The things you love do not need to become your work.

This isn’t a very popular sentiment these days, I know. There’s a deluge of cultural messaging that enthusiastically insists if you follow your passions you will discover your sense of purpose and henceforth what you should be doing with your life in its entirety.

This thinking gets us into trouble when we marry our work or sense of purpose to the experience of passion.

Passion is less tied to purpose than it is to how we go about our lives generally speaking. As Mike Rowe, host of Dirty Jobs, puts it, “you don’t follow your passion, you bring it with you.”

Passion is cultivated.

So if we have the expectation that all the time we spend working or serving should also completely fulfill our passion-meter, we are going to be sapped of energy at the end of every day or week and maybe resentful. Sound familiar? (I’m looking at you, new parents)

You Have More Time Than You Think

What if your work could take up a little less energetic space? What if purpose was just a part of the journey of being human and not all of it? For most people there are at least 30 available hours during the workweek for you to play passionately within.

Find a way to make this time more meaningful, rather than cyclical, routine and passive. If you played passionately in the hours outside of work, your work hours would hold less power over you when they become challenging or unenjoyable.

Input is as Important as Output

When we habitually “unwind” by, say, watching TV or drinking we are starving ourselves of much needed nourishment. Input is when we do the things that feed our mind, body or soul. Most of us live in output mode when we are working or in service to others. And yet, we need a balanced exchange of energy to vibrantly thrive and stave off depletion. Which brings us to:

For the Sake Of It

Not all input needs to have an output. You can practice piano for the sheer joy of it, without the intention of sharing your gift with others. Learn to live within the process of passion rather than the anticipation of any outcome. This is why passion so dearly needs to live beyond purpose. A child does not explore and play with the intention of becoming a social media tastemaker. She does not paint you a picture so that you will buy it or blog about it. It is passion engaged for the sake of it.

Prioritize Your Passion
Schedule your passions, giving equal weight to these activities as to your service and purpose – even if you are deeply passionate about your work. If you were to consistently cultivate joy in your daily life, what activities would be non-negotiable?

Start Here

  1. Pick three things you are passionate about, one in each category: (a) intellectually (b) creatively/artistically (c) physically
  2. Schedule an activity around each of these three at least once every two weeks. Keep the activity consistent to begin with.
  3. Give equal weight and priority to activities that engage and cultivate your passion as you do your work.
  4. When you conclude work each day, engage in a passionate activity rather than a habit of checking out to unwind. This could be as simple as reading an article on a topic dear to your heart.

Huh? Passion?

If you’re not sure where to start, go back to your childhood and think of things that consistently ignited your soul or stirred your curiosity. This could have been dance, art, adventuring, a social justice cause, music… what makes your heart sing or drives your deepest intrigue?