Do You Like What You Do, Or Love It?
We have heard the stat that the top five jobs in 2010 didn't exist in 2000. The internet is creating a rapidly-evolving ecosystem that is creating a wealth of opportunity for many people around the world. With technology replacing some of the older, "safe" jobs - Generation Y is facing a unique problem.
Our parents may well be the last generation ever to have a single, stable job for 30 years or more. Many of our parents got their degree, being the first in their family, and used this to land a safe, well-paying job. With the recent financial turmoil, and the rise of technology and globalization, there is a very likely chance that most of us won't have just one job throughout our working life.
If we are trying to find our passion and translate this into a career - should we be worried? Today's post is going to take a look at people who seem to have multiple interests - which allows them to bounce in and out of certain careers. Is this still considered finding your passion? Then we will take a look at people who never really vary from their original career path - having truly found what they love to do. I believe there is a large difference between the two and only one of them leads to world-class success.
Liking What You Do
A common scenario for individuals that have been through college or university and landed a fairly stable job is to eventually move up the career "ladder". This means more responsibility and increased pay. But this does not necessarily mean more intrinsic value. After the initial burst of excitement of having a "real" job - you may begin to have a small twinge of something in your gut. This little feeling is something telling you that you are not really following your path. This usually happens when you settle into a job that does not align with your passion - what you prefer to be doing. This scenario is extremely common and usually not in your best interest. You can even enter into a job trap called "golden handcuffs" where you are getting paid well enough to live a very decent lifestyle, but not paid enough to quit and start over again, without having major financial issues.
But this post is about when you are in a job that you get value from. You like the task at hand, you see how you are contributing and you believe that you have passion for it. Great! But with most people, when they have been in a career that they "like" for years, it may become stale. This is perfectly natural. They then go and look for another career in something else they like to do. If they are talented and skilled enough, they will make a transition into another career. By living your life doing things you are passionate about, you will generally be very happy. After all, most people don't ever get the chance to do work that they like!
So what is the problem? Why did I mention above that this doesn't really count as finding your passion in life? For a couple of reasons, but the main one being that I believe people have one true passion that they should be doing. Is this the same thing as having one career your whole life? No - not at all. I still believe that we are in a world where one must have multiple careers. However, I believe the major factor comes from where those careers happen to be in.
Loving What You Do
Let's take a couple of case scenarios. The first person is someone I know. He is talented in quite a few things, but very talented at skiing. Even though this is really only his first year of taking skiing seriously, he has already become a certified instructor and has improved tremendously over the course of just a few months. I believe that if he dedicated his life to it over the next eight years, he could potentially be in the Winter Olympics come 2018. Why do I mention this? Because beyond the fact that he likes to ski - he also has a natural aptitude towards it. And following the hedgehog concept - skiing is also a viable career path that can lead to quite a few well-paying jobs.
But is he going into a career path involving skiing? No, for the simple reason that he does not have a true passion for it. By this I mean that he cannot see himself being involved in a skiing career for the rest of his life. Skiing is just an interest, and something he likes to do. Can you call this one of his passions? Sure - but I think that it is better called a hobby he loves to do.
Now take the example of a young dancer. Having one parent as a dancer and the other involved in the arts, the child has hereditary genes predisposed towards the arts world. She is raised in an environment that allows her to take classes and improve herself, have a safe place to come home to at night, and have parents that are supportive, both financially and personally. She dreams of dance when she goes to bed, watches dance on TV every day and only reads dance magazines. She knows all of the major players in the industry, knows the style of dance she wants to emulate, and where she would like to work.
This sounds like a perfect scenario, and some hubris was used for literary effect. But when that child grows up and becomes a dancer, this will be her true passion. Sure, she will have other interests on the side, maybe painting and gardening, but she only likes those things. She only loves to dance, and can't imagine her world without it. Even after she is too old to continue dancing, she will transition into a career still within that industry. She may become a choreographer, the owner of a studio or a writer. Even though she will fluctuate careers - she will always stay within the category.
--
Here within lies the difference between world-class individuals and those who like what they do. People at the top of any career have found their passion in life - and can't picture their life without it. They wouldn't be themselves anymore if it weren't in their life. They are partly defined by what they do as a career. We term this a passionate calling.
Those who like multiple careers throughout their lifetime are not any worse off - it's just not the same thing. Most people that happen to find multiple careers they are passionate about are extremely lucky. But these careers are defined more by interest than they are by intrinsic value - making them passionate careers.
The simple difference comes down to liking what you do versus loving what you do. The difference is pretty massive, but both are amazing scenarios. In the next post I will talk about why some people go through life never finding that one passion, and why some do at such an early age.
