On August 2nd, 2020 I wrote a newsletter to 99 amazing people titled Why You Must Follow Your Passions.

I kept up my goal of writing a newsletter every week for a few months, before the pandemic hit, the world flipped upside down and all of my routines went completely out the window.

I lost my full-time job and I attempted to flip a side hustle into my full-time gig.

I’m writing this feeling very tired, but here’s a sequel of sorts to follow up that article I wrote back in August. I’m shocked that it was only August 2020 because a lot has happened since then…

I used to always go on and on about how I wanted a business.

For years I would feel so frustrated that I didn't have a business idea.

"The idea that would change everything."

My brother even bought me a book about coming up with business ideas (left) and a thoughtful book to jot down “Joe’s Crazy Idea’s” (right). I’ll show you some of the ideas in there one day.

I wanted to be given direction from somebody, but it never came, and so I just defaulted to the only real other option we have. To try lots of things!

So much of life and success is experimentation. It’s only when you look back can you judge what decisions were good or bad and it’s a lot easier to connect the dots in hindsight to make it look like you had some perfectly executed plan.

The truth is I had no plan. YOU probably don’t have a plan. This is life!

We can’t close our eyes and pray for a business idea to come to us (believe me, I’ve tried). But a very practical option that we can do is to get a lot of experience.

Love him or hate him, I watched this video by Gary Vaynerchuk when I was 18 and it really helped me.

A lightbulb went off. Finally, I was hearing some contrarian advice. Finally, somebody was cutting through the bullshit that things just fall into place without action.

You have to act. You have to do things. Only when the wheels are in motion can serendipity vehicles reveal themselves.

I worked 10 part-time jobs before I had a full-time role. From volunteering at Cancer Research, to stacking shelves at The Co-op and serving popcorn at Cineworld. Every role taught me something.

It was great to earn pocket money, it was great to learn how (and how not) to treat people and it was beneficial to be paid a full-time income whilst figuring out everything else in the evenings and weekends.

View your job as being paid to learn.

Over time you can align the work that you do with something you find interesting. You CAN enjoy your job - it really is a choice.

I signed clients up for MONTHS with Google Drive templates, an email address with my date of birth in it and I still can't for the life of me come up with a good business name.

Even if things don't work out I have experience that nobody can take away from me. Life really is a journey and the fun is in the process.

I’m not sure when I will write Part 3 of this series, but please, follow your passions.

You’ll be glad that you did.