To follow or not to follow your passion?

Anyone who knows me knows I cringe whenever I hear, “Follow your passion, and you will be happy”, or “Just quit your job and do something you are passionate about instead.”

Don’t get me wrong, if you can turn your passion into a career, go for it!

But passion alone is not enough to sustain a livelihood. It must be paired with hard work, continuous learning, and developing skills and business acumen.

I’m a big believer in finding passion in whatever you do. It’s about enjoying the journey, no matter what role you are in or what work you do.

YOU decide whether you want to enjoy it, learn from it, challenge yourself, and keep growing, or complain and grumble about your life.

In my first job, I used to put together a weekly report collating all mentions of one of my client’s brand.

It was dull work, but I looked at it differently. I saw it as a challenge to make the report as interesting as possible.

Over the next few weeks, I played around with different formats and styles (while sending the regular report).

Once I was happy with the new version, I shared it with my client during our weekly WIP.

She loved it. That became our new reporting template, and we discussed other areas of work we could improve. This helped solidify my position as a new member of the client servicing team.

Love and enjoy the journey. You will be a better person for it (and probably have more fun along the way).

Today’s Prompts

Reflection

Do you believe passion is discovered, developed, or both? Why?

Who is someone you admire for their work ethic or success, and what can you learn from their journey?

What does “loving the journey” mean to you in the context of work?

What skills or habits could you develop to find joy in less enjoyable tasks? How can you reframe a current challenge to make it more engaging?

Quote of the day

“Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work.” – Aristotle

The 'If you don’t have time’ Prompt

Write three words that describe how you feel about your current work. Next, write three words you wish you could use to describe how you feel about your current work. How can you bridge the gap?

Get the most out of your journalling:

• Choose one prompt: Focus on just one prompt each day to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

• Be brutally honest: Reflect openly and honestly. This is your safe space to explore your thoughts and feelings.

• Take your time: Sometimes it takes a few days to clarify your thinking. Here’s permission for you to take your time to unravel a prompt and not take on any new ones during that time.

• Journal your way: Whether you prefer writing, audio recording, or video, choose the method that suits you best.

• Don't stress about streaks: If you miss a day, don't worry. You can always revisit a previous prompt.

I’d love your feedback

What was your favourite prompt of the day? Is there any specific challenge you want prompts for? How can I improve the content of the newsletter? Reply this mail and let me know!