There’s a saying that goes, “Do what you love, and you’ll never work a day in your life.” While it’s a nice sentiment, anyone who’s ever pursued a passion seriously knows that it’s not entirely true. It still requires an incredible amount of effort, commitment, and, yes, work – even if you are totally in love with what you are doing.
The desire to follow a passion does not always mean its necessarily easy or enjoyable. No matter what your interest is, painting, cooking, writing or running a business, there will be days when it looks more like hard labor than achievement. There are things to overcome, skills to learn, and inevitable bumps in the road. Loving what you do doesn’t make these realities disappear—it just makes the effort feel worthwhile.
What people often overlook is the significant effort that goes into pursuing a passion. It involves countless hours of practice, late nights spent troubleshooting problems, and a continuous drive to improve, which can be challenging and far from glamorous. Also, pursuing a passion often requires sacrifices, whether it’s financial investments or giving up free time, all in the pursuit of something meaningful.
Here’s the truth: The content of the work is part of what makes passion so powerful. If you invest your time and effort into it, it strengthens your bond to it. The progress, no matter how small, feels like an accomplishment because you know the effort it took to get there. The work, in essence, makes the passion even sweeter.
While the work is inevitable, so is the joy. Passion provides you something to keep going even when things are difficult, and those wins, no matter how small, are that much more satisfying. Not to say if you love what you do, it is easy all the time, but to say it means that you have the perseverance to keep going when it is tough.
Let’s be honest about our passions. While they certainly require effort and dedication, what makes them truly remarkable? What is it that draws us to them in the first place?
My writing is my passion. There have been lots of ups and downs and a few bumps and even boulders in the road I’ve been on. But that is okay, I won’t give up!
What passion are you working on right now, and how are you embracing the challenges it brings?
Good luck finding and working on your own passions.
