Do what you love.
Then it never feels like work, right?
I actually have a bit of a problem with that statement, and my rub with that is coming into clearer and clearer focus every day. So I want to explain, in case it resonates.
From Passion to Profession
In the late 90’s, I took a job with the Milwaukee Symphony Orchestra.
As a former music major, I was in heaven. I never really wanted to be a performing musician, but I really loved the idea of the business behind the arts. Making them accessible. Making them prevalent. Keeping them strong as a pillar in the community.
So that job seemed like utopia in a glass at first. So did my job after that with the Wisconsin Conservatory of Music.
Except for one thing.
I had made a career out of my passion, finding a way to work side by side with the music that I loved so much. So I was immersed in my passion, day in and day out, working with it and breathing it and surrounded by it.
Which was precisely the problem.
My passion became my job, which meant it became less and less my passion. Because I saw all the behind the scenes stuff that wasn’t so neat and tidy, the difficulties and the politics of non-profits, the not-so-flattering sides of the music business, and the reality that arts and arts education have a very complex place within the community.
I had free tickets to music performances, more than I could want. And I never used them. Because I was immersed in that day after day after day, I couldn’t even think about enjoying a concert or a performance because I needed a break from all of that each day.
For a long time, it really stifled my enojyment of the art and environment I once loved so much.
The Profession That Balances
Today, I work as a consultant, advising businesses on things like culture change and operational adaptation, mostly the stuff brought on by the emergence of the social web. Our firm, SideraWorks, is doing cool things in the social business space.
I really, really enjoy that work.
I find the puzzles interesting. I find the dynamics between people and organizations fascinating. I’m rewarded by tackling complex issues inside of companies and feeling the relief and the enthusiasm that emerges as problems start to unravel and solutions start to emerge.
It energizes me, challenges me, rewards me both professionally and financially. And there’s something immensely satisfying (and exhausting) about building your own business, so I value that experience immensely.
I’m excited by what I do. I really enjoy it, and I like my career.
But is it My Passion?
Enabling Both
If you’ve been following along with me, you’ll know that I’m in the midst of a cross-country adoption of a sweet pit bull named Hope.
If you were to sit down and ask me what I do, I’d tell you about my work with SideraWorks.
If you were to ask me about my passions, I’d probably talk about animals.
Animal rescue is something I’ve been involved in in some capacity or another for many years. All my animals are rescues, I’ve volunteered and worked with rescue organizations, and I have a particular interest in helping bully breeds restore their much-maligned (and ill-deserved) reputations. I believe in it, and I’m passionate about it. It moves my soul. I think it’s part of the reason I’m on the planet.
Social business is what challenges me day to day, and what gets my brain engaged in new and exciting ways with clients who are trying to build their business, and I find that really rewarding and interesting. I love business challenges and complexities. I love the work I do. But it’s not necessarily my purpose.
Is it meaningful? Yes. Does it make a difference? Absolutely. Is it purposeful? Without doubt.
If I had to quit doing it tomorrow, would I feel like a part of me was missing? Probably not.
The truth is that working hard to build a profitable, successful business is, in part, what enables me to also find time to pursue my passions. The things that complete me emotionally and philosophically.
Having a fulfilling and challenging career that also pays the bills is what can keep my passions something I can be passionate about, instead of something that becomes a must, becomes a chore because it’s the thing I also have to do in order to keep a roof over my head or keep my kid fed and clothed.
The False Mantra
When you read about entrepreneurship and career paths and developing yourself professionally, you’ll often hear the advice that you should do what you’re passionate about because then it will never feel like work. You’ll always have a reason to get out of the bed in the morning.
My split hair here is that I think you should pursue a career that you enjoy, that engages your brain, that you can spend your days doing and feel interested and fulfilled and that you’re doing something you can be proud of. That’s important to your well-being and your sense of accomplishment and worth around how you spend your time.
However.
Be mindful of mixing passion with profession.
Sometimes they blend well. Sometimes, they can cannibalize each other, leaving you with little energy for either. And what a tragedy that is.
Someday, I hope that SideraWorks is so successful that I have the financial freedom to work in animal rescue as an avocation, not necessarily a profession. Something I can afford do to because I do something else for a living, or that I did it so well that I’m financially independent enough to pursue other things.
That’s the balance. When you can pursue a passion because you succeeded at a profession.
At least, it is for me. Someday, maybe One Hope At A Time will be more than just a Facebook page. But for now, it’s a passion project that gets extra energy when I have it to give.
Have you experienced this collision? Felt the friction between what you love and what you do and felt guilty that they weren’t necessarily the same thing in the same way? How have you approached all of this?
What’s the right balance for you?
My goodness, yes. Thank you.
I love having work that I love doing that’s different from what I’m passionate about doing because there’s definition to both. They both reward me.
It took so very long for me to embrace that (long after I realized it).
Oh, I definitely relate to this. For four years I ran my own freelance business. It started off as fun and ended up as this horrible chore. It finally fell apart last year and it was so hard to deal with. (I’m still dealing with it!) Writing is my passion and it became this burden, completely weighing me down. And when it failed, I questioned whether I was good at anything. Because if I couldn’t make my writing into a career, then clearly I was doomed to failure with everything else.
It’s taken a slow process to understand that just because it was my passion, doesn’t mean that it could be my job. And that letting it go is not necessarily a bad thing. Now I’m writing on a personal level, something I had stopped doing in those four years. And I’m in a sales job which is not necessarily my ideal but shows promise for future opportunities (editorial, social media, etc). It’s still something I struggle with but I’m slowly understanding that passion doesn’t always make the perfect job.
Finally, a truth sayer and very necessary reality check. I see so many entrepreneurs spinning their wheels, being told they can “profit from their passions.” And, while this may be true in some cases, for the rest of us living in the real world–our greatest impact is found when we understand the difference between what we love to do, how we serve others and our passions.
Kudos on this post Amber!
that is so true- if one isn’t careful, one’s hobby can become a chore, and we have all have enough of those already.
The other misconception, I have issue is, is about trying to achieve the perfect balance – between family, job, career, and passions- when that is impossible to maintain in a very tight structure.
Once we let go of that notion, we are free to flow- some days is a little more one thing, some days a little less.
I absolutely relate to this-I never did understand the love/passion/work concept the best selling books pose. Enjoying your work and understanding that some not so fun stuff comes with every role is realistic. Believing that every moment of ones work will be perfect is not realistic.
Excellent blog as ever, very thought provoking. To me my work is one of my key passions in live, but as with your story, it is important to me to be mindful that I could allow it to become all consuming. You see, I am also passionate about my family, but from time to time I allow my passion for my work to take those two passions out of balance. Your blog is a reminder to be mindful around balance. Thank you.
Music. The beats pumped through my heart and my soul, it was in me. So I took this passion and I turned it into a career. A degree in Audio Engineering. Years in concert promotion/production that lead to even more years at EMI/Capitol Records. A 17 year span of working in what I loved, my passion.
Working within my passion, killed my passion. To be so intimate with the inside scoop, the struggles, the misconceptions, the way the business of music was ruled from ivory towers blind to the world below? Was enough to make me walk away after spending years immersing myself in my passion. Sadly working in my passion made me lose a lot of love for it.
Today, I love what I do. I can tap into my creativity, formulate a strategic plan and solve problems. I enjoy my time at work, I work hard and am respected by my colleagues. But it isn’t my passion, and that is fine with me.
I relate to this completely – thank you! I also see my day job as the vehicle that allows me to fund my passion for volunteering with animal rescues in the evenings and on weekends.
Very thoughtful post – thank you Amber.
I agree that passions can become chores if we force them into professions. But they can also turn into meaningful, world-changing professions if we give them time and loving attention.
I wrote more about this topic in the following blog post:
http://www.keyhubs.com/blog/hobbies-are-underrated-the-case-for-heart-centered-entrepreneurship/
I have a feeling that if you patiently stick to One Hope At A Time, that it will turn into much more than a Facebook page…One Day At A Time. : )
Thanks again for the great insights!
Wow, that is new. A lot of us strive to find work that is also our passion yet you have some great points why this should not be the case. It gave me something to think about.
Excellent. Reminds me of a quote from Neil Gaiman, in one of the Sandman books: “The price of getting what you want is getting what you once wanted.” When what you love becomes what you do for a living, an element of sobering gravity becomes part of it, no matter what.
Great common sense article for the average worker. This should be a must read for all the Gen Y coming into the work force. The only problem is they have been fed the follow your passion thing for so long they won’t believe this article. If they are passionate about spending time with friends then one in 10 million will create facebook. The rest will just want to spend time on it all day long. http://canadaloansearch.com/budgeting-money-management/