I read a great New York Times article the other day all about "following your passion" and why for many of us it is not as simple as that when we are navigating our own career path.
For the lucky few (I find this mainly applies to creative types - the chefs, musos, designers, photographers etc of the world) following your passion which then leads to your dream career really is that simple. Whilst you have good days and bad days, the ones I know who have truly followed their passion really do love what they do and are so enthusiastic about it - they live and breathe it.
For the rest of us (including me) the passion or fulfilment is often something that follows depending on the path we have chosen. I am a lawyer by day and it is true that the law has always been something I have been interested in ever since reading my first John Grisham novel at 13 and thinking about how I wanted to change and influence the world. But am I changing the world in my current role as a lawyer? Is it what I dreamt about doing when I was 13? Do I love it, am I truly following my passion?
The answer isn't a simple yes or no. There are so many other things I am passionate about outside of my work eg food, fashion. But do I feel like I am making an impact, do I feel I have job satisfaction and am I being challenged? Yes, on most days. I think that is a pretty good deal.
Read the full NYT story here.
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