Key to Success: Be Passionate About Your Career

My best friend Ted was a Lieutenant in the United States Army. He was excelling at his job and had a great career in front of him. He enjoyed the deployments, the people and serving his country. He had performed so well, his Commander moved him to a staff job to work directly for the Colonel, the boss of the unit. Work was going well at the time. However, it was becoming stressful and the time commitment from the Army was increasing, overshadowing his family life. This left him dissatisfied and annoyed.

He always had a passion for business and was interested in learning more about the field. We went to college together and received our Undergraduate Degrees in Business. We both have a love for business and always talked about working in Corporate America and starting our own company. Unlike myself, he knew he would never gain the knowledge or experience in business if he stuck with the Army. So out the blue, he quit his job. He gave up his career, nice pay check, 20-year military retirement and benefits for his passion. And on the day he informed me about leaving the Army, I learned a valuable lesson about passion.

Too many times over the years, I’ve met people whom wish their lives were a little different. They had a dream of owning a business or being in another profession such as a school teacher. Unfortunately, the demands of life forced them to settle for a safe and secure job, knowing they didn’t have any passion for their work. Obviously, they were secretly hated every bit of their current job, but were too fearful of making the jump and following their passion.

I truly believe that your happiness should always come before money. Following your passion will lead to more happiness than money can buy. Definitely, you will get more out of life by working in a job you love and are skilled at versus working in a job you hate for a paycheck. Bob Dylan said, “A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do.” Regardless of the amount of money you are making, you are successful if you’re moving with a purpose and accomplishing goals. Follow your passion!

Now, I don’t want you to think I’m advocating for you to quit your job to become a singer, when you can barely hold a tune. Life isn’t American Idol. I’m simply encouraging you to follow your passion in a skilled area and do work you will love. If you’re a skilled manager at a company and you have the passion and desire to start your own business, do it! If you have a gift to make beautiful crafts and have a desire to start a business selling them, make a plan and do it. A key to success is to utilize your talents while following your passion. This recipe will lead to happiness and more success than you could ever imagine.

The lessons I’ve learned when my best friend quit his job:

• Following your passion will lead you to greater happiness: Can you imagine waking up every morning and going to a job you love? Can you imagine a job bringing you so much joy, you can’t envision doing anything else?

These jobs are out there. And the majority of the time, you will find them once you look deep inside your soul. You have to realize what’s your talent, what motivates you, and what you are passionate about. Once you figure it out, direct your life into this direction. You’ll be amazed how much happier and successful you will become. Like the old saying goes, “Do a job you love and you will never work a day in your life.”

• Doing something you love will keep you motivated through hard times: I remember my first job working as a bagger at a local grocery store. This wasn’t my dream job. I recall working long hours and during my day, counting down the hours until I could clock-out and go home. I lacked motivation, drive and ambition in this job. Why? Because I didn’t have any passion for what I was doing.

You will have many work days when you are tired, frustrated and things are not going your way. A benefit of doing something you love is that you will know you’re doing something bigger than yourself. The passion and desire to be great at your job, will be the motivation factor to keep you going.

• You will become more successful: The countless hours you put into your work will not go unnoticed. Your hard work and dedication will be inspiring to your coworkers and recognizable to your leadership. You will be successful and happier than ever. The main reason is because you love what you doing and the smile you’re projecting as you’re getting the job done.

Aristotle said, “Pleasure in your job puts perfection to work”. I truly believe you will have more success doing something you love versus a job you hate. Do meaningful work you love and follow your passion. We only have one life to live.

Questions to ask yourself: Do you love your current job? What job would you be doing, if money wasn’t a factor? Please leave your comment below or on my Facebook or Twitter page.

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