At this point we’ve talked about passion from a wide variety of angles. I’ve derided the idea that you simply need to do hard work and forget about passion time and time again. And now I’m going to say something different: you have to do the hard work.
Not Really a Change of Position
If you’ve been following my posts on passion, you will know that some time ago, I railed against Mike Rowe for saying that you shouldn’t follow your passion. I completely disagree. Still, I noted that there was more to success than just doing something you’re passionate about.
A few posts later in the series I posted that having passion isn’t enough – you still have to put in the work. You have to do the hard work even including things you don’t want to do in order to stand out and make something of yourself. You have to do the work.
When It’s Not Enough
The fact is that passion isn’t enough. Sure, it’s a requirement. You need it. It’s the fuel that gives you the strength to make it through the tough times. It’s a necessity. But it isn’t enough.
Desire isn’t enough. It’s important; beyond being energized and excited about something, you need to really want it. You need to have such a strong desire that you stand up and fight for it. But desire isn’t enough.
Planning isn’t enough. You need to know where you’re going. You need to know how you’ll get there. You need to have a strategy of how you can make your dreams come true. But planning isn’t enough.
You need to do.
Doing Makes It Real
You can want, believe, hope, plan, strategize, promote, and gush about your dreams all day, but if you never do, it doesn’t matter. If you never do, then Mike Rowe is right – passion is meaningless. If you never do, you might as well do whatever it is you have to do to have a J. O. B.
But don’t do that! If you are passionate about something, if you are on fire about something, if you are convinced that you are uniquely qualified to make the world better in some specific way, then do! Do whatever you can to make the world better. Put in the effort. Put in the time. Put in the blood, sweat, and tears and let your passion loose.
Because doing is what makes the passion become something real. It’s what changes that yearning inside you into something that you can see and touch; something that really makes all that hard work worthwhile.
