.
Doing something great vs. because you love it
As a child, do you remember ever doing something really well such as a sport or school subject, but you didn’t really love it that much? The same rule applies to finding your passion. Your passion will not necessarily be something you do well, but something you love. Something that you effortlessly learn about on a regular basis and keep up with because it is something you are genuinely interested in.
Is there a specific topic you are drawn to?
Whether you are online or offline, do you always find your self reading about specific topics in books, magazines, blogs, newspapers, or forums? Or maybe you are speechless about every other topic, because you’ve been busy learning about your one topic that you forgot there were actually other things to learn about? Sometimes your passion will suck you in and you will get tunnel vision. You can spend hours learning about your specific topic and not even realize the hours have passed by.
Passion vs. Infatuation
After discovering something new I often do get hung up with it for a while. I search, learn, and breath this new discovery. I start to think of a new website that I could create related to this new topic. I have to take a step back and make sure it is something I am truly passionate about and not just infatuated with it. If it has been less than a few weeks of finding your new passion, you might want to give it a bit more time for your passion to mature before launching a new full scale web project.
Having more than one passion
Most of us will find that we do have more than one passion. You can do a few experiments with your passions to figure out which passion you could start creating a website based around. Join forums, blogs, and other communities about your passion. Discuss various topics related to your passion and see how interested you are over a few weeks. If you keep going back to learn more from others and share your own experiences, this may be the passion you want to continue exploring through your own website. You could certainly also create a website about each one, but I strongly advise to create one website at a time.
Finding your passion sometimes can be difficult, especially if you have a lot of them. Take time to discover your passions and experiment with them. You can even combine them to create a whole new passion and niche! The most important thing to remember, is to love what you are doing. If you can run your websites and truly enjoy it, you have defiantly found the perfect passion.
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Hi, Sarah,
I’ve been reading your blog for a while, and I really enjoy it.
My favorite point in this post is the point about infatuation vs. passion. It is very common for people to find something they love and then go crazy with it only to have the interest fade away sometime later.
I would suggest that if you find something you love, don’t rush to go full-steam at it. Pace yourself. That way, you’ll have a chance at maintaining your interest rather than burning out.
-Chuck
http://www.ihateyourjob.com
Hi Chuck! Thanks for stopping by and I’m glad you enjoy my blog. It is very easy to get caught up in something new. Good words of advice you have about pacing it.
Sometimes something new can mislead you and make you thing that you like it just because it’s a new thing , you’ve never experienced with it before and you’re just happy you’re understanding something that is new to you .
Sometimes , new things can make you forgive your older passions , and leave them behind .
Sometimes passion isn’t the only thing you need , combine passion with determination , will and brains and you’ve got a recipe for success .
Great write-up by Sarah
i agree with christian sometimes something new can make me think i like it but in reality im just happy because I am understanding something new. You will quickly find out what you are pasionate about if you stick to it and always try your best.
Love the post. I’ll remember what you said. Thanks Sarah
I guess we all go through that “new phase”! We gotta watch out for it too, I know I’ve fallen in the trap before too.
@CristianR: Your favicon is changed! Oh so is your site! Determination and brains, you certainly do need both to succeed. Thanks for stumble! :c)
@Shaun: Internet opens us up to so much, so it is very easy to get into new things all the time!
@Brown Baron: Thanks!
Great post Sarah. Wisdom beyond your years. I will have to add this post as a resource to one of my Passion and productivity posts. GYSA(Gave you a stumble again).
[...] Quick Tips to Finding Your Websites Passion [...]
Thanks Adam for the linkback and the GYSA :c). I was reading about the productivity posts, is that still going on? I like writing groups/projects, they are a great way to meet new bloggers.
When I started this new blog, the big thing was to just write about everything I want to. I’m not trying to stick to one niche, I am just spewing everything I feel like sharing. It’s allowed me to be more active, and reach more people, in the process.
DevDad
@DevDad: I think there are a lot of blogs that do what you are doing and they are hugely successful. Opal I know has a lot of stuff going on in her blog and it is still a great read and very interesting. Your passion could be writing about what you are feeling and what you want to write about!