John belonged to the choir from a young age; he’s always been fascinated with musical instruments and has a vivid picture of himself ‘ shutting down shows’ and going on music tours when he grows up.
This was his passion, which he wanted to pursue as it was something he loved doing. As John grew older, life happened.
John graduated with a second-class upper degree from one of the federal universities in the country. After his graduation, he delved into tech and specialized in UI/UX design.
However, John still loved music, as he did from a tender age, and dreamed of when he would win the Headies or Grammy.
Having made some money from his tech job, John thinks it’s high time he left the work to fully focus on his music career, as he had garnered some funds to produce his first Extended Playlist (EP).
This is some advice for John on his job and his passion.
One of the things John must realize is that quitting your job in a society with economic realities like Nigeria requires many bold decisions that must be carefully considered.
While passion is something that fuels one’s desire and lifelong dream, getting your daily income to pay your bills is important.
Passion vs reality
John has to understand that beyond his dream of becoming a singer, he must weigh his options and note the feasibility of turning his passion into a sustainable career.
He must understand the business of his career. For music, what goes into music production? promotion, and video, among other things that make a successful musician.
Preparation
If John thinks of quitting his job, he must be fully prepared for the demands that come with his departure. He must realize that he must have made some moves before deciding to fully embrace his passion.
How many songs has he made? How many shows has he attended? The network he has built in the music industry is his online presence.
While all this is not a guarantee of a successful music career, it helps in building a foundation for his passion.
Just like a young football player who desires to play for the best football clubs in Europe, he must attend football training regularly to keep fit, attend football trials, have video clips of his performances, and stay abreast of the tactical revolution in the football world.
All these help him prepare when the opportunity arises.
Market demand
For John, he must understand the market demands of his passion. It’s not enough to sing; how commercially viable is the genre he wants to go into?
For instance, Afrobeats is the biggest genre in the country. Does his sound align with afrobeats?
If he does others like Gospel, Fuji, Hip-Hop, and Rap, how can he make a living out of it? It’s important to know these things before his passion becomes a nightmare.
Contingency plan/exit strategy
One thing associated with having a passion for something or talent is that there are millions of people out there in the world jostling to get a chance in a world where the chances are limited and the competition is high.
In football, music, acting, and others, we see hundreds of people daily following this path.
John must be a realist and understand that there’s a probability that the odds will be in his favour or not.
Just like the street lingo, there’s a 50-50 chance that he will get the big break or be on the other side of the divide. John must have a well-thought-out plan for his exit strategy if his passion will no longer be a reality (if he intends to quit his job).
Also, one question John must ask himself is the long-term sustainability of his passion.
If he wants to go into music, he must understand the age limit for his genre. John, in his 50s, wouldn’t want to do Afrobeats, as he doesn’t fall into the category of such.
There are many stories of successful musicians, footballers, athletes, and artists, among others, who left their jobs to embrace their passion, and it paid off.
While this is feasible and leaves one fulfilled, it’s important to understand the above-listed factors that are applicable to your passion before you decide to leave your job.
