The phrase “follow your bliss” is just about everywhere these days. It means, quite simply, that you should follow your passions rather than trying to always remain practical. Many people, however, worry that they won’t be able to stay solvent by following their passions.

Can you capitalize on your bliss?

The answer, luckily, is yes, although it may take some work. It is often not a great idea to quit your job, take out tons of personal loans, and start pursuing your passion (unless you have a great way to pay off all those unsecured loans). If you want to follow a passion, the first question to ask is whether you want to pursue this bliss full-time. If you love writing music, is this something you would like to do all day or just something you want to do once in a while? If it’s something you want to do part-time, you can often rearrange your current schedule to find time for your new hobby.

If you want to pursue a passion – such as drawing, for instance – full-time, you need to figure out how to pay your bills and still follow your bliss. Many people do this by making money with what used to be a hobby. There are plenty of courses, books, and informational sessions that can help teach you how to do this. Look up people who had a similar passion and turned it into a career. Follow in their footsteps and you might find similar success.

It often helps to start with small steps when following a dream. Consider pursuing an interest part-time until it really takes off and starts making you money. This will ensure you don’t have to take out huge personal loans right away and it gives you a chance to see whether you really love your passion to pursue it full-time. It allows you to find out more how your income taxes will change as you switch gears and will give you time to build up success before you take the leap.…