Getting Passionate
Is passion a prerequisite to happiness at work?
One of the things I enjoy the most is helping leaders transition into a new role, or step out into something new, where they can make an even bigger impact.
But when we’re exploring the easiest and the wildest options on the table, the question about passion inevitably, and quietly, sneaks in.
It sounds something like this: “shouldn’t I be more passionate about my work?” or “am I normal if I don’t think I actually have a passion”?
If you find yourself occasionally yearning for something more impactful or fulfilling, you may have had these thoughts too.
In my career I have had the privilege to meet leaders who are deeply passionate about what they do. I’ve also met many others who are fulfilled and intensely happy but will never profess to be truly passionate about their work.
The common thread I notice is that they both care about what they do. Today, passion has become the extreme form of caring.
Like the intensely powerful love affair, however, passion is rarely, truly, everlasting.
Perhaps simply finding work you really care about is a better strategy. But that’s for you to decide.
The question is, how important is passion to you? ❤️
Passion or….?: For a long while, Elizabeth Gilbert was the voice encouraging others to follow their passion. After some challenging feedback from those who followed her, that has changed.
Watch the 2-minute clip below to see what she now recommends.
Read: Your job might not be your passion but it can be an excellent conduit to your passion. Read how in this HBR piece here.
Play Long: As the shape of work continues to change, it brings with it the opportunity to redefine your career at any age and respond to what you want and need at each stage of your life. Whether that be driven by a need for passion or something else entirely.
Read this piece on how:
Think: Passion is rarely the single best indicator of a long-term successful relationship, so why use it as an indicator for your long-term career choices?
What’s important is figuring out what your criteria are. Your best-fit indicators might be quite creative, and completely unique to you.
One creative former colleague of mine decided that after a decade of working in a tough front-line public service role, she was ready for something that her family could benefit from. She based her choice of where to work almost entirely on the perks it offered. Now she works for a global Theme Park company where her family can enjoy free family days out and a great life balance whilst her children are young.
Basing a job choice on ‘perks’ might not be the criteria for you right now, and neither might passion.
Take a moment to think. What are the criteria that you use to define whether a job or career is a good choice for you? Write them down.
Listen: Exchange passion for learning. Instead of taking the job that will make you happiest, look for the one where you’ll learn the most, Adam Grant says. Listen here:
Last Weeks Issue: Leadership Is Not About You
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