Why work must be a passion is a post by Fiona Powell from the blog Chiefette
In the post ‘Why ‘being passionate’ is awful advice’ by Scott Gerber, the point is made that your work or business shouldn’t necessarily be something you’re passionate about.
I disagree – I think you have to love what you do – here’s why.
At a time management session the other day we did that exercise where you draw a rectangle (this represents all the time in your life imagining that you’d live to the average age). You block out the time you’ve already used. So for example if the average age for a woman to live to is 85 and you’re 42, you’ve spent half your life, so you’d block out half the rectangle.
Then you block out half of what’s left – because you’ll sleep this much of your life away.
Then you block out half again of what’s left – because you’ll spend this time at work. (roughly!)
And what you have left – that very small ‘square’ – is your ‘free’ time left for your life time (holidays, weekends, retirement etc) to do other stuff. All the stuff you really want to be doing.
This hugely simplifies your life – but still it gets you thinking.
And it got me thinking why does work have to be a block that is ‘work’, something that has to be endured, and got out of the way so you can do the other stuff you want to be doing?
Why can’t work be integrated with the other stuff; so there is no strict division? If work is a place that is flexible, family friendly, you get to learn, even travel, is satisfying and fun, you spend time with fabulous people – then it wouldn’t be that block of time to ‘endure’.
You gotta love what you’re doing. Bottom line.
