Here are 4 insights to help you assess why you want to be passionate about your job, and how you can find the passion where you are right now.
Have you ever asked yourself WHY you want to be passionate about your job? What is it you think will happen? Do you need to go all the way to passion? Or is enjoying it enough?
When I first started my coaching business, I wanted to help people find “the thing” they wanted to do. The thing they were passionate about.
I probably did 50 podcast episodes on it. I even did a Tedx Talk about the process of doing it.
But as I became a better coach, I realized helping people “find their passion” was actually NOT helpful because jobs don’t create our passion… we create it.
Passion is an emotion created by how we think about our jobs.
The real opportunity is to help people feel passionate about what they already do.
It’s a lot less work and way more sustainable.
Passionate people can be passionate about anything. It’s not the the job itself creates the passion. It’s you.
Wracking your brain, or taking quizzes trying to find your passion is a waste of time. Simply pick something you can or want to do, and then find aspects of the role to get passionate about. And if you’re having trouble doing that, get help.
Here are 4 insights to help you assess why you want to be passionate about your job, and how you can find the passion where you are right now.
Everything has good days and bad days
Sometimes looking for something you’re passionate about is code for “I want something that comes more naturally to me so working is more enjoyable.”
Enjoying something is a choice. And no matter what career you choose, there will always be aspects that come more naturally to you than others.
Even your dream job will feel like a slog sometimes and include tasks that you don’t particularly enjoy. The key is to find a career that aligns with your values and skillsets and remain committed to your goals even when faced with bad days.
Be passionate about your impact
I hear people say things like, “I can’t get excited about crunching numbers all day long,” or “Who wants to have meetings about meetings?” or even “Selling this stupid widget is not my dream.” Trust me, I’ve been there too. I marketed burgers and fries for a living (really yummy ones… but still…)
But here’s the thing: You don’t have to be passionate about the exact task you’re doing. There’s room for passion in every corner of your job. Let me ask you this: What impact can you truly get fired up about?
For instance, maybe you’re passionate about nurturing and developing others. Or thrive on the challenge of building something from scratch. Or expanding your mind and embracing new ideas is what really gets you going. Or you find immense satisfaction in solving problems and making things right.
Your passion doesn’t have to be limited to the specific thing you do. Embrace the aspects of your job that light a fire within you.
You can be good at anything
Sometimes you think you’re not passionate about something because you’re not great at it … yet. It’s easy to think that if you’re truly passionate about your job, it wouldn’t feel like work. The work would be effortless. Those are thought errors.
Passion is what drives you to work hard and improve. It’s what motivates you to keep going, even when faced with setbacks.
Considering how far you’ve come in your career, you know that you have the ability to excel in anything you set your mind to. The question before you now is are you willing to set your mind to being passionate about your job and becoming great at it?
Becoming skilled at something is a process of trial and error. Passion serves as the fuel to stay committed to the process.
Make what you have great
I came across a remarkable woman who had a strong passion for all things creative. She would dive headfirst into different career paths, dedicating time to learn and gain experience. However, once she found her groove, she would quickly become bored and seek a change for the sake of her happiness.
First, she worked as an ad executive. Then, she decided to become a UX designer and travel in an RV. Eventually, she enrolled in an interior design school.
The truth is, she experienced happiness in each of those careers. She simply stopped putting in the effort to maintain that happiness.
We often believe that happiness is our right, but in reality, it’s a decision we make every day. Even on challenging days, it doesn’t mean your entire career is terrible and you’re not passionate about your job. It might just be a rough day.
What you currently have might already be great. It just requires your active involvement to make it something you’re passionate about.
Bottom line: Jobs don’t create passion. You do.
Passion is an emotion created by how you think about your job. And you can be passionate about anything you want to be. You simple need to decide to be passionate about it.
No job or career change required.
