A couple of years ago I was at a wedding, and I overheard a conversation close by: the young man was talking about following his dream, but he said he would do it one day when he retired, and then he would have the means to do it. I baulked at the idea, not ever wanting to wait 20 years before I finally had the means to pursue something meaningful to me.
But he was not entirely wrong. There are two ways to finance your dream. The one is simply to throw caution to the wind and follow your heart (or start when you’re very young and you have parents or a rich uncle to act as your safety net). Yes, it’s true, the money will eventually come, but it might take a few years before it comes. Perhaps you are someone who didn’t know when he was younger what he really wanted to do with his life, and now you’re married with kids and you realise you wanted to be that painter.
No problemo. Let’s get realistic for a moment. Throwing caution to the wind and starting to paint without having food for the children is not a good idea. So let’s look at the other way. You have two options: slowly do a little bit every day, or wait those 20 years. A recent study found that we can eke out over 30 hours a week to do stuff that we claim we never have time for – and do this while we still have a full-time job (and all the benefits that go with it).
Personally I am more a fan of the do-a-little-daily approach, so that by the time the 20 years roll by I have already amassed a body of work (in this example, let’s say 1 painting a month, so 240 paintings). But if you’re only able to start living your dream at 65, the day after you retire, then make sure you do the 240 paintings in 2 years instead of 20. Thank your day job for securing your retirement, and then get busy following your heart.
Remember, it’s never too late: “Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree” – Martin Luther. And even though some people claim he never said this, it’s a nice thing to say anyway!