If you’re struggling to visualize the step by step process of pursuing a passion, you may not be strategizing how to break things down into solvable problems. My advice; do a deep brainstorm session about your passion and document as much as possible. Ask friends who are known for getting things done to participate.

If you still have a blank page, you may lack the commitment to take the leap. This could be because you are not sure if this is what you want. We may have to go back to the drawing board and examine what you wanted out of this passion in the first place. Perhaps there is a third, yet unidentified option, that is your true calling. Unfortunately, there is no simple solution here. You may want to speak with a career coach.

How about some tough love?

You might be intimidated by the blank canvas and too apprehensive to make the first mark. Just pick one thing and start!

Your lack of organization and project management skills might be hampering you from executing your passion.

You do not have enough context. Check out the book Getting Things Done by David Allen or other literature about how organization habits lead to increased productivity.

Scenarios:

The “chicken-and-the-egg” dilemma that prevents you from pursuing your passion? Do you want to become a circus performer but have no performing experience? With no experience, none of the circuses want to hire you. But if none of them hire you, it’s hard to get experience.

Or you are in a “catch-22” situation where your desired outcome is impossible to attain on your current trajectory. Need to bootstrap. Start with a seed, then get somewhere with that seed, then plant more seeds, and repeat. The trick is finding the first seeds.

Here’s what you can do to get experience when you don’t have any on something:

Research and figure out who are some industry experts on the topic and interview them. Produce an article with what you found out. Publish in a local paper, trade publication, blog or another media source. During your interview, ask for advice on what would they do to gain experience if they were in your shoes with your education, experience, and circumstance?

More Ways to get started:

1) Do an internship.

2) Ask to be an apprentice.

3) Work for free.

4) Start a blog on the topic.

5)Research and read everything you can lay your hands on.

6) Attend conferences and talk to people in this field

7) Complete a project that showcases what you can do on this topic. It should be something that excites you, that can be completed in a reasonable amount of time (4 months or less).

Use the results you generate here to gain bigger and better opportunity. Rinse and repeat.