If you’ve ever been asked, “What’s your passion?” and felt a little confused or lost for words, then you are not alone.
Research from Standford University shows that only 20 per cent of people have one single identifiable passion, although they may be aware of a range of interests.
Some people know from a young age that they want to be a doctor (and become a doctor) or a concert violinist (and become a concert violinist), but most people don’t.
For this reason, trying to explore careers from a starting point of passion can feel
discouraging and self-defeating.
Kathy Davies (2018) from Standford University explains that passion usually comes second to engagement and curiosity. She encourages people to reflect on what they wanted to be when they were ten years old, and irrespective of what the career was, suggests tapping into that feeling of curiosity as a good starting point for career exploration.
Scott Galloway (2024) author of the Algebra of Wealth, who brings a finance and wealth creation focus to his career commentary, also cautions against focusing on passion as starting point in career exploration.
Galloway suggests passion often comes after mastery and recommends focussing on talent and doing what you’re good at.
Galloway uses the example of tax law and passion. He explains, "Nobody grows up saying, 'I'm passionate about tax law," but the best tax lawyers ... are financially secure... and are, because they are so good at it, passionate about tax law."
References
Davies, K. (2018, July 18). Keynote by Kathy Davies [Video]. UC Berkeley Events. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71aY33N_VUo&t=218s
Galloway, S. (2024, July 15). Stop trying to follow your passion for your career. Do this instead. Time. https://time.com/6997531/the-algebra-of-wealth-scott-galloway-career-advice/
Related Posts
