Q: People keep telling me to find my passion. Help!
While well-intended, the advice to “find your passion” isn’t doing anyone any favors. It implies that there is one thing—one major area of focus—that you need to devote all your energy to and that once you find it, it will be smooth sailing. Studies show that thinking this way can make setbacks hard to handle. As the authors of the research paper “Implicit Theories of Interest: Finding Your Passion or Developing It?” concluded, “Urging people to find their passion may lead them to put all their eggs in one basket but then to drop that basket when it becomes difficult to carry.”
Those who said they put a great deal of effort into their work reported feeling more excited about it.
Developing passion, rather than finding it, is a healthier way to think about it. Through this lens, passion can be seen as an ongoing, flexible process that requires perseverance and hard work. The study “I Put in Effort, Therefore I Am Passionate: Investigating the Path From Effort to Passion in Entrepreneurship” found that those who said they put a great deal of effort into their work reported feeling more excited about it. The harder they worked, the more passionate they became. This runs counter to the idea that passion is a necessary ingredient for hard work. More often than not, it is the other way around. The more effort you put into something, the more committed you become. As a patient recently observed, “The moment I started trying at school, my classes became so much more interesting. It makes a difference when I actually do my homework and do the reading. Some of this stuff is fascinating. Who knew?”
Passion doesn’t emerge from a vacuum. It takes genuine effort and a great deal of hard work. In his 2005 commencement address at Stanford, Steve Jobs said, “The only way to do great work is to love what you do.” It can also be argued that loving what you do entails doing great work.
Dr. Samantha Boardman is a clinical instructor in psychiatry and an assistant attending psychiatrist at Weil Cornell Medical College in New York and the the founder of positivepercription.com.
This story originally appeared in the July 2019 issue of Marie Claire.
MORE FROM SAMANTHA BOARDMAN
-
One of King Charles’ Siblings Was Adamant That Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Be Evicted from Frogmore CottageMeanwhile, another sibling was “uneasy” about the decision.
-
Despite the Royal Family’s Disdain for Princess Diana When She Was Alive, It Regularly Pushed Both Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle to Dress Like Her, New Book Claims
“During the past 13 years, Diana cosplay has become a royal staple.”
-
King Charles Employs 28 Personal Household Staff Members That Have to Do Some Really Weird Job Duties
Talk about “other duties as assigned.”
-
Where Did All My Work Friends Go?
The pandemic has forced our work friendships to evolve. Will they ever be the same?
-
How Different Kinds of Caffeine Affect Your Productivity: a Semi-Scientific Study
Because speeding through the day is all that matters.
-
Five Small Steps for Beating Burnout
The pandemic has exacerbated burnout, especially for women. Here are five things you can do right now to feel less stressed and more well-rested, instantly.
-
Dara Treseder Is the Reason You're Obsessed With Peloton
That's kind of her job. As the company's SVP, head of global marketing and communications, Treseder is responsible for building Peloton's brand and its rider community. Here, she talks ambition, being a Black woman in corporate America, and the value of investing in yourself.
-
The Sacred Boom
With the demand for mystical services on the rise, a growing number of women are channeling their spiritual gifts into full-blown careers.
-
So You Want a Postnup
No, they’re not planning to divorce, yet more couples are facing the awkwardness of getting their marital finances in order—after they say “I do.”
-
Marcella Nunez-Smith Is Making COVID-19 Care More Equitable (And So Much More)
The leader of Biden's Health Equity Task Force is getting to work.
-
The Two Moms Who Took a Year Off to Travel—Then COVID-19 Happened
Every other Thursday, a couple will get candid with Marie Claire about how they split their finances. This week, we're talking to a couple who decided to travel full-time just before COVID-19.
