Guest post by Blog Manager Robbi Hess
Got passion? Personally, I'd rather "got passion" than "got milk" but that's for another post. I was 
pondering the other day what I might be passionate about. I mean chocolate and coffee and my Diva Poodle Henrietta are givens, but what about my work? My life calling? Do I have a life calling? I think I am still figuring that out, but if you're not sure if you're following your passion, here are five questions to ask yourself:
- Are you an expert at what you do? The more you know about your job, the better you will perform it and the better you will feel about what you do. Be an expert in your field.
Do you incorporate your hobbies into your work or your outside life? Make certain you pursue your hobbies and passions outside of the office as a way to make the rest of your life more enjoyable, especially if there is no way to work them into your daily 9-5.
Are you on the path to the career or entrepreneurial course of your dreams? f you’re not in the job of your dreams, then make the time you spend there about the journey. For example if you want to be a writer but are not able to make the break to full time freelance, then write as much as you can in the job that you're in. If that's not possible, take writing classes, find a writing mentor, etc. make the dream a reality.
What do you like about your current job? What do you hate about it? See if you can offload or trade work duties with a fellow co-worker and maybe both of you can balance out the tasks you love with the tasks you don’t.
Is it time for a change? In some cases, you will simply find a job that isn’t a good fit for you and vice versa. If this is the case, you need to look into changing career paths until you find a job that lets you follow your passion.
How do you pursue your passion? Do you know what you're passionate about?
I think we sometimes get the career/passion causation flipped. Oftentimes, we become passionate about the things which we're good at. So, in your career, find the things you like to do and become very, very good about them. As you develop a deep capability in doing something, you'll find yourself more passionate about it as well. Competence and skill can lead to passion as well.
Posted by: Jason Hull | August 07, 2012 at 05:30 PM
All this talk of passion is very reassuring. I remember when I hated what I did. I felt empty, lost, and totally lacking passion, but I did it because, after all, "it's a paycheck." I felt my soul dying. No more, simply no more. Great post.
Posted by: Carol Bryant | August 07, 2012 at 01:31 PM