Given my focus, it's no surprise that a feeling of passion about what I do is a part of my picture of success. I want to be energized by the work I do. I want to feel engaged and compelled to do it. I want to feel alive in the activity that takes up the majority of my waking hours.
And it's not just because I want work to feel good (though I certainly do!). It's also because that feeling of passion for what I do is in turn fuel for more success. The difference in what I've been able to accomplish since discovering my Passion Catalyst work vs. back in my days as a Professional Malcontent is amazing.
Remember my definition of passion. It's "the energy that comes from bringing more of YOU into what you do." Having work I'm passionate about simply means I'm doing what I was designed to do. I'm doing what comes naturally. I'm doing something that allows the maximum amount of energy to flow through to the end result, because I'm not wasting energy trying to be who and how I'm not.
As I've mentioned before, there is also a multiplier effect to doing something that is coming from the core of who you are. You're happier and more energized by your work. That in turn spills over into the rest of your life.
How you feel has an impact on the people around you - your loved ones, the people you work with, the random person you have a pleasant conversation with in the grocery store checkout line, the guy you don't give the bird when he cuts you off on the freeway because you're not driving home all grumpy...
Besides all that, it's fun! Who wouldn't want that?
This is one of a series of posts exploring my definition for success in my own journey. You can see the original post with the big picture here.
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Curt Rosengren
Interesting point...you are basically saying that all of us are going towards Maslow's pyramid towards self-actualization?
And if so, when does "work" end and "life" begin...or do the lines become hazy and blurred...and if so, how do others get affected when I get more and more involved in life/work?
Do we head back to small family skills based kind of work...in the seventeenth century?
Posted by: Gautam | June 07, 2005 at 09:37 AM
All of us? I'd say that's a pretty big stretch. Many? Yes, I think it's definitely a trend.
Re the lines between life and work, yes they do get blurred - in a good way, I think. But that doesn't mean there isn't a need to keep in mind that there is more to life than just work, even if you love it.
Not sure where you're going with the family skills based work question.
Posted by: Curt Rosengren | June 07, 2005 at 09:52 PM
I came across your blog as I was looking around for tools for improving personal productivity tools.
I identify with the feeling of passion that you have decribed. I wish I could it so many words. I might steal some your content for my personal mission statement if that OK by you.
Regards
Posted by: entrepreneur | July 06, 2005 at 06:57 PM