How many times have you been told to “follow your passion”? It’s a message that appears in everything from graduation speeches to job ads. But according to a recent Deloitte survey of 3,000 full-time U.S. workers across job levels and industries, only 20% say they are truly passionate about their work.
How do we fix this conundrum?
Research on passion suggests that we need to understand three key things:
(1) Passion is not something one finds, but rather, it is something to be developed. If your job does not allow you to pursue your passion, or if you just don’t want to do so at work, you can find time and space to pursue activities you are passionate about outside of your job.
(2) It is challenging to pursue your passion, especially as it wanes over time. So if you just focus on following happiness, you might not stick with an endeavor like you would if you focused on how it helps you achieve what you care most about. When you’re pursuing your passion, it’s important to bear in mind that resilience is key, because the pursuit of passion is an ongoing—and challenging—process.
(3) Passion can lead us astray, and it is therefore important to recognize its limits. Regularly seek out feedback from others and clarify where you truly stand; otherwise you may believe that your passion propels you, while it only does so in your head.
Adapted from "3 Reasons It’s So Hard to “Follow Your Passion,” by Jon M. Jachimowicz.
