Passion projects are typically creative side projects or part-time hobbies that closely exemplify your true passion, and fit the narrative of your dream life. The thing with passion projects, is that they give your days purpose and meaning, and give you something to get excited about.

Passion projects can reduce anxiety, increase self-confidence, provide self-validation,  and improve your mood. Passion projects also keep you motivated, keep you one step ahead of your competition, and can help you stay focused on your goals.

If you’re thinking of your goals, beginning a passion project should definitely be one of them.

Passion Projects Make You Feel Fulfilled, and Less Lonely

Passion projects, as I mentioned before, provide your life with more meaning, purpose, and fulfillment. If you have ever wondered how to cope with loneliness, know that passion projects give you something to feel excited about, and help you cope with loneliness.

Also, it’s true that passion projects can help you uncover hidden talents you didn’t know you had, or help you realize your gift. This means that ultimately, a passion project that you’re dedicated to can fast-track your path towards your dream career.

By committing time to a side hobby or passion project that epitomizes your dream career and harnesses your natural talents, you’ll simultaneously learn the skills required to succeed in that industry – and you’ll meet like-minded individuals who work in that industry as well. The relationships you foster while working on a passion project can get your foot in the door and help you land your dream job. Here are 6 examples of passion projects and the corresponding dream jobs they could lead you to:

Passion Project 1: Starting a lifestyle blog

Dream jobs this could lead to: Senior Editor at a magazine or Brand Marketing Manager

Starting and maintaining a lifestyle blog is a type of passion project that requires a ton of self-taught marketing, branding, social media management, editing and writing. Heading your own blog gifts you with so much incredible experience, which could one day help you land a job at a popular magazine’s head office as a writer or editor, for example. The skills you learn while being a blogger will come in very handy down the road, when you’re ready to lock down a career in a similar field.

Passion Project 2: Volunteering once per week at an animal shelter

Dream jobs this could lead to: Veterinarian or an Animal Cruelty Investigator

If you’re an animal-lover, you’ve probably thought about a career working with animals. Your passion for animals and your desire to care for them could motivate you to pursue a passion project that involves regularly volunteering at an animal shelter. This experience in your dream field could certainly lead you towards a career working with animals. Many Veterinarians, for example, started off volunteering at shelters. A step in the right direction in the form of volunteering will help seal your fate in this rewarding career.

Passion Project 3: Upcycling cool thrift store and flea market home décor finds

The dream jobs this could lead to: Interior Decorator, Home Staging or Home Décor Store Owner

If you love to search for hidden gems at thrift stores and flea markets to decorate your home with, and you often ‘flip’ a cool find by re-painting it or fixing it up yourself, you may have found your dream job. By consistently heading to thrift stores and flea markets, you’ll develop an eye for unique and beautiful home décor items. There could be a career for you in interior decorating, or maybe you’re meant to own your own store where you sell all your upcycled thrift store finds that are one-of-a-kind treasures.

Passion Project 4: Teaching yourself mehanics and fixing up cars on the side

The dream jobs this could lead to: Owning your own shop or becoming a mobile mechanic

If your passion is all things cars, there’s no better passion project than to teach yourself everything there is to know about them. Your expertise could end up earning you a ton of side income, as you can offer your services as a side gig. There’s always people looking to get something fixed on their car, or looking to ensure their car is not hackable. They’ll pay good money to have you come and take a look at their vehicle, replace a broken mirror or look into securing their car from vehicle hackers.

Passion Project 5: Learning portrait photography by taking headshots of friends

The dream jobs this could lead to: Wedding Photographer or Freelance Photographer

There’s something incredibly satisfying about capturing that perfect photo. Some of us are passionate about photography, and we therefore pick up passion projects that relate to that field. Yours could be that you often take portrait photographs of your friends and family members, that they end up using for something they needed a photo of themselves for. Practice makes perfect, and by committing to a photography-related passion project, you’ll learn the skills and artistry required to be a great photographer. Each time you snap a portrait of someone, you’ll learn more and more about lighting, poses and direction. You’ll become a pro in no time, and this side hobby could lead you to a lucrative career in full-time wedding photography.

Passion Project 6: Creating DIY handmade jewelry and gifts

Dream jobs this could lead to: Owner of an online store, Jewelry Designer

If you love DIY projects and you realized how talented you are when it comes to creating something hand-crafted and unique, you could end up with a career as a one-of-a-kind jewelry designer or become the owner of a lucrative online store. The best gifts and jewelry are handmade by someone who is truly passionate about their craft. Your passion project could include you creating handmade jewelry and selling it via social media. From there, you could end up with a huge following of eager buyers, an online store, and a name for yourself as a successful jewelry designer.

The above are just some of many examples of passion projects you could try. Comment below and let us know, what’s your passion project right now?

Erica Gordon is the author of Aren’t You Glad You Read This? The Complete How-To Guide for Singles with a History of Failed Relationships Who Want their Next Relationship to Succeed, available for only $4.99 on Amazon and on iBooks here.