Find your passion vs transform your current career

[Greenbirch]

"Discover Your Passion - How to discover your top passion in life and design a career or business around it." This is the description of Leo's "How To Create Your Dream Career - The Ultimate Life Purpose Course" video. The message from this video and many other sources seems to be that people have some passion, such as painting, and they should discover and follow it. What I think this message says is that you should be ready to switch your career completely to match your passion. Please correct me if I have misunderstood this. Anyway, this is one view.

The second view is that almost any type of career can be fulfilling as long as you can shape your work to fit your strengths (Martin Seligman, Authentic Happiness) and develop your skills to accumulate career capital which you exchange for things that define fulfilling work, such as freedom (Cal Newport, So Good They Can't Ignore You). What I think this view boils down to is that unless it's impossible to modify your current work to fit your strengths or to accumulate career capital, you should NOT change your career. Instead, you should just transform your work and then it becomes what Seligman calls a calling: doing the work for the sake of it, because it is meaningul to you. Newport debunks the concept of having some predestined passion and states that fulfilling work is something you buy with career capital.

I have a hard time combining these two views and so, my question is: which is it? Should you discover some predestined passion you have had all your life and go after it? Or should you let go of this passion and instead transform your current work even if the field you work in does not match your passion? Is it possible to find passion in any line of work? Should I buy the life purpose course to find out the answer?

I am eager to hear your views and experiences on this!  

[St Clair]

I would say that it is indeed important to discover what your passion is (or even better, what your life purpose is, and how your various passions assist that cause). I see passion to be the language of the heart, and if you are undertaking work from a very passionate stance, you are not only fulfilling your hearts desire of ultimate self-expression, but people will be really connecting with your work, and be truly healed/inspired/motivated/whatever effect you want to have. Such is the difference between a musician like Mozart, and, say, a typical mumble rapper of today's day and age.

However, as Newport points out, don't blindly think that because you have your passion, you will sky-rocket your way to the stars. It has to be cultivated through determination and discipline, through deliberate practice and strategy. You might say an ultimate expression of your passion must be earned. On the flip-side, this isn't so difficult, because if you are really honest about it, deliberate practice should become effortless. 

[BjarkeT]

The second view is not about fitting your work to your strengths rather it's about that passion is a side effect of getting good at what you do. Which is why skills trump passion in the quest for finding work you love. I would chose this view because there is nothing but negative evidence for the other. For example just because you want to do your work it doesn't mean other people care so if you quit your job to follow your passion you are likely to end up in a bad place because no one want to hire you or buy things from you because you aren't good at what you do yet. And there is also other negative outcomes cal newport talks about. He isn't a big fan of the passion mindset.(and i am not too)

http://calnewport.com/blog/2011/08/11/the-career-craftsman-manifesto/

http://calnewport.com/blog/2010/10/16/the-passion-trap-how-the-search-for-your-lifes-work-is-making-your-working-life-miserable/

also if you think deliberate practice is effortless you are not doing deliberate practice. It is required that deliberate practices is difficult otherwise you are not getting better. That's not just my opinion it's a fact of the research on deliberate practice. If you are practicing and doing something easy you are simply not doing deliberate practice. You need to practice outside your comfort zone to become better.

http://nordic.businessinsider.com/anders-ericsson-becoming-an-expert-is-not-enjoyable-2016-6?r=US&IR=T

if there is something you already feel passionate about you could go with cal newports view and then get really good at that. 

Alternative to make it easy if you don't have something already you could just chose something you find interesting and then get good at that. It would probably take longer to find with the passion mindset and you would end up worse.

to get good I recommend reading on: deep work, deliberate practice, ultra learning, cal newport and Scott h youngs top performer course on finding rarer and valuable skills and how you get good at them as fast as possible. The power of full engagement(or energy mangement).

Edited June 17, 2018 by BjarkeT

[St Clair]

As a musician, I find deep deep fulfilment from deliberate practice. It has become effortless in the sense that I don't need to force myself to do it - I will always find myself practicing. Of course undertaking more advanced practice can be challenging and frustrating, and no doubt requires mountainous effort. But practice is an art unto itself, and must be respected. My deep passion for my instrument and mastery are what cultivates this.

Cultivating the habit of practice should come before the practice itself. Do it mindfully, creatively, strategically, and it might not be as difficult as the article proposes. It can become a meditation, and not a mechanical routine that bores you. Certainly, I have found this to be the case in my own experience. 

[dude]

I always like to view it like this:

Yes you can get satisfaction out of every skill. That is the way your brain works. BUT do you believe in your skill?

For me it was programming and film-making. They both give me pleasure, I could do them both for work. When I just work at the office (programming) I don't really think about the impact my work is having I just do my work and that's okay I get pleasure from it, it's a little shallow tho.

When I film it's different. Every time my life changed for the better it was because of some kind of film. That's why I love film, it has impacted me personally so much that I can see how it can change other people too. Programming was never like this, I never really changed because I used computer programs. Maybe I even got worse because of playing video games.

So do you believe in the skill you are about to build? Do you think it can change people for the better?

[d0ornokey]

@BjarkeT

im still confused by this side

If you have the ability to make your passion successful, why would you not do it? 

i think there are some mindset issues that people have when approaching passion such as lack of strategy, thinking itll be happy the whole time, not venturing into other fields etc. 

but you can build skill in nearly anything. so why choose something youre not passionate about? 

[BjarkeT]

@d0ornokey but it is about choosing something you find passion for however this view is that passion is a side effect of getting good so by getting good at something interesting you in a way chose your passion and if you already have a passion you can just get better at that one. The difference is thinking that passion comes first which is the passion mindset(science doesn't support this) and passion comes as a side effect of getting good which is the craftman mindset.(science does support this)

 

i actually didn't have any passion for digital art but i wanted to do it because i wanted to make an animation with backgrounds and the better i got at digital art the more passion I felt for it even if that wasn't my goal. It was just a side effect of getting good at something interesting.

 

you don't need any mindset or strategy except the craftman mindset and know how to get good at your craft really.(deliberate practice, deep work, rarer and valuable skills)

Edited June 22, 2018 by BjarkeT

[d0ornokey]

@BjarkeT
 My hypothesis is if your passion is doable, follow it. Because why wouldn't you? 

Something you're passionate initially that works with increased passion later with increased skills 

 vs

Something you're not passionate about that works with increased passion later with increased skills 

The scientific community doesn't come full circle on the topic

They point out great arguments about the problems when pursuing passion, but they have to come full circle when realizing that the career that fulfills you the most is the one that satisfies all your deepest values. This will will be the most enjoyable and meaningful 

Leo's take in the LP course encompasses this wonderfully 

The problem that happens with just taking whatever you have and making it passionate later is that there's a very high chance that it doesn't match all your deepest values. It doesn't resonate with your soul as much. If you can make it match everything that you value the most, then by all means. 

But a regular 9-5, with almost certainty will not be even close to optimal. 

Take Leo's first job for example. He loved art and beauty but his job didn't encompass it in the way he wanted it. So he went to pursue something that was more "him". 

By "him" i mean pursuing something that made him happy. He took that and applied Newport's stuff on top of that.

Newport only goes half-way 

You have to tread lightly with Newport's argument. It encourages settling with what you already to avoid venturing into the unknown 

It's my guess that this emotional labor and limiting beliefs is what prevents the scientific community from coming full circle 

Edited June 22, 2018 by d0ornokey

[BjarkeT]

Newport also have a solution for finding a passion with your deepest values. One of them is that he argues that you need something rarer and valuable to offer in return to get things like control and impact for example. I am sorry but i am not sure you fully understand the craft man mindset did you read the book?. It isn't about just choosing what ever but choosing something interesting. The craftman mindset is about finding your passion however there is no evidence that support that you get it before getting good at something. All the evidence point towards it comes afterwards of getting good and it isn't just newport who says it. It's based on scientific evidence.

http://calnewport.com/blog/2010/01/23/beyond-passion-the-science-of-loving-what-you-do/

also what's the evidence for the passion mindset? 

Edited June 22, 2018 by BjarkeT

[d0ornokey]

I define passion mindset as what @sidyakinian says. If your career matches your most meaningful values and you aren't cutting corners then you will be happy with your work 

Otherwise you will be unsatisfied because your needs aren't being met

That's all

In your article, Newport says "I argued that mastering a rare and valuable skill is the key to generating a remarkable life — much more important than following your “passions” or matching your career (or academic major) to your personality"

This is contradictory to what I just said

I prefer's Leo's style of work. A career that fits my personality, as well as following the craftsman mindset. 

Which is what exactly what Leo's LP course is about 

Edited June 22, 2018 by d0ornokey

[BjarkeT]

@d0ornokey but that's not really how it works did you read the book?

what's the evidence that support it?

Edited June 22, 2018 by BjarkeT

[d0ornokey]

I haven't read the book, but I've read the argument many times. I have several friends that go with Newport's strategy. But it makes no sense to me compared to Leo's strategy  

The craftsman mindset is 100% necessary by the way. However, I disagree that it's the only aspect of a meaningful career

Edited June 22, 2018 by d0ornokey

[BjarkeT]

@d0ornokey what's the evidence for the passion mindset? Isn't it best to fully understand what you are arguing against? If you read what i have said then newport does go over how to get some of the things you want with the passion mindset for example the deepest values.

there is also a lot more to it than what can be said in an argument.

to me leos strategy make no sense compared to newports approach. (The difference is really in the approach) but otherwise i like leos content.

 

there is a lot behind the craftman mindset of why it's so important cal newport go over some of it in the blog post i linked.

Edited June 22, 2018 by BjarkeT

[d0ornokey]

Good luck man. I am out of energy. Let's agree to disagree 

Edited June 22, 2018 by d0ornokey

[BjarkeT]

Just one last thing that may be important to keep in mind is that without getting good at what you do it doesn't mean other people care so if you just go with the passion mind set and not getting good then you may end up in a miserable situation because no one wants to buy things from you or have a reason to support what you do but if you get good(the craftman mind set) at rarer and valuable skills people are more likely to come to you and support you because you have something valuable that's good to offer them.

just one of the reasons why the craftman approach are more likely to benefit you than the passion mindset.

cal newport gives an example of a yoga teacher in the book who quit her previous job to be a yoga teacher but ended Up in a bad situation compared to someone who used the craftman mindset.

Edited June 22, 2018 by BjarkeT

[d0ornokey]

Following your passion without a craftsman mindset is incomplete

Do something just with a craftsman mindset is also incomplete because your values aren't being satisfied 

I say that newport's approach is incomplete, not wrong 

 

The evidence for values is in the definition of values. "What is most meaningful to you". 

 

[BjarkeT]

@d0ornokey I recommend reading more on the craftman mindset as it's is about how to find work satisfaction and your deepest values in your work so to speak the difference is really in the approach of you get it.

One of the things is self determination theory for example that describes work satisfaction.

Newport does go over it.

Edited June 22, 2018 by BjarkeT

[d0ornokey]

cool will look into it thanks 

[BjarkeT]

@d0ornokey np hope you find it useful.

btw here is a video on it if you are interested

 

Edited June 22, 2018 by BjarkeT

[mohdanas]

On 6/17/2018 at 11:54 AM, Greenbirch said:

"Discover Your Passion - How to discover your top passion in life and design a career or business around it." This is the description of Leo's "How To Create Your Dream Career - The Ultimate Life Purpose Course" video. The message from this video and many other sources seems to be that people have some passion, such as painting, and they should discover and follow it. What I think this message says is that you should be ready to switch your career completely to match your passion. Please correct me if I have misunderstood this. Anyway, this is one view.

The second view is that almost any type of career can be fulfilling as long as you can shape your work to fit your strengths (Martin Seligman, Authentic Happiness) and develop your skills to accumulate career capital which you exchange for things that define fulfilling work, such as freedom (Cal Newport, So Good They Can't Ignore You). What I think this view boils down to is that unless it's impossible to modify your current work to fit your strengths or to accumulate career capital, you should NOT change your career. Instead, you should just transform your work and then it becomes what Seligman calls a calling: doing the work for the sake of it, because it is meaningul to you. Newport debunks the concept of having some predestined passion and states that fulfilling work is something you buy with career capital.

I have a hard time combining these two views and so, my question is: which is it? Should you discover some predestined passion you have had all your life and go after it? Or should you let go of this passion and instead transform your current work even if the field you work in does not match your passion? Is it possible to find passion in any line of work? Should I buy the life purpose course to find out the answer?

I am eager to hear your views and experiences on this!  

Simply, 

What feels true to you

It is true that, When you become good at something, you start to develop passion for it.

I would say be realistic, I have had problems by leaving career for life purpose. The transition should be slow and smooth. 

P.S. - This course isnt about just career, but it is more about finding your authentic self and living to have huge impact/contribution in the world.

Tip : You can be creative too bro, mix it up. 

For Example, if your childhood passion is singing and right now you and working in education. You can make songs of educational value that leave deep meaning.