Establishing Your Professional Niche

Establishing Your Professional Niche

What do I enjoy doing, and who am I? Isn't the question worth twenty million dollars? If anything, you should be asking yourself, "Who was I, and what did I love to do?"

Finding who you are and what you enjoy doing may prove more challenging than you anticipated. Remember back to your younger years. What were some of your earliest joys? You've undoubtedly lost touch with the things that formerly brought you genuine joy and excitement, just like a lot of other people.

Children seem to "know" what they enjoy instantly. As we enter adulthood, we tend to lose touch with what makes us happy. Constant pressure from the outside world makes it harder to imagine making a living "doing what we love to do."

I have hazy memories of wanting to be a stewardess, a mother of eight (why eight, I'll never know, although it does sound fairly ambitious in this day and age), and a musician when I was little. Surely every young lady in my world dreamed of being a stewardess. So it seemed. Or maybe it was a hint as to who I really was at my core. Perhaps I had a need to see the world, but this was all that society had to offer.

I always had a talent for music. For a beginner, I was quite proficient on the clarinet. Due to unfortunate circumstances, I was unable to progress past the first few chapters. My goal in life was to be able to sit down at the piano and play the most beautiful compositions perfectly by ear. However, that did not occur.

As a mother? I can't place that thought. Perhaps my softer, more nurturing side Perhaps it's just a phase that all young girls go through when they try to be just like their mothers and "play house." Who can say?

Yet, I succeeded in maturing into a mother of four children. Putting eight on the list was a huge mistake. I don't know how I keep it together with the four sometimes. I wouldn't call myself a "super mom," but I think I do alright.

Through introspection, I've come to realize that answering "Who am I?" gets trickier with time and life's distractions. Interference from life might be devastating to our contentment. What we've been through tends to shape who we are now. That's not always the person we're supposed to be, by the way.

Ask yourself whether you've ever wished you could pursue a childhood interest as an adult. Perhaps it's an expression of creative expression, such as writing, sculpting, dancing, or singing. Perhaps you found enjoyment in constructing objects or disassembling and reassembling them. Maybe you were the smartest kid in your math class. Did you enjoy pretending to be a teacher, whether with actual or make-believe students?

Innocence lies in childhood. When we're young, we embrace who we are without question and strive to be that person in our everyday lives and in our make-believe games. It's life and the things in life that distract us from following our passions. We are so easily deterred from seeking joy.

There appears to be a common factor shared by many successful, fulfilled adults. Incredibly successful people tend to be those who take great pleasure in their work. For them, work is life. They are constantly working to improve their skills. They look forward to coming to work every day and are constantly brainstorming ways to better the company. They do it because they genuinely enjoy helping people. Instead of "working to live," they "live to work."

The philosophy that you should do what you love to do in order to be successful can be seen in various quotes by America's most well-known millionaire, Malcolm Forbes:

Doing what you love is the key to success. You can't achieve success any other way.

"When what we are is what we want to be, that's happiness."

"The biggest mistake people make in life is not trying to make a living doing what they most enjoy."

The value of following one's passion is summed up by Malcolm Forbes's words here.

Everyone needs to do more of what makes them happy. Then they should put in time doing what brings them joy. It's possible that you'll conclude that "it's too late." You can always go back to your early interests. It's never too late to begin reaping life's rewards and delights. You should do what you enjoy, even if it's only for yourself.

Do what makes you happy, whatever that may be. Try your hand at something new, like painting, singing, dancing, writing, accounting, coding, decorating, or fixing things. Put money into things that will make you happy. Pursuing your passions has the potential to lead you to your most satisfying professional endeavors. Don't keep your skills, interests, and insights to yourself. You'll find that you're capable of doing what you love with pride and success.

Being a stay-at-home mom and wife has become my absolute favorite occupation. It could be more than "just being a mom." Instead, it's fulfilling one's role as a housewife and parent. That's not exactly the most exciting job in the world. However, a wide variety of abilities are needed. Mothers typically possess a wide range of skills; some examples include the ability to paint, organize, do the books, negotiate, and decorate.

I enjoy the process of frugality the most. My job basically requires me to save money because I support a family of six, but I've discovered that I love it! Saving money, scoring free stuff, and making ends meet on a tight budget all give me a sense of accomplishment that no amount of money can buy. That's why I made up my mind to teach others what I've learned. Sharing my knowledge and experience on how to save money is a lot of joy for me. I also take pleasure in doing research to learn new ways to cut costs.

It seems like there are times when I just can't tear myself away from the computer. Simply put, I enjoy it that much. I adore it, I support it, and I think highly of it! Optimism spreads like wildfire. I will consider myself successful if I can inspire others to adopt a frugal lifestyle.

I am not happy with the current state of our family budget. Seeing so many households struggling financially is disheartening. Perhaps I can do something about that! Is there something you can alter?