I think most of us, at some level, realize that passion alone isn’t enough for a career. However, talent alone isn’t enough either. It’s important to do what you’re good at and can enjoy, at least what you find enjoyable enough to make it a long-term profession. What you enjoy is highly subjective, so nobody can tell you what that will be except you. What you’re good at is a little more objective, so it’s okay to get outside help to figure that out. Once you’ve been introspective enough to figure out things that satisfy both requirements, you can really get the ball rolling.
If you don’t believe me about the importance of BOTH, then let’s break it down.
The Upside Of Liking What You Do
I think this one is pretty self-explanatory. If you like or even love what you do, every day will be an exciting one. When you wake up, you’ll want to get up and go to work. I know that alone is something a lot of people struggle with, so just imagine how amazing it would feel to be eager to start the day off!
On top of that, work that is fun or interesting is a lot less draining. That means you’ll have less burnout and be able to work harder for longer – without even wanting to complain. So, that’s covered. I think we all get wanting to like what we do, even if we don’t prioritize it as much as other things or have the luxury to pursue it.
The Downside Of Not Being Good At What You Do
The issue with doing what you like really comes when you just aren’t good at it. Have you ever met anyone who just loves music, but couldn’t carry a tune to save their lives? Yep, they probably won’t be signing any record deals soon. It would be a horrible idea for them to pursue a career as a musician. They probably wouldn’t even be able to start the career, but if they did it would be over just as quickly as it began.
In that example, a better solution may be for that person to find other skills they have, and start a career in the music industry that uses those specific skills. Of course, they don’t have to get a job in music at all. Sometimes having something you enjoy with no other strings attached is a blessing. Hobbies are very enriching after all!
The Upside Of Being Great At What You Do
However, if you’re great at what you do, it’s much easier to be successful at it. You’ll show up your peers, impress your management (or audience), and may even be an incredible force to be reckoned with. There is something to be said about being so skilled at something that you can leave a significant impact on the field or revolutionize something for your employer. It’s rewarding to excel at something and an amazing feeling when you get to see the fruits of your labor to such an extreme extent.
The Downside Of Hating What You Do
However, if all you have is skill it can get hollow rapidly. There is only so long you can dedicate yourself to a profession that you just don’t enjoy. Plus, as you enjoy it less and less, your work will inevitably also suffer. So, you may be great at it, but if you hate it you may also produce less than average work. Your discipline is crucial to your work ethic – I will never deny that – but hating what you’re doing makes it much more difficult to actually stay disciplined. Being great at something just isn’t enough if you don’t actually like it.
The Importance Of Balance
Fortunately for us, we don’t have to pick just one! It’s perfectly reasonable to find something you enjoy but are also skilled at, and make that your profession. It won’t necessarily be the thing you’re best at, or the thing you love doing the most, but having both at once is an important part of a long-term career. If you are good at something, but hate it, you don’t need to force yourself to do it. If you love something, but are bad at it, you can still enjoy it in your free time. However, as a general rule of thumb, it’s a bad idea to rely on something you’re horrible at as your main source of income.
How To Find What You’re Good At
So, finding what you’re good at shouldn’t be particularly hard. Think back to all the things you’ve done where you learned or accomplished it faster than usual, or that you were just better than your peers at. There, I’m sure just by considering that you’ve already got a couple ideas! If you need more, ask some of your close friends – who you trust to be honest with you – what you seem to be best at. If you’re still trying to brainstorm other ideas for things you’re great at, the best fix is to just try a bunch of new things. Experiment a little and figure out what you seem to really excel at.
How To Realize What You Enjoy
Figuring out the things you enjoy the most is arguably a bit more difficult. We don’t usually consider how we feel about certain things, and many people often don’t take the time to figure out their favorite things. To start, remember your childhood. What do activities do you remember fondly? That should give you a couple of ideas. Fast forward to the present. What do you constantly try to make time to do, no matter what? That should be at least one more.
If you’re still hard-pressed for ideas, I recommend experimenting – just like you would to find things you’re good at. However, do not ask other people – even close friends – what you enjoy the most. This is something that you have to answer for yourself. After all, other people can’t tell you what you like!
Do What You’re Good At, But Have An Outlet For Passion
For the overwhelming majority of people, they will not do the thing they’re most passionate about. At least, that won’t be their profession. In my opinion, that’s perfectly normal, healthy, and reasonable. I don’t find that to be an issue at all – which you may disagree with me on. I think that as long as you do enjoy your job, the fact that it’s not your top passion isn’t an issue.
With that being said, it’s also healthy to find an outlet for your passion. If you like making music, make music. If you like writing, just write. At the end of the day, you can still do the things you love, even if they aren’t part of your 9-5.
Conclusion
Passion alone isn’t enough, but a healthy dose of passion and talent make for a potent combination! If you have any experiences you’d like to share, of if you flat out disagree with me, let us know in the comments. To stay up to date on Bitter to Richer content, and for a free budgeting template and financial goals worksheet, be sure to sign up for the Bitter to Richer newsletter. For more articles like this one, check out the personal development section of the blog.
