Passion your follow

For years, we’ve been told the key to work happiness is to follow your passion.

But this has always felt a bit naive. Passion can’t make you great at basketball or give you the voice of Freddie Mercury. 

Heck, if I did what I was truly passionate about, I’d be running a sanctuary for hockey playing cats, with Snoopy themed decor throughout the joint.

I haven’t figured out a way to make that happen. Yet.

It’s not that passion isn’t important.

We just have the order backwards. 

You don’t have to follow your passion to find happiness at work.

But it damn well better follow you.

How does that happen?

You have to work for it. Try things. Read. Learn. Explore. See what tickles your passion bone. 

Once you find that, work gets a hell of a lot easier. 

Was I passionate about advertising when I thought about it as a career?

No.

I liked it. Seemed interesting, cool, maybe even a bit fun.

So I learned. I digged. I talked to people. And the more I heard, the more I liked. I thought, “this could me.”

And so I doubled down. I took a class. I got all the books. I scoured AdWeek.

Months later, after countless phone calls, letters and pop-ins, I landed a gig.

And no matter how inane the assignment, I found myself enthralled. Eager to show everyone I could write a killer coupon or the most badass buck slip.

That’s when I knew I was hooked. I had the bug.

And 20+ years later, I still have it.

This job has all the things that make me tick. Problem solving, writing, collaboration, a relaxed work vibe.

For me, it’s home.

Find your home. And you may never leave.