If you’re thinking about starting a new career or business in 2010, I’m sure you’ll enjoy reading today’s guest post from Allison Maslan, author of Blast Off! The Surefire Success Plan To Launch Your Dreams Into Reality.

Tap Into Your Passion To Find Your Dream Career

By Allison Maslan

In my 20’s, I ran a full-service advertising agency while raising my young daughter. I was on the fast track to success, but running myself into the ground for all the wrong reasons. What was the problem? Was it being a mom? No. Was it the high demands of the business? That was tough, but not the main problem. I learned the hard way that even though I was successful at something, did not mean that it was my passion, or that I had to do it.  I was receiving pressure from all sides to stay because outwardly it was going so well. Until inwardly, I crashed and burned. The good thing for me was that this set me on a path of healing, and search to find my purpose. And I never looked back. I made a decision early on that I would only involve myself with work and activities that I was passionate about. As a life and career coach, I often hear, “I want something more, but I just don’t know what.”

So I developed the Blast Off! Dream Career Questionnaire. It can help spark some ideas to help you tap into your passion to brainstorm ideas for your own dream career. (This exercise can be done on Interactive Life Coaching Software, Blastation.)

1. As a child, what did you dream of being when you grew up? It’s helpful to get in touch with your earlier fascinations. In early childhood, it was easier to live from our imagination without all of the interference from our adopted limiting beliefs.

2. What are some of your favorite hobbies or activities — in the present and in the past — and why? Wouldn’t it be great if you could turn your favorite pastime into your dream career? We choose hobbies and activities that most likely resonate with our unique personality as well as our physical, mental and emotional nature. They are an extension of our inner voice and a blast off to your dream career.

3. What do you do, or have you done, in your life that makes you the happiest? What is it about this that you enjoy so much? What does it mean to you? When you are in a state of joy or bliss, you are in complete alignment with your purpose. And when you’re in complete alignment with your passions, intention and actions, success is sure to follow.

4. What things have you always wanted to do, but were afraid to try? These could be activities or ideas related to your personal life or career that you have seen on television, in books, or heard of others experiencing. List anything that comes to mind that seems interesting, stimulating, exciting, meaningful or fun. Many people self-impose limiting choices and circumstances on themselves and their lives. Once those obstacles are removed, the possibilities are boundless! People often fear change, even if their current circumstances are not up to par with their capabilities. The hardest part of change is the first step. Once you get through that, creating your new and successful career becomes so much easier. The fear will be released the more you practice taking action.

5. What is a cause that you could get behind? Is there a cause or charity that you’re passionate about? There may be some career ideas that will support and reflect the charities or causes that have meaning to you.

One of my coaching clients, Leslie, felt stuck for years in a job that offered no challenge or mental stimulation whatsoever. She was very over-qualified for the position ,but stayed for the security. As the years went by, Leslie became more and more apathetic toward her work. In the meantime, she was taking classes in homeopathy for animals and volunteering at the local animal shelter. It was obvious that humane treatment and care for animals was a cause that she felt very strongly about. It never felt like work because she absolutely loved to connect with the animals. Over time, Leslie began practicing natural medicine for animals on a part-time basis until she developed enough business to take the leap in creating her full-time dream career. Now, instead of going to her boring job, she wakes up each day to a dream career that she is most passionate about.

6. What values do you hold most important in your life? If you can incorporate some of the most important values of your character and your life into your work, you will be truly living a life of value and purpose. For example, I have always felt a calling to help people in need. At some point, I finally reconnected with my deeper values and life purpose to support and inspire others on their path. Life coaching was a natural evolvement because it matched my inner values and purpose.

7. What are your strengths and talents? By tapping into the special abilities that you were born with, you can consider translating them into your dream career. My client, Keara, loves parasailing, so she is creating a charity that will help trauma victims heal through this sport. She has found a way to combine her passion and talent to give back to a cause she feels strongly about.

8. What movies and books have inspired you over the years, and why? We are often drawn to books and movies that reflect our personalities and interests. For example, history books may reflect your interest in travel or research. Action/adventure books and movies may mirror your desire for a career in an outdoor setting rather than being office-bound.

9. What does success mean to you? Success can have many different connotations and can represent different things to different people. What does the picture of success look like to you?

10. If you had plenty of money at your disposal to invest in your own dream career, what kind of business would you start? Often the fear of not having enough capital, or an inheritance, or just-accepting-poverty thinking can dissuade people from reaching for their dreams. By putting your dreams on paper, sending your strong intention out into the world and following up with action, the necessary avenues to remove these supposed limitations will appear. This is intention in action.

Don’t let the financial aspect stop you, because there will always be a solution if you actively look for it. The secret is to profess your dream, and then start taking action toward it today. You may even begin to receive checks in the mail. Stranger things have happened!

Upon completion of the Blast Off! Dream Career Questionnaire look at each of your answers. Do you see a common theme throughout? This is a very good clue for your winning dream career. For instance, if all your answers have to do with creative activities, you may fit with a career in the arts, such as landscape design, interior design, fine art or graphic design. If you see travel dominating your answers, a career as a travel agent, excursion director, or editor of a travel magazine may be the fuel for your inner passion. These answers will reflect your inner purpose. A dream career that expresses your values, hopes, loves and dreams is a winning recipe for life of passion and meaning.

Allison Maslan, HHP, CCH  is the president of The Blast Off Life and Business Coaching. Her book, Blast Off! The Surefire Success Plan To Launch Your Dreams Into Reality, is to be released on January 19th, 2010 in all major booksellers online. 888-844-3550

Alison has generously sent me a copy of her new book, and you can be sure I’ll be posting my review as soon as I’ve had a chance to read it.