How can we stay Passionate?

I wrote two articles earlier titled: Follow your Passion and Success will Follow you and Passion Over Perks: What to Choose? published in August 2020 and March 2022 respectively. In which I said: We are often told to pursue work we’re passionate about. But, for many people, this simply isn’t feasible. Not every job affords the possibility of doing what you love. And people care deeply about many different things — not all of which will be how they want to earn a living.

Professionals should, therefore, do things that make them stay happy at work as passion at work can reawaken and reconnect with what’s meaningful for them. At present, the maximum number of professionals do the job, just to earn money. In reality, they are probably not passionate about what they do.

Are you struggling too to stay passionate about things that you always wanted to pursue in your life? We all know our first preference will always remain our professional careers. But how about making your passion your profession? Read this article and I will come back to you with another one on the subject soon.

1. Life is Short

Let’s always remember that we are not here in this world for an endless period. Despite longevity in average age, we will die one day. We’ve only got one shot at this thing called ‘life’. Although that may be difficult to fully wrap our heads around, hopefully it can be some kind of a motivation to figure out what makes us tick.

It’s never too early or too late to pursue our passion — whatever it may be. I personally know a handful of people who started to follow their passion a bit late in life but they eventually succeeded. Whatever extra stress or work is added to our lives in the pursuit of doing what we love, is worth it in the long run.

2. Grab Opportunities relating to Passion

In other words, take opportunities to pursue your passion. Never say “NO” to your passion. First thing first:

1. Identify your Passion;
2. Never lose your sight from your passion;
3. Work towards what interests you the most;
4. Once you do it, you will realise how fulfilling it is.

Initially, we may not get paid for what we truly deserve, but let’s find an opportunity to do it anyway. That may mean working a job during the day and interning at night. It may mean moving to a new city in order to work in a certain industry. If we stick to our passion, we’ll find the strength to get through the hardships and we’ll be so grateful for our grit when we finally find ourselves doing what we love.

3. Passion comes from Experiences

I remember when my generation was growing up, every other child from my small town wanted to become a doctor or a Pilot without actually knowing how to get there. For me, Pilot’s uniform truly fascinated me. Always remember: just because you had an adolescent dream to be an astronaut doesn’t mean you’re sacrificing your passion because you pursue engineering.

As we become older, our dreams, goals and passions evolve. What I’ve been passionate about in my childhood or youth doesn’t have to be exciting or glamorous, with the age. It may be the perks of a job that someone cares about, more than the job itself. Maybe you have a part of your job you love and simply hate the other part that you deal with. Having passion for what you do can look very different, depending on each person and their desires.

4. Park Your Irrelevant Dreams

Let’s also remember that seeking out a dream that doesn’t make us tick anymore is a sheer waste of time. The way we lead our lives and careers in this highly competitive world, we’re truly allowed to pursue multiple or more than one passion. If we don’t, our economic conditions would sometimes force us to adapt to new directions.

It’s important to let ourselves change our thought process as we grow up and build our careers and interests. The thing about pursuing what we love is that it’s not so much about the destination, but the journey itself. The pursuit of doing what we’re passionate about is more important than the accomplishment itself.

5. Life-Long Learning — A Commitment

Working for an organisation that’s less inspiring is something almost everyone has to experience at least once in their lives. This is probably the time when we encounter Monday morning blues. Staying passionate and positive during soul-sucking jobs can be a challenge and a nightmare for some.

What’s most important here is to approach the job, no matter what it is, as an opportunity to upskill and continue working towards our passion beyond the workplace. Let’s learn everything there we need to know about the workplace. Just because our current job isn’t inspiring, doesn’t mean it isn’t preparing us for the dream career.

Conclusion

Joss Whedon, famous American Screenwriter, Director, producer, Comic book writer, and composer beautifully said: “Passion: It lies in all of us. Sleeping… waiting… and though unwanted, unbidden, it will stir… open its jaws and howl. It speaks to us… guides us. Passion rules us all. And we obey. What other choice do we have? Passion is the source of our finest moments”.

In a nutshell. over the past few decades, there has been a slow shift in how we find meaning in our lives. A study shows that 83% of employees want meaning in their day-to-day work. We spend half our waking hours — sometimes more — at our jobs, so it’s no surprise we want to enjoy them. Plus, recent changes in the world and the economy have many people reassessing their priorities. Still, only 5% of workers feel their current position is the most meaningful work they could be doing. Are you one of the lucky ones who can already say, “I am passionate about my work”? If not, it’s time for you to discover how to find passion in work.

About the Author

Muhammad Sajwani is a C-Level HR, Transformation Leader, Board Advisor, Business Coach & Organizational Consultant working in the capacity of Managing Director, Evolve HR. He is an author, columnist and a contributor who besides writing for other platforms also regularly writes at BizCatalyst 360. He brings along 30+ years of local & international experience. He is a change catalyst specializing in unleashing the human Dreamgenius through Leadership, Creativity and Change Management. Muhammad has been instrumental in helping organizations come to terms with organizational changes like right-sizing and business process re-engineering. His innovative approach & high personal competence encourages people to not only accept change, but also to excel in it. Muhammad has diverse experience in conducting strategic & management development programs, conferences & events for organizations across sectors.