Life changes such as retirement or losing a job can be difficult for those who have been active all their working lives. Don’t forget the all-important stay at home parent now faced with an empty house. Finding a new purposeful business or hobby can help take the edge off loss and give a good reason to get up in the morning. No matter what one is changing “from” there are ways to find purpose and a sense of satisfaction. These activities don’t have to be full-time but can generate income.
One way is to look for a place to use the experience gained through a career. This can be invaluable to someone starting out in the job world. Your insight typically can’t be learned in the classroom. Start by finding where people that will benefit are located. Physically this may be at schools, job fairs or special interest groups meetings. Take it online and social media forums can provide you with a platform. My favorite is LinkedIn but there are many more. Use your search engine of choice looking for something like career planning discussions. You’re bound to find someone in need. Another idea is to create a video blog where you discuss subject matter and place them on YouTube, Instagram or learning sites like Udemy. Create your own original typed blog and watch followers increase.
Your contributions don’t need to be just about business but can include a hobby that you are good at. Know a trick on how to fix something on a car or around home? Record a video and put it on YouTube. Do you have skills in building furniture or another craft? Record it. While there may be other videos with similar subjects, your approach and style just might draw a certain crowd. There isn’t much investment but once you start getting appreciative comments back you suddenly feel useful and get excited about doing something with purpose.
Can you make money at any of these? Yes, but may require extensive networking and excellent content that provides value and information worth reading or watching. Approach it like starting a business and develop a business plan.
One last word to consider. Volunteer. So many great organizations need volunteer help these days. Seek your areas of interest and invest some time. It will feel good. Good luck to you.
Ted Saul is a business coach and writer that assists with Business Plans, Project Management and Career Management. He earned his MBA from Regis University along with a Masters in project management. Ted can be reached on LinkedIn or by emailing TedSaulbiz@gmail.com.
