There are certain advantages to your passion not being your source of income.
“Find a job you love and you’ll never work a day in your life.”
Though this idea sounds like a dream, for some, it has become a nightmare. Let me explain.
Let’s say that you lucked out and managed to turn an intense passion into your source of income. Sounds pretty glorious, right?
Your first couple days on the job, you can’t believe that you’ve “made it.” Someone is paying you to do this? Wow.
A few weeks become a few months become a few years.
The flame you once experienced upon falling in love with the activity has begun to smolder at the bottom of the wick — coming dangerously close to wet wax.
Soon, it dips below the surface with a hiss — burnout. You look up to realize that not only have the stressors that come with any job have reared their head but that you also no longer enjoy doing the thing you once did. Your job has strangled the passion your from your “thing.” Now, it’s just a job.
A good alternative?
Find a job that flexes the muscles you use to do the thing you love while not necessarily being the thing you love. Then, do the thing you love on your own terms.
And this job should be challenging — but not sexy.
The challenging aspect of a job that flexes these muscles will mean you will likely not grow overly bored and grow to resent it.
The job’s lack of sex appeal will keep the talent pool low and your services in reasonable demand.
I feel blessed to have one of these positions.
I enjoy writing essays, making short video essays, and recording audio content. I have two separate blogs, two YouTube channels, and two podcasts where I explore my two major interests: (1) intentional living, and (2) meaningful fitness and health. If I never had to think about money ever again, I’d likely just make content for these platforms.
But I do have to think about money.
So, I work a job that works flexes these muscles every day while not burning me out in these realms — making marketing content in the world of heavy equipment.
Come each Sunday night, I look forward to Monday morning. I’m challenged to become a better researcher, writer, video maker, podcast recorder, and overall self-disciplined creator all to cover a subject that, while fascinating, is not my “heart’s desire” — so to speak. And that’s totally fine.
In fact, I find it ideal.
So, you may find a job you love and continue to love. And that’s great. But for most of us, I think the famous quote could use a little bit of tweaking.
“Find a job that helps you enjoy the thing you love even more and you’ll appreciate the balance it brings.”
