We spend 40% to 50% of our waking hours at work during our lifetime. We then spend a majority of the balance waking hours either worrying about work or dreading work, in any event it is always top of our minds and is one of the greatest influences on our lives.

So many personal development books talk about finding your passion and then just go out and do it. Unfortunately that is an unrealistic load of bollocks that feeds on people’s false hopes and dreams. Sounds a bit harsh I know but let’s be realistic. For the majority of us we won’t have the opportunity to make a hobby or a sport, or a passion, our primary source of income, but that does not mean we should be satisfied with a dead end job that would suck the colour out of a rainbow it’s that depressing.

In my analysis of this major component of our lives I break it down into 3 separate categories –

1. Work

2. Career

3. Passion

Work - We all work, but my definition is doing something that you may not like and is not where you want to be, or what you want to do for the rest of your life, but is what you have to do now to get by.

Career - Your career is what you have studied for, what you have trained for, what you achieve all the relevant tickets and qualifications for. It’s what you know how to do and what you see yourself doing for the greater part of your working life.

Passion - Passion is a difficult thing to come by for most people. When they are asked to state what they are passionate about, they really feel a bit lost and perhaps a bit inadequate because they don’t have a passion. Don’t feel bad, everyone is the same. Less than 1% of people have what can be defined as a true passion that they can make a career out of. The majority of us have differing levels of interest and enthusiasm for different things.

So…

Don’t ever begrudge Work. Be as good as you can be at what you have to do, but never take your eye off where you want to be.

Aim for your Career by doing everything you can now to move you closer to that goal. If you think you’re too old for that…..then you have already stopped living.

If you are fortunate enough to have a Passion, practice it now, stop thinking that “one day I’ll get to do that when this work thing allows me enough time”. Start to do the simple things that you enjoy, or hobbies that you enjoy wasting time on, and don’t limit yourself on where they may take you.

Stop making excuses and start living.

Work, Carreer, Passion