New research has come out that dismantles the idea of "follow your passion" as a recipe for career success. In fact, this advice does far more harm than good. But what should we replace it with? I suggest three frameworks that help navigate the question "What should I do with the rest of my life?"
The main flaw of “finding your passion” presupposes that interests and passions are fixed, rather than fluid and evolving as we age and gain wisdom and experience.
7 min read Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. I'd rather be a failure at something I love than a success at something I hate. -- George Burns We're all passionate about something in our lives. But how can you actually turn a profit off of that passion?
Let’s say that your passion is playing the guitar. What void can you fill in that marketplace? For example, if you can repair guitars and realize that there isn’t a repair shop anywhere else around, that could be a business opportunity.
You also need to ask yourself how you can make the industry better.
Feeling stuck in your career? Not sure what you want to do next-besides just walk out of your office and quit. Don't panic, because we've got six fresh ways to find your passion that'll make all the difference in your long-term happiness.
If you scan the landscape of your life, you’ll notice certain experiences peak up. It’s so valuable to delve into these “peak moments” and extract the key ingredients. Make a list of the ingredients that truly mattered in your peak moments; don’t be distracted by the counterfeits.
When you look at all the ingredients that matter to you, they might at first seem entirely disconnected. Let’s say you love French, drinking coffee, playing with words, analyzing and categorizing, and being a leader within a community. How could you construct a career from these?
Seek an umbrella; something that all of these ingredients can fit beneath.