When you’ve been fortunate enough to work in your passion-driven career, you’ve experienced the satisfaction that arises from pursuing your true interests as a profession.
I had the immense joy of landing my ideal position in a high-budget musical at Madison Square Garden in New York City. My enthusiasm for the show and my colleagues was so high that I overlooked important details like salaries and contracts. Then came the reality: a mere $542 per week (before taxes, union fees, and agent commissions). Surely, this couldn’t be correct. This was my ideal role.
Often, we find ourselves willing to sacrifice everything, even basic necessities, to stay in a vocation we love. However, if we continue to under-value our needs, especially fair compensation, we risk losing the opportunity to shape the lives and careers that truly fulfill us.
The biggest risk of loving your job too much is undervaluing your time in order to keep at it.
By recognizing that our work passion is part of our broader life passions—and not the sole defining aspect—we can start envisioning a more creative and integrated lifestyle that encompasses all our values and priorities.
Here are several steps to help you get started.
1. Envision your ideal life across all areas.
Many of us have envisioned our dream careers, picturing how exhilarating it would feel to engage in our passions full time.
Make sure to extend that thoughtful consideration to every aspect of your life: from relationships and family to health and finances.
As you clarify what truly matters to you, you can reflect on your values instead of merely racing towards your career ambitions without regard for your other priorities.
2. Reflect on your motivations.
In evaluating your ambitions, consider the underlying reasons for them.
For instance, if my goal is to star in a Broadway production, my motives might be to gain recognition or experience the excitement of performing in NYC.
Upon examining those desires, they appear rather superficial—driven more by ego and external expectations.
In general, sustainable goals are founded on your values, rooted in the feelings you seek, and largely controllable by you.
3. Strengthen your aspirations.
If you notice some of your goals lack vigor, consider removing them or thinking of ways to make them more robust.
This gives you the chance to re-evaluate and establish goals that resonate more with your motivations.
For me, starting my own venture provided the financial security I desired while also allowing me the freedom to engage in performance at my own pace, without jeopardizing personal commitments like travels or quality time with loved ones.
By weighing all my life priorities, I discovered more sustainable and satisfying pathways in my career.
4. Abandon the either/or mindset.
Exploring diverse approaches to your career goals doesn’t equate to abandoning them. Embracing non-career priorities such as family and flexibility doesn’t mean dismissing your ambition and the joy of what you love.
Studies find that individuals who make daily progress toward their passions feel a greater sense of contentment and fulfillment. Even if your passion isn’t your primary occupation, dedicating small increments of time each day (even just 15 minutes) toward it can foster feelings of satisfaction.
