Personal Development for Smart People Forums - View Single Post - 35 y/o and Don't know what I want to be when I grow up

ahimel · 11-10-2006, 09:00 PM

Here's what I'm trying, and have advised my 23-year-old brother-in-law to try also.

I've determined that I need to earn $1500 after taxes in order to meet my committed expenses and have some to save/invest. But rather than try to find a single job that pays $1500, I've decided to try the multiple-streams-of-income theory. (Steve has an article on this, but I can't remember the title.)

Any day now, I'll find a part-time job that pays at least half of what I need ($800 or so). Then I'll try to generate $100/mo from 6-8 other sources, seeing how I can turn my hobbies into income. What I have so far:

Hobby: Music Income Stream: 1-2 singing gigs each month

Hobby: Spreadsheets (I know this makes me sick and wrong): Income Stream: designing spreadsheets that people can download for a small donation; computer consulting

Hobby: Photography Income Stream: 10-15 prints or 1-2 framed pictures sold each month

Hobby: Coming up with wacky ideas Income Stream: Consulting for people who need brainstorming help

Skill: planning and organizing Income Stream: Business consulting for operations departments

Skill: doing something exactly the same way every time Income Stream: business consulting for entrepreneurs who've read E-myth

Obviously, these won't all be making me $100/month instantly. I'll be living off of my savings for a while, and my family will recieve homemade Christmas gifts this year. But none of these is especially outrageous. Selling one picture/month? One gig/month? If I can charge $1/idea, I only have to come up with 100 ideas/month. They're very realistic goals.

And while none of them is (right now) passive income, it is income that I got by doing things I enjoy. And as I get more experience, I'll learn how to tweak them into passive income.

To help with your brainstorming, here's what I'm recommending to my brother-in-law

Skill: Basketball Income stream: coaching? Tutoring?
Skill: Guitar Income stream: gigs, teaching
Skill: Comedy Income stream: stand-up, freelance marketing
Skill: Magic tricks Income stream: children's birthday parties
Skill: Outdoor sports Income stream: tour guide

If anyone wants help brainstorming ideas for your hobbies and skills, PM me. (I won't even charge you.

)

11-10-2006, 09:00 PM	#9 (permalink)
ahimel Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Boulder, Colorado Posts: 398	Good; 'cause I don't know either, but I'm only 25 Here's what I'm trying, and have advised my 23-year-old brother-in-law to try also. I've determined that I need to earn $1500 after taxes in order to meet my committed expenses and have some to save/invest. But rather than try to find a single job that pays $1500, I've decided to try the multiple-streams-of-income theory. (Steve has an article on this, but I can't remember the title.) Any day now, I'll find a part-time job that pays at least half of what I need ($800 or so). Then I'll try to generate $100/mo from 6-8 other sources, seeing how I can turn my hobbies into income. What I have so far: Hobby: Music Income Stream: 1-2 singing gigs each month Hobby: Spreadsheets (I know this makes me sick and wrong): Income Stream: designing spreadsheets that people can download for a small donation; computer consulting Hobby: Photography Income Stream: 10-15 prints or 1-2 framed pictures sold each month Hobby: Coming up with wacky ideas Income Stream: Consulting for people who need brainstorming help Skill: planning and organizing Income Stream: Business consulting for operations departments Skill: doing something exactly the same way every time Income Stream: business consulting for entrepreneurs who've read E-myth Obviously, these won't all be making me $100/month instantly. I'll be living off of my savings for a while, and my family will recieve homemade Christmas gifts this year. But none of these is especially outrageous. Selling one picture/month? One gig/month? If I can charge $1/idea, I only have to come up with 100 ideas/month. They're very realistic goals. And while none of them is (right now) passive income, it is income that I got by doing things I enjoy. And as I get more experience, I'll learn how to tweak them into passive income. To help with your brainstorming, here's what I'm recommending to my brother-in-law Skill: Basketball Income stream: coaching? Tutoring? Skill: Guitar Income stream: gigs, teaching Skill: Comedy Income stream: stand-up, freelance marketing Skill: Magic tricks Income stream: children's birthday parties Skill: Outdoor sports Income stream: tour guide If anyone wants help brainstorming ideas for your hobbies and skills, PM me. (I won't even charge you. )