“Follow your passion” may not always be the best advice. If you have to be passionate about your work before you ever start, you might leave a lot of opportunities behind. Instead, start following the opportunities you have and apply your passion.
Picture: Jason Tester
As business blog Entrepreneur explains, not everyone has every opportunity available to them in equal measure. Someone who grew up working in restaurants will have an easier time opening their own than someone who’s never stepped foot in a kitchen. Your circumstances give you a distinct set of strengths and weaknesses. Rather than picking a passion first and trying to shoehorn it into your life, take a look at your opportunities and ask yourself where you can apply your passion:
Zappos.com is a business where passion followed opportunity, but wasn’t the starting point. I can’t imagine that Tony Hsieh is more passionate about shoes than most of the women that I know. He is, however, completely passionate about customer service, which helped take that business to the top of its game.
If you’re doing something you love and can turn that into a profitable business, that’s great. On the other hand, if you’re like most of us who need to get a job before life hands you the perfect one, start taking a look at the opportunities available to you. What do the people in your community need? Can you provide it? If you can find something someone else needs, you may find that your passion can follow.
Why ‘Follow Your Passion’ Is Awful, Flawed Advice [Entrepreneur]
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