What if you'd be paid for doing what you like?

More often than not, work is considered to be synonymous with boredom and drudgery. But it doesn't have to be so. Have you ever see or heard about a really successful person who hates his/her job? I myself seriously doubt that Madonna could have sold over 300 million records if she'd hate singing or performing before large audiences. You just cannot excel in something you hate. It is as simple as that. So if you are not as successful as you'd wish to be you can either go on complaining about the lack of chances OR take the time to find out what you'd actually like or even LOVE to do.

I know. Life can be extremely unfair. Especially if you are alone in a new country. Sometimes you just have to take any job you can find to earn your living. I know. I've been there. And there is nothing wrong with that... That is, there is nothing wrong with that, IF you don't give up your dreams. It sounds a bit cheese, but to succeed all you have to do is to stay motivated, be willing to change and find out what you are good at.

Whatever floats your boat

I think this is the most time consuming part of the whole process. Once you've decided what you would enjoy doing 8 or even 10 hours a day, the hard part is over. How come? If you are good at something you probably enjoy doing it. Luckily, it tends to be true the other way round as well: if you like doing something, you are most likely good at it.

Willing to give it a go? Than take a piece of paper and a pencil (a laptop would do as well ;) ). Now write down everything you are good at, like doing or you'd always wanted to try. Don't hold yourself back. Just go with the flow. When you're done, try to match each of them with a job.

I can hear you saying 'But you cannot earn your living by …' Think again, make a bit of a research on the internet or even ask a friend. Are you into shooting pictures? Why not consider becoming a professional photographer? Do you like talking? How about working as a call centre agent? Are you fond of weddings? Why not try yourself as a wedding or event organizer? And the list can go on and on.

The key element here is to know yourself. If you feel you could do with a bit of help, you might want to do a few personality tests to get to know yourself a bit better. The good news is, most of these tests are FREE, but remember: answer all the questions as honestly as you can. There are no good or bad answers. And more importantly, take the result with a pinch of salt. Just because it is written down it doesn't mean it is true. These tests are written by humans and as such, they are not faultless. Use it as a guideline rather than something that is cast in stone.

Now, plan

Once you've find something that you are talented in, it is time to make a plan. I do not know much about programming, but I know that they take a seemingly impossible task and break it into small, easily doable chunks. This is exactly what you need to do as well. Dream big and than make it happen step by step. Let's say that you want to become a head chef. The first step is to learn cooking. Most probably you already know how to prepare some basic dishes, but you still might need a little bit of experience. Based on your situation and aims you can either go to a cookery school or find a job as a kitchen assistant to gain some on-the-job training. Of course, this is not the only way to success. But you get my drift. Make a detailed plan focusing on the big question: HOW will I achieve my goals?

I cannot do it … or can I?

Motivation is essential. But it is quite difficult to stay motivated all the time. So, I'd suggest you to set short-term goals as well. If you have made a detailed plan, it will be much easier to keep yourself motivated, because reaching short-termed goals will make you more confident that you can do everything and anything you set out to do. Consider also using Matt Cutt's 30 days method to add a new habit or to get rid of some bad habits. It really works. Don't take my words for it. Take his:

As you can see, it IS doable. So, why not be paid for something you like doing?