It’s Coach T here again, with a little spark to light a fire under your Dream!
We all have Dreams we’d like to pursue — but do you know what kind of Dreamer you are?
Understanding where you’re coming from is essential to get where you’re going on your Dream journey. Once you become clear about who you really are and what you should be doing with your life, a future of achievable possibilities will open up to you!
I’ve been exploring the five Dreamer personalities described in my new book, The Big Stretch, which are based on my experience helping more than 180,000 Dreamers turn their big ideas into thriving enterprises through The Dream Project. So far, I’ve covered Careerpreneur Dreamers, who build their Dreams within existing organizations.
Today, I’m going to focus on a Dreamer who’s often misunderstood and whose Dreams are often discounted by many (even themselves!): the Hobby Dreamer.
Who are Hobby Dreamers?
Hobby Dreamers have “day jobs” that pay the bills and passions that provide personal fulfillment, but the two may not necessarily intersect. A Hobby Dreamer may simply want to explore creating or expanding a hobby for the sake of enjoyment, or they may ultimately desire to create an additional income stream by launching their hobby into a business.
How to tell if you’re a Hobby Dreamer
Do you have a passion project outside of your 9-5 job that provides a sense of satisfaction or fulfillment? Do people constantly ask for your help decorating their homes, landscaping their property, making meals, or rewriting their resumes? Do you find yourself longing to pursue this passion, or even to monetize it, and feeling happier when you’re able to spend more time on it? If so, you sound like a Hobby Dreamer!
Here are some of my favorite Hobby Dreamers who inspire me every day. These amazing multi-talented dreamers have found a way to monetize their passions outside of their 9 to 5.
- Christina Totton, creator of No Special Occasion, an Instagram influencer who started by sharing travel tips and advice with her friends
- Tia Mowry-Hardrict, an actress who also hosts a popular web series, “Tia Mowry’s Quick Fix,” which showcases her love of cooking, home decor and self-care
- Alberto Lorente, a Sprint executive whose passion for cooking led him to compete on TV’s “Iron Chef”
How to thrive as a Hobby Dreamer
As a Hobby Dreamer, you may be willing to dedicate some of your finances toward expanding your Dream, but are not willing to risk it all in pursuit of your passion project just yet. Start thinking about where you can use your talents within your industry, company, or community to spend time doing what you love without the financial risk. If you’re interested in generating more income from your hobby, boost the marketing and promotional side of your Dream while balancing your need to maintain a healthy career.
Don’t feel like you need to saddle your passion project with the burden of financially supporting you and your family. Many Hobby Dreamers may look at it as though it’s a this-or-that choice – pursuing their hobby full-time or accepting failure. But, imagine this: what if you did both? Why not work your day job and still pursue your passion and hobbies on the side, if that’s what fulfills you? That’s still pursuing your Dream!
That’s not to say you can’t one day feature your artwork in a gallery, publish your first novel or launch your own landscaping company, but you should first and foremost do what you love for the joy of it. And if you choose to pursue your Hobby Dream completely outside your income-earning work with no financial demands, more power to you!
We all have the same 24 hours each day. How are you using those hours to STRETCH towards your Dreams? Let’s connect on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn to keep inspiring each other on our Dream journeys!
Forever Your Dream Coach,
Teneshia J. Warner ( Coach T)
