What to Do When the Money Doesn't Follow (From Doing What You Love)
By Isabel Partlett

The Inspired Professional
www.inspiredpro.com

We all know the saying "Do what you love and the money will follow" and yet so many of us have found that one does not seem to follow the other. We want it to be true, and yet we suspect there is more to the equation.

So, here's my take on the matter. Doing what you love is crucial. Given the hours we spend at work, you cannot live a rich life if there isn't some love in what you do. But the money doesn't automatically follow. Here's why:

1. You love what you do, but you haven't mastered it. It isn't enough to love something. To be paid, you need to be good at doing what you love. Fortunately, loving something can keep you going while you move through the learning curve and get good.

2. You're brilliant at what you do, but you don't see it clearly. Most of my clients are in this category. They sense they have something special to offer, but they don't really see exactly what makes them special. And because they don't see it, they aren't good at conveying it to others. Getting feedback from someone who listens for those pearls of wisdom will give you a new appreciation for what you have to offer.

3. You aren't comfortable or don't ask to be paid for what you do. This is a deep issue, but not a fatal one. Often we have a deep belief that trips us up when it comes to asking to be paid. One of my clients recently said she felt deep down she just wasn't part of the money-making club. Therapy, Debtor's Anonymous, or conscious work with those constricting beliefs can start to shift your relationship with money.

4. You don't have a form or vehicle to put your brilliance into. Unfortunately, we usually don't get paid to sit around being clever. We need to have some way to deliver what we have to someone else. Whether it's a product, a book, or your efforts driving a new initiative at work, find a way to make what you offer tangible to the rest of the world.

5. You don't help people to connect what you do with what they really want. Sometimes we get so carried away with what excites us that we don't make it easy for others to catch up. And sometimes the words that light you up don't translate for other people. If you want to be paid for what you do, you need to first understand what other folks want, then be able to tell them how what you offer will help them get it.

Write Isabel at: isabel@inspiredpro.com