Dont Follow Your Passion, Follow Your Effort

Dont Follow Your Passion, Follow Your Effort

Mar 18th 2012 2:47PM

I hear it all the time from people. “I’m passionate about it." “I’m not going to quit, It’s my passion". Or I hear it as advice to students and others “Follow your passion".

What a bunch of BS.  "Follow Your Passion" is easily the worst advice you could ever give or get.

Why ? Because everyone is passionate about something. Usually more than 1 thing.  We are born with it. There are always going to be things we love to do. That we dream about doing. That we really really want to do with our lives. Those passions aren’t worth a nickel.

Think about all the things you have been passionate about in your life. Think about all those passions that you considered making a career out of or building a company around.  How many were/are there ? Why did you bounce from one to another ?  Why were you not able to make a career or business out of any of those passions ? Or if you have been able to have some success, what was the key to the success.? Was it the passion or the effort you put in to your job or company ?

If you really want to know where you destiny lies, look at where you apply your time.

Time is the most valuable asset you don’t own. You may or may not realize it yet, but how you use or don’t use your time is going to be the best indication of where your future is going to take you .

Let me make this as clear as possible

1. When you work hard at something you become good at it.

2. When you become good at doing something, you will enjoy it more.

3. When you enjoy doing something, there is a very good chance you will become passionate or more passionate about it

4. When you are good at something, passionate and work even harder to excel and be the best at it, good things happen.

Don’t follow your passions, follow your effort. It will lead you to your passions and to success, however you define it.

                                         Marc Cuban

Thats just idiotic.  If you aren't passionate about what you do then it gets boring and old.  It's the difference between having a job you love to go to and a job you go to because you need to earn a living.  I love my job, I knew when I first touched a computer when I was 16 years old (yes back in the stone age) that it was my passion and my future.  I am a systems analyst and am very passionate about my work.  I am a total perfectionist, extremely anal and will search for the slightest database error.  But its because I love what I do, I love new projects and new challenges.  The same goes with my nature photography, it is my complete and utter love and passion, and something I could and would spend every waking moment doing if I had the opportunity.  I know the difference between people who love their jobs and people that don't by the simple question of if you hit the lottery and got an extra 50k a year would you leave your job.  I would not.  I have asked that question of many people who said they would. I would still work and use the money to fund wonderful photography trips.  Passion = excitement.

I think what he is saying that I find useful is that effort is essential to realizing a passion. You have to get out there. 10% inspiration, 90% perspiration.

I have never perspired in my life.  Just sayin.

You be one lucky lady if that is so! I plain ol' sweat tears sometimes... Like doing Zumba last week. There's a possibility that might turn into a strong interest if not a passion...

I wish I had a passion like your photography. The closest I come is my work and reading.

And the other 10%?

Fairy dust. Clearly.

I have 10% constipation.