Career Moves: {Passion Vs. Stick To It!}

When should you quit your day job to pursue your passion? And when should you just suck it up and stick to your current job regardless of how much you hate it? Many articles have been written about this, each with a different perspective and take on the subject matter. And just like every debate, there are always pros and cons of each option.

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I have had this discussion with a number of my friends over the past couple of days either after reading an online article about successful entrepreneurs or listening to motivational speakers talk about how they came to their success. Different opinions have been raised during out chats and I consider each valid. However, I tend to lean on one side at the moment. Just a slight lean though, more like a head tilt…

I am all for the idea of doing what you love! There is nothing more fulfilling like waking up early in the morning to go to a job you absolutely enjoy. You will complain less, smile more, and do your work 120% ensuring optimal results. Sounds like heaven right?

On the other hand, not everyone is blessed with such occupations. Most just go to work to get the pay cheque. Because let's face it, one can't eat rocks. Unless they are made of cake, then by all means one can eat rocks. I had to find a way to include cake in this post. Lol, I digress. Every single day, it's the same old routine! Starting from the grumbles and grievances when the alarm goes off on Monday morning to having soirees of a lifetime when Friday comes along, even having the hashtag #TGIF trend on social media all day. Which I always find quite interesting when you scroll through the posts.

 

So when should you quit your day job to pursue your something you really love doing? One of the most common mantras is ‘Follow your passion’ but I think that’s not a very good idea. At least not when starting out. Now this is the point where I put a disclaimer...this is just my opinion, don’t sue. I am not ready.

 

Kevin O'Leary's  interview on the most important lessons he learnt in his 20s with Business Insider echoed what I was thinking. For those who don’t know him, Kevin O’Leary is a Shark Tank investor who sold his Software Company for around $4.2 billion. O’Leary’s true passion had always been photography. As a young man, he spoke to his stepdad George about what he was going to do with his life.

 

He realized that the key question for people starting out is, “What are you willing to do in order to be what you want to be?”

 

“It’s not enough to say you want to be a photographer, or an actress, or a writer,” he says. “You have to want to do all the necessary difficult things that are required to support that goal”

 

He concluded that he wasn’t going to spend his 20s struggling to support himself as a full time photographer. Now, supported by his career in business, he says, he has the luxury of being able to build a photo portfolio without financial concerns. { +Kevin O'Leary Photography } 

 

“In my 20s, I learned the concept of delayed gratification and that you need to pay attention to important decision points in the tree of life, which will change your life one way or the other” – Kristina Roth, CEO of Matisia Consultants

Delayed gratification - The ability to resist the temptation for an immediate reward and wait for a later reward.

I know of very successful photographers, models, dancers, artists and such like. Don’t get it twisted. And I applaud everyone who decides to take the entrepreneurial route. In fact, that’s a path I would love to take eventually. But much like Kevin, I think holding out on your passion until you can be able to support it is the mantra I’d live by.

Those are just my two cents though, but I’d love to hear yours as well.

Thank you for reading!

#HappyDays