The Going Broke Method of Finding Your Passion

February 26, 2011 by Julien Smith in Money with 28 Comments

There are two good methods to finding out what your passion really is.

One is to get really rich. When that happens, you become open to anything, and you have no limits. A rich dude can go anywhere, be anyone, and do anything if he has the time. Easy.

But this method is not available to most of us– at least, not yet.

Instead, let’s discuss the other way: Going broke. Going really broke.

In early 2005, when I had started podcasting, there was a brief period, maybe six months, where I lived off 5 dollars a day. I remember getting a coffee at a Starbucks every day– walking there– and the luxury it was to me at the time. It was amazing. I still look fondly on that time in my life.

Why? I felt free.

It’s hard to feel this way– really free– especially if you have kids or anyone else to take care of. You must have nothing– no options, no escape– nothing at all.

It happened to me by accident, but I suspect you can create this feeling on purpose, as well. To do it, you go minimalist. You create the feeling that, whatever you’re currently doing, it is over.

The feeling is powerful, scary, and is very hard to ignore.

Have you ever felt it? You would know if you had.

The reason I ask is because I’m curioous what it takes– what circumstances– to help you feel this way. I recently had the feeling again, for a separate reason, and I took up sculpting classes and started writing furiously as a result.

You become a different person when you are desperate. You become alive.

It could be a divorce, a death, a layoff– anything.

What was it for you?

About Julien Smith: Julien is the co-author of the NYT bestseller Trust Agents, with Chris Brogan. Subscribe to his blog here.

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http://matthewm.org Matt Medeiros

It really puts everything back into focus. You’re not lazy anymore because you NEED to change. You NEED to pull that trigger. You NEED to rectify that disaster that you created by being too comfortable in life.

Or else…
http://twitter.com/KatieFelten Katie Felten

Thanks Julien hits home today for me
http://www.suzemuse.com/ Susan Murphy

I think it happens because when you reach that point, you’re so hungry, that you’ll push further and longer and harder than when everything is all comfy cozy. So many people,once they start to get a bit of cash flow, taste a bit of success, decide to rest on their laurels at that point. They don’t see a reason to be hungry any more, since in their eyes they’ve already made it.

In my estimation, it’s when one’s tasted a bit of success that they should do exactly the opposite. Ride on the momentum of what’s happening. Stay hungry.
http://fullbleedartsmarketing.com John McLachlan

Best, most creative, opening and rich experience I ever had was the summer of 1989 when I sang for three weeks in Bogota, Colombia (and met amazing people and see stuff like I’d never seen before), spent two weeks on Hornby Island listening to music, writing music and swimming in the ocean and finally, going for two weeks on a sailboat up the coast of British Columbia.

Total cost? $0. I made some very little money and spent the same amount, but had an incredibly rich experience that I will never forget and have never quite managed to replicate.

The reason was that leading up to that, I’d been struggling to find work (and wasn’t getting much) so I had the opportunity (no responsibilities) to be able to do this. Important thing was: I had a choice. I could have settled for some “joe” work close to home but I would have missed out on it all.

I’ve had other enlarging experiences and they always stem from reaching some sort of crisis. The last was a “mid-life” crisis which helped shape my current move to a small island where I’m building a house. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve at least been able to say when something doesn’t work out so well “oh, great, I’m having a crisis – all sorts of good things will come out of this.”

But, what you’re getting at Julien, and that is most important, is the ability to do these more radical things like live like you’re broke, even when you’re not. It’s very difficult.
Michael

Dropping out of school by myself, telling my parents that I can’t tell them what I’ll do tomorrow, because I’m living in the present moment, on inspired action. Telling them “I can’t be what you want me to be, but I can promise you to be happy.”
Golden Light Art

Fascinating, terrifying, and if you never learn to live in the moment then you miss your whole life. It’s hard, like jumping off a cliff, but once you’re falling, you just relax and go with it, or what’s the point?
http://www.facebook.com/iammelissamaze Melissa Maze

I remember being laid off several years ago. I spent most of my time working out at the gym and traveling. It was the best time ever….no stress, no cares, just focus on being healthy and visiting new cities. I always remember that time and work to re-create it!
http://misstealady.tumblr.com Veronika

Congratulations Julien on a profoundly moving post.

This new-found feeling of freedom felt, brought about by walking out from my job of limited opportunities and maximum stress this past week is exhilarating! Having politely excused myself from such an environment replete of inspiration may perhaps leave me completely broke …however I am much happier and far more focused than I have ever been about fulfilling my life’s purpose.

Thank you for sharing.

Respectfully,
Veronika aka MissTeaLady
http://www.muddlavoie.com Mudd Lavoie

Desperation is indeed a powerful driving force. It drove me to drastically change my life, back in 1981, and it’s driving me once again towards a major shift, thirty years later. After spending the last eighteen months getting rid of nearly all my “stuff,” I’ll be taking the leap of faith in July, moving out of my subsidised co-op flat into I-haven’t-got-a-clue-where-or-what-yet. As the song goes: When you’ve got nothing, you’ve got nothing to lose. To be continued…
http://www.moodstep.com/happinessislove/ Joanna

I am broke NOW to follow my passion: happiness. Broke but working a lot for pleasure, for what carries meaning. Used to have all and more but it wasn’t enough. it’s a leap of faith to go to the bare minimum, through the desert to follow a hunch. I do have a great feeling of freedom but also sometimes doubt. Still I appreciate each moment of it because I learn about my relationship with money, status, consumption, happiness. Thanks for this post reminding me the perks of being broke
http://www.jonstow.com/blog Jon Stow

Like Melissa I was “laid off” and after being in shock for a couple of months I spent a lot of time in the gym. Then I started my own business and have a couple more now. I couldn’t work for anyone else and the freedom is wonderful.
Lisa

I have experienced this and the best part of how liberating it was was when I finally agreed with myself to let it be liberating and not imprisoning. Once I did that, and I remember the exact moment it happened – while driving home approaching an Interstate overpass stuck in traffic with the sign on the door that the bank was taking my home next week – I was relieved, happy and at peace. The next week, my life changed and options to come out of my challenge appeared and I succeeded and I still feel peace and happiness with the “stuff” I own and responsibilities I have.
http://davidweedmark.com/ David Weedmark

2005 was the year for me as well. It was madness, living only by what I made as a writer, often selling collections of my poetry door-to-door. I was even homeless for a couple months, but I don’t think I would trade the experience for anything. Freedom is expensive. There is a price to be paid. But when weighed against the regret of never trying, I’d gladly pay it again and again.
http://brettcohrs.com Brett

Tough part for me is to harmonize passion and caring for the people I’m responsible for. The key is learning how to approach (a) what I do for a living with more abandon–it’s an uncreative occupation, but all such careers can be approached more creatively and (b) what I love to do in my spare time and not piss time away doing useless things.
Terry

When I left Seattle after the Dotcom pop, my keyring was empty; no office key, no house key, no car key… everything I had used to identify who I was… was gone. Scary, but I was free to re-invent who I was.
http://twitter.com/gillie Amie Gillingham

As someone who has hit rock bottom finance-wise twice, I can agree that it’s totally different when you’re young and have nobody depending upon you. When you have kids, it’s nothing short of terrifying. Nothing liberating about it whatsoever.
http://plct.blogspot.com Keturah

Yes, this is so true.
Someday I hope to try the “get really rich” method, because I’ve done all different variations of the “really broke” method.
Divorce. Breakups. Firing God. Re-hiring God. Homelessness. Living with the parents after 5 years away.
The feeling of freedom is fleeting and after a while replaced with anxiety.
http://ClimbingEveryMountain.com Mary E. Ulrich

I don’t know Julien, you sort of lost me on this one.

I’ve been broke all my life and feel no freedom whatever. There are days when I wonder if I can take a deep breath and enjoy even that much relaxation.

I’ve never had a Starbucks coffee but I can understand indulging yourself in a hidden luxury.

Maybe it’s the luxury of youth. I’m happy for you, just can’t quite figure out the message.

Geez, maybe I need to try a Starbucks.
http://www.jonathanvaudreuil.com/ Jonathan Vaudreuil

Isn’t that how it always goes? You have nothing – no money, no responsibilities, nothing, and because of it endless possibilities exist.

I had nothing for an entire year, more or less. I made enough at a start-up to live for a short while, I scrimped on unemployment when it went under while planning my move to a different city and made it happen. The whole time one of my friends was insanely jealous of my lifestyle.

Looking back I get it: I lived it up by seeing my friends and just enjoying every moment I had. So simple, so beautiful. Even now I try to do that.

No matter where you are in life you can always reach out to find that feeling again. Just embrace the opportunity in right now.
http://www.LittleStepsAlongTheWay.com Amanda R.

My freedom comes from quitting a job that was unfulfilling to begin working on some little projects that really excite me. I feel like a bird set free from a cage spreading her little wings that had been cramped up for so long. I do have children, so they certainly don’t hold one back from experiencing freedom. For me, the freedom comes from two primary sources: 1) leaving the somewhat dysfunctional situation at my job; 2) trusting God to provide for my family’s needs, as I felt like I was following where He was leading me. Actually, I felt like I couldn’t get to where God wanted me to be from where I was, that I had to jump first. Scared sometimes, excited, and relishing the freedom.
http://TannerChristensen.com tannerc

You bring up a really good point Julien: that the freedom we can create for ourselves may lead us to discovering our passion (or at least other things that are valuable for us as individuals).

I’m a strong believer in creating personalized freedom, and I do it effortlessly by getting rid of what I really don’t need (who really needs more than two pairs of shoes, or unnecessary dishes, or even a TV?) and avoiding the trap of purchasing or collecting anything that isn’t absolutely required.
http://goinswriter.com Jeff Goins

Love this and Julien’s no-nonsense style of writing/communicating.
Tanya Veleva

Thanks for sharing Julien! Made me think of 2 moments for me:
- moving to a foreign country when I was 18, on my own, with a few hundred $ in my pocket and no job. It was scary and awesome at the same time, with a totally open horizon ahead of me.
- getting an eyesight-saving & really expensive eye surgery. I gave up alot to afford it, but the freedom of lifting the limitation of not being able to see and removing the repurcussions of that was worth every $. I felt totally free having my vision back and not being limited by it anymore.
http://twitter.com/WebDevJared Jared White

At the risk of sound banal, that was an interesting post.

More specifically, it goes against the typical grain of “oh, if only I had a million dollars! I could do whatever I want.” Sometimes, we can do whatever we what with $0, like previous commenter John MacLachlan said. If necessity is the mother of invention, having nothing can be incredibly inspirational and creative if we only choke back our fear and trust in something (or someone) greater than ourselves. OK, don’t mean to get all spiritual on you…anyway, I’ve been through some experiences not quite this drastic but still pretty intense lately, and I feel like it’s slowly making me much more productive — in a quality, purposeful sense — as a result. Good stuff.
Megan

When you’re in a state of desperation, it’s a great opportunity to look inwards and really learn more about yourself. What are my strengths? What are my passions? What talents do I have I haven’t yet tapped into?

You learn so much about yourself, and although no one wants to feel desperate, it can actually be a very rewarding experience! I experienced it with my company almost a year ago – I lost my highest paying client and watched my income just dwindle… That experience was the push I needed to learn more about myself, life and my work. It was definitely scary, but I came out such a stronger woman from it!
http://lifeincognito.com Rick Clemons

I agree with Megan. Desperation creates opportunity…not challenge. I have had the beautiful opportunity to take golden parachutes on three different occasions in my career. Each time it made my heart stop because I knew I had to step out and go find something new to do.

Because of these experiences I’ve learned to just breathe into the desperation, embrace it and enjoy it.

If I hadn’t I wouldn’t have been able to become century cyclist, started teach spin class, enjoyed the living in Laguna Beach, and felt the warmth of volunteering at a teen home.
Teresa

Ah, Julien–I’m glad I clicked through to find it was you who wrote this post. From twitter and ah, fuck it a few days ago to going broke–you do raise my eyebrows (and make me laugh). I like what you’re saying here–there is definitely something about absolute desperation, awful necessity, and nothingness that defines a person. Thanks
http://www.myadguy.com Ray Martin

Julien- surprised this was your post since there was a noticeable lack of F-bombs!

I’ve been pushed into this going broke method in the course of a few months and it’s scary and exciting all at the same time. I just settled my divorce in January of this year and bought my own house which was a huge life altering event. I stayed in that bad relationship for a long time because I have kids and didn’t want to spend nights away from them living apart. I was compromising my values and being taken advantage of because I was too scared to stand up for myself and be away from what was comfortable. I finally got fed up, moved out, filed for divorce and am moving on. It was tough, but I’m a better dad now that I’m free and happier.

Just a few weeks ago I was laid off from a very corporate sales job. So far my only leads on other gigs in my industry are even more micro-managing, boiler room, cube-ville, companies which aren’t very appealing, so I’m venturing out on my own and starting up my own independent consulting business. I’d love to have a month where I didn’t have a major life changing event happen, but then again things were pretty boring and I was unfulfilled before. I had to get really pissed off at home and pushed out the door of Corporate America to make these moves, but I have a feeling that I’ll be better off in the long run this way.

Here’s to actually living even if it’s potentially BROKE!

The Going Broke Method of Finding Your Passion

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