Is Following Your Passion a Good Career Strategy?
There are two schools of thought when it comes to career selection and following your passion.
Some believe that if you are hyper-focused on following your passion, then the money will eventually follow.
Others say that only by following the money trail can you truly be successful in life and that passion should be relegated to side jobs or hobbies.
While both of these viewpoints have merit, they are incomplete. Neither one will lead to a well-rounded fulfilling career unless all of the variables involved are taken into consideration.
If you solely focus on your passion without considering how money could factor into your future financial stability, you are placing yourself at a disadvantage. On the other hand, if money is your only motivator and you don’t consider how working in a less than fulfilling job could negatively impact your mental and emotional health in the long run, again, you are doing yourself a disservice.
Fortunately, you can have the best of both worlds, but it takes strategic planning and a willingness to define what happiness and job satisfaction looks like for you. Once you pinpoint that “thing” that makes you glow inside, then you can determine how that can translate into job security on your terms.
The Great Escape
Isn't it interesting how many of us have hobbies to help us "take a break" from our jobs and the real world? Often we are so entangled in the web of our careers that we actively seek a respite where we can get away to relieve the stresses of the everyday. But, what if our everyday jobs were invigorating? What if every day we woke up excited to do what we believe we were created to do in a way that not only nourishes our souls but also helps those around us?
Every passion as a stand-alone activity will not translate into job security, but you might be able to combine elements of it with your natural or learned abilities and move from a dead-end career into one that brings you joy and fulfillment.
Finding Our Purpose
We naturally seek purpose in life. We want to feel useful and know that what we do has value. This requires us to be honest with ourselves, especially when what we are currently doing is not working.
Ultimately, it's our choices that always surface later in life when we approach our retirement age. At the beginning of our careers or even midway through, we don’t always think about the change of perspective that occurs when we begin to prepare for retirement.
Here are just a few of the questions that might come to mind at the end of your career journey.
Am I a better person because of the career choices I made?
Do I feel fulfilled? Was I doing what I was meant to do?
When I look back, how do I describe my life?
Did I chase money, peace of mind, or both? How did this work out for me in the long run?
How's my mental, physical and emotional health?
Think about where you want to be 20, 30, or 40 years from now. If you were guaranteed financial security in whatever job you chose, what would it be? Why? Who would you help? Where would you spend most of your time and with whom? How would your life look different from now?
At SuccessDNA, we believe that passion is a necessary component of career satisfaction, but it is only one part of the bigger picture. Doing what you love and financial security don’t have to be mutually exclusive. With an understanding of what moves you to take action as well as the right strategy in place, it is possible to find a career that makes you happy and also falls in line with your financial goals.
It all begins with you.
Request a free consultation to learn more about SuccessDNA and how our suite of personal inventory tools can help you move into a satisfying career.