"Do what you love. Follow your bliss. Find your passion." Feeling energized and inspired by our work seems to be a common goal these days. But beyond being more fun, does passion really matter?
From what I’ve seen, the answer is, “Yes!” In fact, not only does passion matter, it is one of the best strategic investments you can make in your career.
[My definition of passion is “the energy that comes from bringing more of YOU into what you do.” You can follow the link to read more about that.]
Why is passion such a good investment? Because there are substantial benefits to be had when you're aligned with what energizes you. Here are some of the benefits I have seen with my clients and experienced myself. Passion…
- Energizes you and fuels your success
- Strengthens your confidence
- Inspires persistence
- Reduces stress and improves health
- Enhances relationships
Let’s take a deeper look at those…
The positive impact of passion on your work
On the career front, tapping into passion can have a positive impact in a variety of ways.
Passion energizes you and fuels your success
This one is huge. On a very basic level, when your work aligns with who you are, you actually get energy from the work you do. There is a net energy gain rather than the net drain so many people feel. And that is energy you can put into doing the hard work of success.
When you’re not aligned with who you are, not only doesn’t the work energize you, but you also have to dig into your energy reserves to get it done. It leaves you constantly in the hole.
Success in your career doesn't come with a snap of the fingers. It takes time. It takes effort. It takes commitment. Above all, it takes the energy and inspiration to make it all happen. Passion provides the fuel to get there.
Passion strengthens your confidence
Finding a career that truly lights you up can boost your confidence in your abilities, your decisions, and your potential. Why? Because when your work is aligned with who you naturally are, your footing is more stable.
It's like having both feet planted firmly on the ground with your center of gravity low and balanced. What comes naturally is the center you return to.
Doing work that isn't aligned with who you are, on the other hand, is like being constantly off balance, standing precariously on one foot. And because you're constantly off balance, you have to put energy into staying upright. The wobbly position saps confidence and increases anxiety.
Passion inspires persistence
A few years ago I interviewed several successful entrepreneurs to get their take on the importance of passion for entrepreneurial success. Turns out it was kind of like asking how vital oxygen is to staying alive.
Why? Simply put, passion feeds persistence. Entrepreneurs inevitably suffer setbacks, encounter doubt in others, and have to overcome sometimes enormous obstacles to make their dreams reality. Without a commitment and persistence to push through that and make it happen, their dreams are doomed. One of the most important keys to success is simply the ability to stick with it. It’s the same for any career.
When you feel that passion, you feel a pull to make it happen. That pull feeds persistence, and that persistence - guided by both your heart and your mind - is a vital part of the path to success.
Positive impact beyond work
It's not just your work life that passion can impact positively. It ripples out beyond the job as well. Here are a couple of benefits I have repeatedly seen my clients experience as they make the shift towards work that aligns with who they are.
Passion reduces stress and improves health
How many people do you know whose eyes are bugging out with stress because day in and day out they're trying to shove themselves into a box that simply doesn't fit?
Work for them is about getting up and heading out for another day of being who they're not, and having to be who you're not is stressful. There is friction inherently built into the system. That stress can, at best, leave people grumbling and grouchy and, at worst, have serious physical and mental health repercussions.
Being who you are, on the other hand, opens the door for your work to flow naturally. It eliminates the friction.
Passion in your career isn't a panacea, of course. It doesn't magically remove all stress in your life, and creating your own unique path has challenges of its own. But it does remove the stress and resulting negative effects that come from living a life you were never meant to live.
Passion enhances your relationships
Loving your work has a positive effect on your relationships because half of each of those relationships - that is to say, you - is happy with how you are spending a big chunk of your time.
Many clients have said to me at some point, "You know, my (spouse/partner) told me that I'm a lot more enjoyable to be around now." But it's not just relationships with significant others that loving your work affects. It's any relationship you have in your life. Co-workers. Kids. Friends. You name it.
When you're unhappy, or frustrated, or feeling powerless and stuck, that can't help but seep into other parts of your life. It can't help but affect the interactions you have with others. On the flipside, if you're feeling happy, energized, and full of possibility, that colors how you approach and experience everything else in your life.
Loving your work doesn't guarantee great relationships. But the way work makes you feel - good or bad - can’t help but spill over into every other corner of your life. And that includes relationships.
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