Why "Find Your Passion"​ Is Terrible Career Advice

Like most students, I was told by many to find my passion so that I would "never have to work a day in my life". Unfortunately, I believe that this well-intended guidance has misshaped our collective notion of success and has set us up for failure.

This advice implies that we should all have one singular passion and that our primary job is to find it and then pursue it to the exclusion of all else. This philosophy promises that everything will fall into place once our passion is found and acted upon. And if we don't find it, we've failed and squandered our potential.

The main problem with this advice is that passion isn't something you find, its a feeling. Feelings, like interests, change. You can be passionate about a person or a job one day and not the next. That is why we shouldn't be using passion as a plan or the yardstick to judge ourselves and measure others.

Instead, we should try seeing it for what it is. Passion is the full force of our attention and energy that we give to whatever is right in front of us. I recommend that we take a closer look inside ourselves to see what gets us in that zone rather than looking outside of ourselves for that feeling.

Bottom Line: Passion is not an actionable word, therefore it does not constitute helpful advice. Career fulfillment is a journey that requires work that starts from the inside. You need to know what ignites your passion so that you can bring that intensity to everything you do, including your personal life. That will allow you to create value wherever you are, and that reputation will bring you to the opportunities that will lead you to a satisfying career and life.

Some Resources:

• Follow-up Reading by Ray Dalio, Co-Chief Investment Officer & Co-Chairman of Bridgewater Associates, to examine passion's role in your career from a seasoned professional's perspective.

• Follow-up Watching hosted by Sallie Krawcheck, CEO and Co-Founder of Ellevest, to help answer any career questions keeping you up at night.

• Follow-up Slides created by Elizabeth Ngonzi, International Consultant & Coach, to help you take actionable steps to help pivot your career.

What do you think?

Make sure to share your views and any bad career advice you've received in the comment section below!

This blog was originally posted here on LinkedIn.