Stop thinking about your passion
The response for my first article was overwhelming. Thank you all so much for the support and kind words of encouragement. I am still a budding writer and irregardless whether I have 1, 100 or 1000 readers, I will continue to write and share honestly.
Starting out
When I was new to the game of entrepreneurship, I had to read a lot to supplement my knowledge on it. I remember the first article I read was something on the defining traits of a successful business owner. In it, there was a point that asked us readers to “follow our passions”.
I thought it was good advice until I started to actively search for my passion, which eventually became a stumbling block. Was seeking out my passion akin to finding a good business opportunity? Was the process supposed to be active or passive? I had no clue and for some time, I felt discouraged.
I simply did not know what I was passionate about.
Then one day as I was reading a book, I chanced upon a phrase — what excites you? That was when I realised that I had oversimplified my understanding of the term “passion” and overlooked its constituents.
New questions, new perspectives
The truth is, many of us are tired of being told to find and to follow our passions, and to hear it explained to us as if it is a walk in the park and the holy grail of success.
I found that most people are unable to instantaneously relate to their passions, to an extent that the convoluted phrase “follow your passion” becomes uninspiring. Therefore, rather than trying to actualise our passions, why not shift our focus to the familiar feeling of excitement?
Success and excitement share a positive correlation.
When I leveraged on my excitement towards a certain subject and acted on it, everything seemed to fall into place nicely. I was making progress without thinking about passion and its semantics. I was not deterred by the opportunity costs of my pursuit nor was I easily disheartened by the difficulties faced during the build process. I was having good old-fashioned fun experimenting with different ideas.
“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” — Thomas Edison
Thomas Edison was undoubtedly excited about his invention but more importantly, he was committed to its success. It was his unwavering commitment that helped him persevere through numerous failed attempts.
So, ask yourself two questions:
- What excites you?
- Can you commit yourself to it?
Commitment is equally, if not more important
In life, we tend to seek out new and exciting things to pursue. What keeps us grounded is commitment and commitment requires sacrifice. We can be excited about many things at once, but we will only see results from the few that we are willing to spend sufficient time on.
“Unless commitment is made, there are only promises and hopes; but no plans.” — Peter F. Drucker
The initial excitement I felt about web design motivated me to learn more about its principles. When I found myself clinching larger projects and having more satisfied clients, I decided to commit myself to excelling as a digital designer. Gradually, I narrowed down my areas of interest to visual and interaction design and it was not long before I decided to build a business around it.
Passion is sustainable excitement.
The feeling of excitement arises when our brains react to novelty. However, when the novelty wears off, so will the feeling of excitement. Passion is an outcome that can only be harnessed from our excitement and commitment, and it would require both to work in tandem for it to be sustainable.
Ultimately, we do not have to constantly ponder about our ever-elusive passions. When we are committed to interests that we are excited about, we will eventually discover what we are truly passionate about.
For starters, what makes you look forward to Mondays and dread Fridays?
Best,
Thomas
Any comments or questions? I’d love to hear it from you below or on Twitter. It would encourage me to write more of such articles.
Thomas is the Founder and Creative Director of MITH Studio (Make-It-Happen Studio), an independent digital consultancy that offers full-stack design and development services.
