We like to say that people should "find their passion" to experience success in their careers and therefore, in their lives. If you really love something, it will feel easy and right. Right? That may actually be the worst possible way to approach new ventures.

Do what you love. It's standard-issue advice in an era where a lifelong career path seems a distant dream for anyone under 50. But it's also utter codswallop. This is why.

Having a good work ethic means more than just showing up and putting in the minimum necessary. If you have a hard time getting in the mindset of a dedicated worker, start by building work around your passion.

One issue that you'll see constantly debated in books and articles about choosing a career is the idea of "doing what you love". Should a person "follow their passion" as a primary guiding light for their career? Or does it make more sense to choose a career based on income and aptitude?

"Pursue your passion" is unhelpful advice for a handful of reasons, but mostly because it suggests we should stick to a single path we already feel strongly about. As personal finance expert Stefanie O'Connell explains, passion isn't something you have, it's something you discover.

Passion is usually thought of as some intrinsic calling you either have or you don't. It's a frustrating way to think about passion if you don't know what yours is. But as author and financial expert Stefanie O'Connell points out, passion is something you can find.

Self-esteem and self-confidence seem like pretty much the same thing, but they're not. For example, maybe you can easily get in front of a crowd, give a speech, and command a room, which shows self-confidence, but at the same time, you feel like crap about your own public speaking, which is a lack of self-esteem.

If you can't decide what to pursue as a hobby, look to your childhood passions for inspiration. Blogger Mark Manson suggests you ask yourself: "What is true about you today that would make your 8-year-old self cry?"