“Do What You Love” is the message of the moment when it comes to career advice. We are surrounded by it, on billboards for college programs, on job search sites, in articles offering tips for figuring it out once and for all.
What if you’re not doing what you love? The message can feel like pressure, not inspiration. The question, “how do I find my passion and do what I love?” comes up frequently in my experience, so if you’re not feeling the love, you’re not alone. Here’s food for thought:
• There is no once and for all. Life is full of “ah-ha” moments. Learning to listen for them is an acquired skill and a key to discovering your real strengths.
• Most people do not have a singular passion driving them towards the thing they love. Many gifted people have multiple talents and interests.
• Monetizing what you love may turn the work you love into the job you hate. My daughter loves singing and acting but hated the lifestyle. She now works for a tech company and is happy developing her talent for connecting with people.
The more helpful message in career advice is play to your strengths. Take the emphasis off the elusive goal of finding your passion and build it with what you’ve already got.
Leslie Boyd is a certified career and business coach and principal of Berkeley House Coaching. For more about strengths based career coaching, please visit berkeleyhousecoaching.com.
