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Finding Your Career Passion


The fake definition of "find your career passion": Do something you enjoy.


The real definition of "find your career passion": Do something you care enough about that you are willing to endure more pain than the average person would be willing to endure for that thing."


I think finding deep, meaningful work means enduring some pain along the way. I know a lot of people who love their jobs now, but who earlier in their careers did things like:

  1. Lived in places they didn't care for

  2. Took jobs they didn't really enjoy to get on a career path that would give them more options down the road

  3. Went to extra school qualify for those jobs

  4. Patiently waited, sometimes for years, for opportunities to open up even while doing work they didn't love with a boss they didn't like

  5. Created a side hustle and worked at it for years until they finally were able to transition into it full time.

Not that you have to do all these things to find your passion. But most people I've talked with who feel like they are doing deep, meaningful work have some major career war stories to tell.


And don't think working for yourself is the way to avoid all of this. To the contrary, entrepreneurs are prime examples of people who endure significant amounts of pain to work on something they care about.


Finding your career passion sometimes means switching jobs, but not always. Sometimes it's just asking yourself, "what things do I really care about at work, and how can I dedicate more time to those things?"


You want enjoyment, go out with friends. You want passion, get to work on something you care about and be willing to work hard enough to make a difference. That will turn into passion, and even enjoyment, over time

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