The Truth – Why Following Your Passion Does Not Work

Follow your passion. That is probably something you’ve been hearing a lot lately. Never before has a generation been so indulged in the idea that there is more to life than working for a paycheck. A lot of Kenyan youth are keen on being self-aware so as to be happy with their lives. There is a plethora of entrepreneurs who are living the dream, and a lot of them have said one thing, “Follow your passion”.

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There is more to it though. In fact, “Follow your Passion” just might be the worst advice you’ll ever get. It is not the only thing you need to be happy and successful. Here’s why…

1. You need much more than your passion to survive – At the end of the day, the reality is that you need money… for rent, for the clothes you like to wear, for the food you need to eat… They say love can’t put a roof over your head… Neither can your following your passion.
2. Some people have no idea what they are passionate about. Others have multiple passions. What happens then? There needs to be a more than saying “I love to do this, so I will do it for a living”.
3. Our interests tend to change as time goes by. There was a point when you loved something so dearly, and today you cannot stand it.
4. This may feel obvious, but there is actually a study that shows that humans are unable to predict what will make them happy in the future. We cannot tell what we’ll be successful at.

This does not mean you shouldn’t follow your passion. NO! The point is you need to do more than discovering what you love to do. To really make a living out of your passions you need to:

1. Find something you love to do.
2. Find something people are willing to pay you for.
3. Find something you are good at.

You will find people who love what they do and are good at it, but cannot find people who are willing to pay for it. Some are good at something that people will pay for, but hate it. Some love something and even have the supply-demand on lock, but are terrible at it.

When you find the balance between these three factors, then you are set to do what you love AND make money from it.

So today, create a list using these three guidelines. Write down all the things you’re interested in. Then write how these things create a solution. From there be honest with yourself and find out whether you’re good at these things. When you do this, you could find your dream job.

All in all, to be truly happy you not only need to find your passion, but also figure out how your passion makes the world a better place. When you do this, you will be happier pursuing your dreams. Be a passionate solution maker!

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Share your thoughts with me! Do you agree or disagree?

Peace out,

Mwalimu’s Sidekick, @MissOlendi