Do you have a passion for your work? I mean, do you really love what you do?
I was at a conference recently and one of the speakers really grabbed my attention. What he had to say was interesting but not earth-shattering. His presentation and speaking style were strong, but that’s still not what caught my attention. This guy was clearly passionate about what he did, and it came screaming through to everyone in the audience. Here was a guy who was having a blast, not because he was in front of a crowd of a couple hundred people but because he genuinely loved his work.
When someone is passionate about what they do, it shows. You can see it in their eyes. You can hear it in how they talk. You can even see it in the way they walk. I had a colleague so convinced of this last one that he claimed many of the prospective job candidates he interviewed had lost the job just on the basis of the walk back to his office. If they didn’t walk with purpose, if they couldn’t keep up when he led them down the hall, they had a big strike against them before the interview even started. People who are excited about what they do have an energy about them that’s contagious.
And if you really want to be good at what you do, you need to love it. You can’t be at the top of your game if you don’t have a fire burning in your belly. It just doesn’t work. If your heart isn’t in it, it’ll show in the results. In fact, Vince Lombardi, the legendary Green Bay Packers football coach, once said, “If you’re not fired with enthusiasm, you’ll be fired with enthusiasm.”
“When work, commitment, and pleasure all become one and you reach that deep well where passion lives, nothing is impossible.” The source of this quote, while unknown, had it exactly right. So I ask you, when you consider your work, are you really committed and do you take pleasure in what you do? If not, you can’t have passion for what you do.
The key, as the old saying goes, is: Find what you love to do, and then figure out how to get paid for it.
Here are three questions to ask yourself to gauge your level of passion when it comes to your work:
- Do I get up every morning excited about going to work? I thought about saying “most days,” but those who are truly passionate about their work wake up ready to go to work because they love it. In fact, they might be having a lousy day in other respects, but their work causes them to overcome the bad day because they love it that much.
- Is your energy high at work? Literally, do you experience a “high” from doing your job? People who love their work gain a certain amount of momentum when they’re at work. And that energy is contagious to those around them.
- If you could wake up tomorrow and work in any profession, would you choose the one you’re in? Would you pick it again? I’ve had people who have worked for me who have come and said that they don’t really like their job. I tell them to get out and get out fast. Like Vince Lombardi said, “If you’re not fired with enthusiasm . . .”
If you’ve never had a passion for your work, I strongly suggest you find another profession. It will be life-changing. And if you’ve lost your love for what you do, look at the reasons. Maybe your interests have changed and your job no longer has the same meaning it once did. Maybe you’ve got a bad boss, and it has gotten in the way of your passion for your work. Maybe the tough economic times have shown you that what you do no longer gets you excited. If any of these are true of your situation, I suggest you find a new job or a new profession depending on the circumstance. You will not succeed if your heart isn’t in it. I can guarantee it.
Life is short and you deserve to enjoy what you do. You spend a significant portion of your life at work — too much time not to be passionate and excited about what you do. Make sure you’ve chosen your work wisely, that you’ve picked a profession you love. Success will follow.