There’s More to Success than Passion

There is an old cliché–and even a book–titled, Do What You Love, the Money Will Follow! If you Google “love your job” or “passion for your job,” you’ll be overwhelmed with the amount of articles that come up. Passion in your job is such a popular topic that there are even coaching companies who have it as their mission to help you find your passion.

Telling someone to follow their passion and dreams may seem like great advice. In fact, many of us confidently tell others that we love what we do and have found our true passion. But telling others to follow their passion isn’t always the best advice. Mark Cuban, the owner of the Dallas Mavericks NBA basketball team states, “‘Follow Your Passion’ is easily the worst advice you could ever give or get.”

In fact, it may be bad advice for three big reasons. First, many people haven’t found their passion. Without passion, it is hard to crystallize a vision or develop a plan that will turn your vision and passion into a reality. Second, and for some, even more importantly, their passion has no connection to bringing them financial stability or a regular paycheck. Third, passionate entrepreneurs who follow their vision and dreams without a viable business plan often find this approach one of the quickest paths to financial ruin.

When we think about the work we do, it’s easy to break down work into three categories:

1. A job that pays the bills
2. A career that gains you expertise or a niche in the marketplace
3. And your passion or calling…the activities you love to do that help define your purpose in life and who you are

The single most important determinants of people saying they are working daily on their passion or calling is the number of years they have spent in their career. That’s right, the longer you work in your career, the better you become, and the more expertise you gain at what you do, the stronger the chances are that you’ll have found your true calling or passion.

A second important point to highlight about people who find their passion is that they work incredibly hard. Jeff Foxworthy, the comedian, once concluded his show by telling the audience, “I just want to thank you for making it so I never needed to get a job.” That may be his perspective but Jeff Foxworthy has worked really hard to be such a great comedian that he doesn’t rely on foul language for laughs. Passionate people tend to work harder. Hard work, plus the results and rewards of that hard work, are what fuels the passion.

So if following your passion is controversial advice, here are six tips to help you succeed:

1. Don’t tell people to follow their passion: Telling someone who has not found their passion that they need a passion may send the individual looking for confidence in a false passion. We all know someone who had a dream and a false passion to be in a certain profession and when they finally arrived, they hated the job. It’s difficult to admit that you followed a false passion and this job or career is not for you.

2. True passions pay the bills: Passion without being paid is a hobby or avocation. On top of others not valuing the passion you think you have, it’s hard to admit that you also don’t have the ability to pay your bills or put food on your table. When you have true passion and the expertise to deliver the passion, others value the gift and are willing to pay you for your expertise.

3. Work hard and practice: The research tells us that for most people, passion does not come in the early part of your career when you are trying to figure out how to do your job. Passion comes from being able to successfully execute your goals and deliver huge values to others… most times better than others in the same position or industry. This takes time.

4. Innovate: When you have passion, you always find the time to do what you love. In fact, you spend so much time thinking about your passion that you figure out creative ways to innovate, bring value to others and doing even more of the things you love.

5. Think big: What is so cool about passion is it’s possible to have multiple passions. Yes, you can be passionate about your career, and you can be passionate about your family and taking multiple vacations during the year. If you do have multiple passions, find one passion that makes you financially comfortable and successfully fuels your other passions.

6. Take action: We all know someone who would tell you they have passion and a dream they are following. It’s even more motivating to listen to this person tell others about their own passion and dreams. The problem for some is that’s all there is… all talk and no action. If it’s truly a dream backed by passion, actions will follow. Best of all, actions will follow and they won’t feel like real work.

It’s our hope that you’re passionate about your work and calling. When you discover the work that you love, work becomes more than a job. It becomes your mission, and doesn’t even seem like work. But, if you’re not passionate about your work, we hope that you at least experience moments of passion in your life, whether those moments be related to work, or activities outside of work. Passion is central to your energy level and overall quality of life. Here’s to living life with excitement, awe, wonder and most of all, with gusto!