Can you really 'do what you love?'

How to make your passion your profession

February 14, 2022

Hey there —

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”

You’ve heard the saying a million times, but can you really do what you love for a living?

The reality is far more complicated.

For starters, many of us have no idea what the heck our “passion” even is. How could we when we’re expected to pick our life’s work at 18-years-old (or sooner)?

Plus, it’s one thing to know your passion – and it’s another to earn a living from it. It can take years to actually make a living from something you love, and even if you do, turning a hobby or passion into your day job with taxable income and deadlines kind of defeats the whole point.

We're not trying to be Debbie-downers. You should try to do what you love for a living! But know it’s not as easy as passion = fulfillment. If you want to make what you love into a career, here are a few things to help you get started:

Take action. Passion doesn’t always find us. We have to go out there and find it ourselves. And the best way to do it is by trying new things! Take on new jobs or projects to figure out what makes your heart buzz. Experiment! 🧪

Dabble. (A lot). Chances are, you love lots of different things. And that’s awesome because embracing your interests with skill stacking increases career success.

Uninterested in mixing career with passion? That’s okay, too. If you see your job as just that – a job – it doesn’t make you a sellout. Work isn’t the only way to get meaning out of your life.

Most of us will spend about 80,000 hours of our lives at “work.” So if you can “do what you love for a living” — fantastic. But life is about more than work.

Fill your days with things you’re passionate about and you’ll be just fine. Even if you don’t earn a dime from it.

How to Wake Up Smiling: The 9 Decisions That Lead to a Life I Love

Article | by Michael Thompson

It isn’t always easy to wake up with a smile on our face — unless we’re bribed with a pot of coffee. Most of us would rather hit the snooze button for the dozenth time or scroll on our phones for an hour.

But for Michael Thompson, waking up in a chipper mood is the norm. He credits this to nine personal decisions that have helped him lead a more fulfilling life.

Our favorite one? “Making Curious Your Baseline,” which is when you avoid becoming “intellectually dead” by turning into a lifelong learner. Solid advice.

How to Remember What You Read

Article | by Farnam Street

We’ve all been there. You snag the latest “life-changing” NYT Bestseller, but after giving it a read…nothing happens.

What gives?

Turns out that reading a book is one thing. Remembering it well enough to take decisive action is something else. Luckily for us, this miniature guide from Farnam Street gives us multiple strategies to help us get more out of what we read.

“What you read can give you access to untold knowledge. But how you read changes the trajectory of your life.”

FutureMe.Org

Tool | by Memories Group Limited

Looking for a fun and simple way to interact with your future? Write a letter to ‘future you’ with FutureMe — a tool that lets you send emails one, five, or even ten years from now.

Half diary, half time-machine, this activity is guaranteed to get you to reflect on your past while considering your future.

Written by Alice Lemée