Passion is driver of desire, an emotional tug that overtakes logic, and a motivator for action. Passion also varies in degree which is person dependent. Perhaps at the most extreme we find people who are adamant and fanatical about what they believe, so much that they are willing to sacrifice their life as a result that passion.
What is the one thing, or several things that get your juices flowing and brings out the best in you? Does your work fulfill the need to satisfy your passion(s)? Are you engaging in those activities that support your passion(s) enough to find your life truly rewarding and enjoyable?
A year or so ago my daughter was pursing a job as an instructor at a dance studio. She relayed to me how much she loved to dance and how good it made her feel. She didn’t land the job, but she didn’t forget that passion. Recently she attained her certification to teach Zumba dance classes. Each time we spoke about this new direction in her life I could hear the enthusiasm and excitement in her voice. To show my support in her new found passion, I purchased a portable sound system that is iPod compatible and a iPod Nano to store her new Latin tunes that she can use for her classes. In just a month she has booked 3 locations with many more gigs and locations to follow.
Her husband is a MMA fighter by night and works at a city boxing gym by day…which shows he has aligned his work with his passion. My wife asked me why would someone want to go into a high risk situation with the likelihood of becoming injured? Certainly, the passion does not lie in some sadistic desire to get hit and absorb punishment. Or at least I hope not. I can not speak for him, but I told her when I climbed in the ring, to box it was the thrill of competition in matching my skills against those of another. I had quick hands and a long reach…not so much any more. I suspect he has the same rationale since I know him to be a competitor and a former high school state wrestling champion.
My stepson left for Afghanistan this week to take part in defending freedom for us and others. The Army is a logical progression of his passion to service and duty after earning the rank of Eagle Scout in the Boy Scouts.
My son who is in the early stages of college is in the process of discovering what his passion in life is. After 15 years of recreational and competitive youth soccer I thought his passion for the game would carry forward after a few colleges were offering him scholarships to play soccer for them, but he declined. His likeness for the game is still there since he plays in an adult league and in pick up games in the park every week, but it does not consume him as a passion would. For me, the beautiful game is one of my few passions. The hours I spend watching television in any given week contains more soccer matches than any other program viewed and I devote 2 – 6 hours per week coaching teenage boys. If my knees would allow me, I would be playing on at least one adult team as well.
How many people do you know absolutely love what they do for a living? How many people do you know feel trapped in a job they dread going to every day? In which category do you best fit?
Most of us have to work full-time. In any given work year, a 40 hour week at 52 weeks a year equates to 23.7% of life spent at work. Another way to look at is if you worked full time every year from age 20 to 65 that would be 93,600 hours spent at work. Another significant time taker is sleeping. If you require 8 hours of sleep a night, then 33.3% of your life is with eyes closed. If you are a Type A person like me, who requires 6 hours or less, then you are awake, though not necessarily alert, 75% of the time. Coupling work and sleep give us nearly 50% of our waking hours as discretionary time which allows us to engage in the things we enjoy doing. In reality, that “free” time is encroached by hours spent in traffic, housekeeping, lines at the bank or store, time spent waiting to see the medical practitioner, and many other things that we endure to satisfy basic survival and security needs. At the end of the day, very little time is available to devote to what motivates us most.
That brings me to defining what my next job should be. For 15+ plus years I have been in the human resources arena. I look at my strengths taken from inventory in the book titled Strengths 2.0 by Tom Rath, that suggest the following: Achiever (driven), Analyst (process oriented), Individualizer (appreciates the diversity of the individual), Learner (learns and applies), and Relater (active listener). It’s a bit late in life to change career course since my formal education runs parallel to my chosen profession. Of all the different functions in HR, the one that fires me up most is learning and development which really suits my strengths. It’s a match that’s better than one found on match.com.
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