8 Tips For Starting A Passion Project Without Quitting Your Job

Remember the days when you had big dreams or exciting fantasies of what you wanted to do when you grew up?

Remember the euphoria and satisfaction of doing what you enjoyed instead of worrying about paying the bills?

Everyone has their passions and interests, but as you grow up, the job you take on to earn a living may not necessarily be what is true to your heart.

Some people end up forgetting about doing what they love. That's rather sad. You don't have to give up on your interests at the expense of your job.

Here are some awesome ways you can start a passion project without quitting your job.

1. Make a decision.

If you just float around the idea of wanting to start a passion project, it may fade as other commitments steal your time.

You have to make a conscious decision to start, continue and complete each gig you want for your hobby.

Once you make a mental commitment, you are more likely to dedicate more time and effort to your interests in every way you can. You will be surprised how much more you can accomplish without quitting your day job once you commit to your passion.

2. Announce it to the world.

One effective way to motivate yourself is to utilize your social circle.

Tell your BFF about your passion project in detail. They will surely bug you for updates about it when they know you are embarking on your next exciting little muse.

Post on social media whenever you complete something. Establish milestones and feel encouraged. Sometimes a little like or comment on social media is what it takes to remind you that you are good at something you love.

3. Be more efficient at work.

A considerable amount of time at the workplace can be spent on trivial activities like daydreaming, gossiping, taking extended breaks or reading unimportant emails.

Pick and choose what you do at the workplace so you target the key tasks first. Attack your main projects and deadlines. Ignore less urgent or less critical tasks.

Once you can clear work faster, you free up more time for your own interests.

4. Plan your time.

Most excuses for abandoning passions are, "I have no time for this" or "I'm too busy."

Start planning your time better. Keep a calendar, an organizer or even a smartphone application to help you jot down your schedules.

Have rough plans on how you would spend the days of a work week. Have detailed hourly plans for your days off so you harness every moment you have for your hobbies.

These days, most smartphones allow you to set a reminder, which is a good way to keep precious free time for your interests.

5. Spread out your involvement time.

Your sideline passion should be like a marathon, not a sprint.

Don't cram everything you want to do into one sitting. For example, if you love baking, you don't have to research new recipes, buy ingredients, buy equipment and bake the cake all on the same day.

You could space out all these activities into a few days so they can be done with smaller pockets of free time. If you do this step well, you may even find it easier to squeeze in quality time for your hobby during your regular work week, too.

6. Learn together with an interest group.

Find friends who share similar passions as you for peer support.

If your social circle does not have such people, you can reach out to your local club or sign up for relevant lessons on your interests.

This way, you get to meet like-minded people who have knowledge, resources and camaraderie that can help you do more with your free time.

You will be surprised how much time you can save when you learn, collaborate and share tips together as a group.

7. Get online help.

The internet is an immense treasure chest of resources to help you cover more grounds with limited time.

Forums provide expert help and discussion channels for challenges you face while engaging in your muse.

From cooking to yoga to website design to music composition, there is a forum out there available for any interest you might have.

YouTube is a good source for people who cannot afford the time to attend lessons to pick up new skills. Google search or social bookmarking sites like Pinterest also allow you to find websites that are relevant for your area of interest.

8. Consider outsourcing.

If your passion project is really massive, such as running an online shop or organizing birthday parties for kids, you might want to consider outsourcing the nitty-gritty bits to freelancers.

Craigslist and Fiverr are websites where you can find people who are willing to do the menial tasks for you at a low budget.

If your muse involves more hardware, you can search for your local freelancers or ask friends in your interest groups for help.

Big projects can sometimes be a good opportunity for your like-minded friends to collaborate on as well, which can allow all of you to accomplish more with less time.

The possibilities are endless if you are willing to try.