Snake Oil – Plain and Simple.
I am most annoyed by Gurus, Coaches, and so-called Career Experts who dish out this piece of advice willy-nilly.
Not because they’re often saying this from a place of privilege (they’ve already made their money or have daddy’s credit cards to blow), but because they promulgate a false belief that “If I’m not following my passion, then something is wrong with my career.”
I have met people who have meaningful careers that pay well, who feel left out and empty when people they admire tell them that “If you don’t follow your Passion, you’ll recret it!”
Such bad advice, no matter how well-meaning, is unhealthy and based on over 20 years of Career-Coaching experience, I would like to explain why “Follow Your Passion” is Bad Medicine.
1. Passion Seldoms Persists
What was the last thing you were passionate about?
For me, it was leathercrafting back in 2022.
I went out and bought a caboodle of instruments and materials and had a wonderful time designing wallets, keychains and coin pouches.
I stopped going out with friends, ceased spending time with my kids and incurred the wrath of my wife for neglecting her over the clanging of tools in the hall.
But it lasted a good 3 months before the novelty wore out and I realised that this ‘Passion’ of mine faded off.
I’m sure there were a lot of things you were passionate about, but didn’t last as well… and that’s why it’s dangerous to advise someone to make long-term, life-changing decisions based on something so fleeting and temporary.
So, never quit your day job to ‘pursue’ your passion unless you have fully fleshed out your plans and also, set aside a huge war-chest of funds to tide you over whist your ‘passion-project’ finds it’s legs to stand on.
2. Passion Doesn’t Always Pay The Bills
I know a Sales Director whose Passion was Wildlife photography and he was really good at it.
He would spend hours in the forest just waiting for a baby owl to pop his head out of the crevice of an old tree.
It was taking so much of his time that he contemplated quitting his job to do this full time, but he realised that unless National Geographic hired him, there was no way he could support his wife and 3 kids.
He contemplated doing Wedding Shoots on weekends to supplement his income but realised that he was NOT Passionate about running around taking shots of Bridezillas on the most stressful day of their lives.
Indeed, following your Passion can be a double-edged sword.
So, before you quit your job to ‘Follow Your Passion’, do the maths – can you Passion sustain you? Can it scale to a point where it pays the bills and more?
You need to be very realistic when it comes to giving up a full-time job to pursue something that may not be sustainable – I do know of some people who have successfully pivoted this way, but only after a lot of thought and preparation. Don’t just drop your tools and ride off into the sunset.
3. You May Have Passion, But Let’s Face It, You’re Not Great At It
Have you ever wondered why some Reality Talent Contests feature aspiring contestants with absolutely no music-sense trying to belt out Celine Dion’s “My Heart Will Go On” as though they were passing an oversized kidney stone?
“Didn’t anyone tell them how bad they sound?”
Often, the main reason they are up on stage embarrassingthemselves is because of ‘kind-hearted’ soul who told them to “Follow your Passion’ and that “you’ll rise to the occasion once you’re in the limelight”. (Spoiler Alert : NOPE)
I know of a 42 year old Finance Manager who was so tired of her ‘mundane and soul-sucking’ job at a Global MNC that she quit it to start a Bakery, just because some people said her muffins were nice. (They were ordinary at best).
Six months and $80,000 later, she was back to balancing the budget at her old company, glad to have put the nightmare of disposing bags of unsold muffins behind her.
In order to succeed in any given field, it’s not enough that you are ‘passionate’ about it. You need to be really, really good at it. In fact, better than everyone else in the market. Nobody is going to buy you, your service or your products just because you’re 3 notches more enthusiastic in selling it than the next person.
So, following a Passion that you’re hot about but not great at is one of the quickest ways to a lonely street named ‘Regret Boulevard’.
1. Follow Your Interest…And Get *Bleeping* Good At It
Instead of finding your Passion, how about pursuing what you’re really interested in?
In my previous job as a headhunter, I was really interested in how Senior Business Leaders got to where they were and what they did to get there.
So I interviewed them all and probed and grilled them until I learnt everything I needed to know and I began sharing their secrets as a Career Strategist.
I believe it is easier to find your Interest than it is to find your Passion… and I believe Interest is far more Sustainable than Passion.
I believe being Interested in something leads you to do it more, leading to a higher skill level, leading to an area of expertise that you become really good at – which ultimately brings you Joy and Career Fulfilment.
So, go find out which part of your job you’re most interested in and pursue it!
2. You don’t have to find Passion in your work. You can find it outside your working hours.
Our philosophy at Career Agility International has always been simple:
We are NOT our Jobs. The jobs we do are just a means to provide income/resources to fund the activities OUTSIDE our work which could be our TRUE Passions.
So, who says you need to find Passion in your work?
Let your work give you the money to pursue your TRUE passions in the evenings and weekends!
Go spend time with your kids, hit the driving range, visit the animal shelters or maybe even take up a new hobby!
It’s very myopic to define yourself only by the work that you do – go out and follow your Passion, but outside of work!
3. Don’t Do What You’re Passionate About – Be Passionate About What You Do
Now, pause a little – this takes a bit of digesting.
Instead of finding your Passion and pursuing it 100% as a job, how about simply, finding what you love doing at work, and start feeling passionate about it?
So, rather than quitting your day job to start that Stick-insect farm you’ve always dreamt of, you might want to consider being passionate about delivering great work that could change your clients’ lives instead.
If you’re a Teacher, that could be spending more time encouraging a bullied child.
If you’re an Insurance Salesperson, it could be crafting the ideal package that fits your client’s needs until she’s 90.
If you’re a Nurse, it could be designing a user experience for those awaiting surgery so that they feel safe and comforted during those uncertain and lonely hours.
Dig deeper and find out WHY you do the work you do and HOW you are improving the lives of the people you touch with your work – then start becoming PASSIONATE about all the Good that you do for them.
You don’t have to spend 7 years in Tibet or climb up the mountain to meditate for days to find your Passion to follow.