I have. In fact, I used to do that a lot.

I’d stare at the computer screen, dreaming about doing something that would inspire me.

Doing something that would truly make me happy.

And allow me to use my creativity to make a living.

A lot of times, I’d read stories of other entrepreneurs who started an online business with ridiculously low investments.

One day, I discovered that you could create a website for under $20 and get it up and running in under 30 minutes.

I was hooked. Soon, I was consuming new information and digesting it. Although when the thought of taking action came, I’d suppress it because I was afraid.

Each day, I’d “escape” my working window and open up a new one to read blogs of these people who were living their passion.

After five years of courting the idea of quitting my job in hopes of something bigger, better and less restraining, I finally quit to start my writing business from home.

I remember that evening when I came back from work. I’d quit! I was ecstatic.

I’d finally be free from the shackles of a day job and do what I always wanted to.

What could go wrong? I had done enough research. I knew where to look for assignments.

That evening, I sent out a few emails to prospective “clients” that would hire me, and waited.

And waited…

Waited…

Until a few days later, one responded back.

She was a Content Manager for a rev-share site. I won’t go into details, but suffice it to say that with a rev-share site, you don’t know when you’ll get paid (if you get paid at all that is).

After writing several pieces for them, I had whopping $34 in my account and that’s when the company decided their model was no longer working and the website shut down.

What happened to my $34? Who knows.

So much for a glimmer of hope.

But that was not a complete waste — I learned heaps from writing those few pieces at 700 words each. I used them as clips for real clients.

That was in early 2010. Many such hard lessons later, I came to discover a whole new world of lucrative freelance writing assignments that’s so different from a typically dull 9-5 JOB.

I make full-time living working (almost) part-time.

Here’s what you’re getting into.

I get to work from home;

I can wake up at 9 AM or work until 2 AM if I want to;

I help amazing clients with their content;

I can take a day off in the middle of the week “just because”;

My work constantly gives me that warm, fuzzy feeling inside every day.

Luck is B.S.

I didn’t reach her by chance or luck. It has been a looong journey of learning, unlearning and relearning in my business.

A profound principles in life is that there is no overnight success. I read on James Altucher’s blog once. An overnight success takes at least five years of solid work.

So freaking true.

Your life doesn’t give a rat’s ass about you.

If you don’t show interest in it, that is.

But if you want to create a life on your terms, listen up.

I want you to have it all. I want you to live the life I’m living.

I am willing to give you everything I’ve learned in these 4+ years all wrapped beautifully in a gift box.

This is where we reach a fork in the road.

At this point, I want to tell you two things:

• This is no get-rich-quick scheme.
• If you want to make a living as a writer, you need to know how to write and string a sentence together.

And this is not for everyone, by the way.

If you cannot sacrifice the stability of a monthly paycheck even a little bit (because you’ll need a few extra hours transition into your writing business, gradually) OR if you cannot spare a few hours to put into your business from the start, you can safely skip reading any further.

This is for you if:

• You love freedom and working on your own terms;
• You’re ready to do the work;
• Hate the feeling of a “boss” always looking over your shoulder;
• Want to spend ore time with your family instead of commuting;
• Have no ceiling over what you can make per month
• Love writing

So! I am excited to invite you to The Well-Paid Writers’ Club.

Inside the Club there is everything you need to get started to make a living writing.

It is my hold-your-hand mentorship course that has step-by-step reports on how to:

• break into freelance writing with no experience
• make your first $1000 writing
• find high-paying new clients
• transition into writing full-time (if you wish to quit your day job)
• market your services as a new writer without appearing desperate
• identify the types of writing that pay from writing scams
• pitch editors and get new assignments
• negotiate and price your service
• insider tips from my ow first-hand experience
• monthly Q & A to ask your burning questions about your business
• access to a writer community

All this at a monthly price of a cheap dinner.

Let me be honest. Working behind the scenes on the Club has already taken more than 15 hours, and I’ve not even uploaded 15% of the content yet.

Using simple math, if I were coaching you for 15 hours, I’d charge you $2475 at least.

In the Club, I am giving away the same lessons I do with my one-on-one coaching clients. I give away marketing tips and productivity hacks through resources that you can keep for life.

I also host a monthly webinar where you get to interact and ask me your burning questions first hand.

Ask me anything from getting your first break or moving to $6K/mo in your writing business.

Value? Priceless.

You can have all this at only $19/mo.

No, I’m not kidding.

How to Become a (Paid) Writer & Make Your First 1K Writing

At this time, I am taking only 20 driven students inside the Club. If you think you’re one, go here and register your interest.

We’ll be opening the gates for the first time in the coming days. Behind the gates, your content is ready, waiting to be served.

You can opt out anytime. No “cancellation fees”. No “contracts”. Nothing.

It’s only for 20 people who are READY to make an extra income from writing from home.

Once you tell me you’re interested, you’ll be the first one to know when the gates open.

I’m not sure when we’ll open them again once 20 seats are filled.

Cool?

Listen: You’re unique. You have a message to share. And writing can give you that platform. The possibilities are endless.

I know what you’re capable of.

So I’ll be waiting for you on the other side.

Let’s get this party started!

There is no passion to be found playing small, in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living. ~Nelson Mandela

After spending a fortune and years of study on engineering followed by 5 years and 3 months on a job that I hated, I was lost for words. Is this what I’d been waiting for? Clearly not.

I knew I wasn’t doing what I loved. But then, I had zero clue about what I really loved. I had no idea what my passion was, and my life lacked deeper meaning.

I’d wake up in the morning with my head full of dread. I’d drag myself out of the bed to get ready, inching at a snail’s pace. Each morning, I’d try to find a reason to miss work, but of course staying at home would worsen my fears and make me feel even more miserable.

I realized that either I had to change something soon or silently take what my corporate life threw at me. The latter thought made me shudder, and it was for the first time in my life I was brutally honest with myself.

There’s a moment when something inside you tells you GO. Despite “logic”, it backs you up with an indescribable strength. That happened to me in 2009.

I’d be lying if I said I was not afraid. But at the same time, I was more excited than afraid. I didn’t know what would happen the next day but somehow knew I was on the right path.

I took a leap of faith and dived into freelance writing and for the first time in years I wasn’t waking up to dread but excitement of what was to come next.

In these four years, I found my passion of writing. Now I get to work from home (a picture I painted only in my dreams), for about 20 hours a week, and make as much as someone working 40 hours a week at a corporate job. I can leave home to work in my local library or a cafe if I wanted to, or log in through my home office desk.

But the ride hasn’t been easy – it’s been a steep learning curve. Through this post, I share my deepest lessons and hope they will help you find your own purpose in life:

5 Ways to Find Your Passion in Life and Live It

1. Find what passion means for you

Remember how the Cheshire cat in Alice in Wonderland shares his wisdom? Alice asks the cat, “Which road should I take?” to which the cat replies, “Well, where do you want to go?” “I don’t know”. The cat says, “Then it doesn’t matter which path you take.”

It’s the same with passion. Unless you know what passion means for you and where you want to go with it, you’re going to find the process of “finding” passion frustrating.

But as you dive deeper, you’ll soon realize it’s all about finding what makes you happy in this moment. You jump out of bed, excited to get to work. You love tackling challenges because for you, work becomes play. You’re living in true alignment with your core values.

If you’re confused where to go next, grab a pen and paper and answer what passion means for you. Write in a free-flow manner. Write whatever comes to you no matter how silly it may sound.

Now, move into a time in future when you’re already living your passion on a day-to-day basis. Tune into the moment in future as if it’s happening right now. What do you see, hear and feel? Write it down.

When you paint the picture, listen to what’s happening around you and describe it in words, you’re engaging all three senses and drawing answers from your future self. Do this exercise and see how you go!

2. Believe in yourself

You may already have a crystal clear idea of your passion. You just don’t know how to live it. Most often than not, you face overwhelm because you’re looking at new changes in one gulp.

A good way to build trust in your own abilities and embrace a passionate life is to take it 30 days at a time. Let me explain.

Pick a new habit that you think is integral in designing your passionate life. Don’t look at it as a permanent change but as something that you’ve got to do for the next 30 days only. It’s like those free digital products that you can try before you buy. You’re trying this new habit on for 30 days and you’re free to discard it if you don’t like what follows.

For example, you know one of your passions is to run a marathon. You decide to run outdoors for 25 minutes every single day for next 30 days irrespective of your schedule or the weather. You enter a pact.

Once you gain the momentum, you’ll soon realize it’s hard to stop after day 7. And who in their right mind would stop after day 15? And day 28, you’re this close to your goal, why would you stop then?

Now on day 30, you feel somewhat like this: “Wow, I never thought I’d be able to do this for 30 days straight! I wonder what happens if I continue to bet my own record. How amazing it’d be if I kept going on day 31, 32 and so on? After all, it no longer feels too hard to run for 25 minutes. In fact, tomorrow, I’ll run for 30 mins and see how I go.”

You enter into another 30-day pact with yourself…and before you know, you’ve run the whole year. You do it because it feels great. You believe in yourself because you’re living your passion.

3. Look for what draws you in

Think of what you loved doing as a child. For me, I could get lost in my own world when I was in my painting class. I remember I’d come home and sit down to finish my drawing homework. I gave my mom a hard time during lunch. She had to call my name several times before I sat down to eat.

That was a clear indicator that I was artistically inclined. As I grew up, science and engineering books made their way to shelves and drawing books were shifted to bottom drawers of my study. Slowly, I forgot about drawing. It was years after during a cleaning spree that I re-discovered my drawings. It still  made my heart sing, so I bought new drawing supplies from the market and got back into the habit of drawing.

4. Slow down

You’re bored of your day job where you spend the most amount of time during a day. You’re wondering if this is all there is to life. Your brain is racing at top speed to find answers for you. You’re reading external resources to “get clear” on your passion so you can quit your current lifestyle and build a new one, instantly leading to more frustration.

Sadly, it’s not as easy as casting a Harry Potter spell. To really get an answer, you have to slow down and listen to that inner voice within. Meditate for a few minutes a day or go out for a nature walk. Do whatever it takes to switch off the outer world first to be able to listen to your inner voice.

Sometimes, the answers lie within.

5. Change your language

Most of us tell ourselves “I am not good enough” or “I am not beautiful enough”.

We create a whole story which is negative. We keep feeding this story to our subconscious. To break the cycle, change your language of self-talk. Along with the 30-day habit above, use more empowering words that lead to self-confidence and courage.

Begin a new story today and start over. Back it up with actions. If you keep telling yourself you can’t, well guess what? You won’t.

I found writing to be a very inspirational channel to re-write my story. As a kid, I used to write in my journal and although it worked for me like “therapy” in my teens, I also literally re-wrote my story through journaling. Writing allowed me to acknowledge myself for all the awesome things I’d done and the unique individual that I was.

When you write, or even do a brain dump, new ideas and lessons emerge from so-called difficult situations. You find relief in pain. Soon, you’re able to weave a new story about yourself.

6. Be more open

Most people will put enormous pressure on themselves to find their passion. They’ll quickly feel dejected if they haven’t been able to find that one thing they’re meant to do.

What if it didn’t work this way?

Don’t be too rigid with definitions or what others have told you. You may have one, two, or ten passions and that’s OK. All you have to do is find time for each and possibly make a living out of one or two.

Passion-hunting is an adventure. When I listened to the still small voice within me say “Go!” I took freelance writing up with an anticipation and child-like curiosity. That was the key.

Be open to your options. Take the plunge. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes because failure at one thing is only feedback for the next step. The best way to start now is by observing your thoughts. Where are they running? What is your inner voice whispering?

Image by martinak15.