I'm trying to instill the anti-follow-your-passion mindset in myself. It seems that some people do good by this type of thinking and some don't. Apparently I'm one of the latter. I just end up confused and anxious when I think about my "passions." I've been watching a few videos and listening to podcasts this last week on NOT following one's passion and they have offered some key insights:
1) Mike Rowe on "Behind the Brand." Mike Rowe is the host of Dirty Jobs on the Discovery Channel. His position on work is that you go in the opposite direction of everyone else, because that's where the money is. Hence, Dirty Jobs is about people who make a living doing work no one wants to do and many of them are millionaires. Mike himself actually looked for likely-to-fail projects in Hollywood; this way he could work for a few weeks and then take a few weeks off. However, the main takeaway I received from this video was that you need to figure out how to monetize your work. That is the bottom line. No matter how much you love what you do, if you're not earning money, you're not eating. The people in Dirty Jobs found an opportunity to make money, became good at it, and then learned to love it.
A similar idea is discussed here:
2) Reply All Podcast: Perfect Crime. The guys on Reply All reported on an actress and a long-running, but terrible show in New York called "Perfect Crime." It has bad reviews, yet people keep seeing it. The whole setup is a different way to define success - even though the show is awful, it manages to continue running and cast and crew remain employed. Not a "passion-filled" operation at all; it's paradoxical, but it seems to be working.
Next was:
3) Ben Horowitz - Commencement Speech. The part I liked best was his observations on following one's passion (around 8:00): passions are hard to prioritize (Amen!), what you're passionate about now may not be what you're passionate about in the future, you might not be very good at your passion (think American Idol), and following your passion is very a me-centered view of the world. He suggests, "Follow your contribution. Find the thing you're great at, put that into the world, contribute to others, and help the world be better."
So this speech helped explain why I become anxious when I think about following my passions- they are many and can change. Still, there is the question of, "What do I choose?" I admit that I'm not game for doing a job for only the sake of money. I'm not interested in a "dirty job" and I don't have a particular knack for computers or engineering.
4) Elizabeth Gilbert suggests following your curiosity. (This is a really beautiful speech, by the way.)
The things I've been good at most of my life are writing and performing. However, writing is more of bi-product of my life and I burned out on theatre and dance. I'm still into language and performance - like speaking and radio - and business and personal finance (I'm not a numbers person, but I like learning about money management)...? I guess I could start there? Maybe I should make a list of all the skills I want to develop and just start working on them.
Finally, there is the employment environment question. What kind of arrangement is good for me? I stress out a lot when I have to search for my own paycheck (freelance work). So I need a structured environment and steady paycheck (at least right now)...but my current situation is not ok with me for the long-term. I do not want to be an assistant to anyone. Eventually, I want my own projects, my own work, and my own brand. But how do I get those without throwing my salary and healthcare out the window?
I happened to glance at an email from Chris Guillebeau, author of The Art of Non-Conformity. Loved that book. I'm signed up for all his emails and even attended his World Domination Summit 2.5 years ago, which was great. He's coming out with a new book in April and I checked out the website. Interestingly, the website contains a quiz about working style: http://bornforthisbook.com/. I took the quiz twice. The first time, the result was kind of true...it determined that I was an "Independent Creative." However, I think this is something I want to be in the future, not right now. Eventually, I want to break away from the corporate world, but not yet. I retook the quiz and the second time it gave me, "Dynamic Organizer," which seems to fit very well, actually. I like and need structure within my workplace, but very much want a "side hustle," as they call it. So this is my answer to the work environment question.
Some of you may be asking about the business school thing I wrote about in December. I started studying for the GMAT full on and then became confused after three weeks. I wondered if I was doing it for something to do. My pace then slowed as I struggled with the math content and finally stopped for a week as I tried to collect myself. I think I might pick it up again just so I can take the exam and not quit. I hate feeling like a quitter and I don't want to add yet one more thing to that list. People accomplish lots of things every day and I feel like I can't even accomplish one. The trouble is, I also have a side job coming up soon that I agreed to do for someone, so my studying is going to slow down anyway.
I think my question now is, do I make business school my "side hustle" or focus on some other interest? ....geez...I don't know.
If anyone has thoughts on anything I just wrote - not necessarily about what I should do - please share!
No comments:
Post a Comment