Are you struggling to stay passionate during your job or internship? Here are some things to remember to help you regain your motivation to pursue what you love without hesitation.
“Passion. It lies in all of us. Sleeping… waiting… and though unwanted, unbidden, it will stir… open its jaws and howl. It speaks to us… guides us. Passion rules us all. And we obey. What other choice do we have? Passion is the source of our finest moments. The joy of love… the clarity of hatred… the ecstasy of grief. It hurts sometimes more than we can bear. If we could live without passion, maybe we’d know some kind of peace. But we would be hollow. Empty rooms, shuttered and dank. Without passion, we’d be truly dead.” ― Joss Whedon
1. Remember: life is short
You’ve only got one shot at this thing called life. Although that may be difficult to wrap your head around and can be a scary thought, hopefully, it can motivate you to figure out what makes you tick and make your time here feel worthwhile. It’s never too early or too late to pursue your passion – whatever it may be. There is no timeline for life or discovering more about yourself. Whatever extra stress or work is added to your life in the pursuit of doing what you love, it's all worth it in the long run because you'll be actively reaching for your passions and goals.
2. Take every opportunity to pursue your passion
Don’t say “no” to your passion. Right away, you may not get paid for what you truly love to do, but find an opportunity to do it anyway. That may mean working a job during the day and interning at night. It may mean moving to a new city to work in a certain industry. If you stick to your passion, you’ll find the strength to get through the hardships and you’ll be so grateful for your grit when you’re finally doing what you love. Say "yes" to the opportunities that pass your way which get you a step closer to your passion, even if they scare you, as you'll regret it later if you don't! Internships are a great way to dip your toe into different career fields to see what suits your passions so you can go into the workforce with passion.
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3. Understand that passion can come from many different places
Just because you had an adolescent dream to be an astronaut doesn’t mean you’re sacrificing your passion because you're pursuing engineering. As we become older, our dreams, goals, and passions change. What you’re passionate about doesn’t need to be exciting or glamorous, but it should be emotionally fulfilling. You might care more about the perks of a job, more than the job itself. Maybe you have part of your job you love and another part that you just deal with. Having a passion for what you do can look very different depending on each person and their professional desires.
4. Drop or adapt dreams you're no longer passionate about
Seeking out a dream that doesn’t make you tick is a waste of time. We’re allowed to pursue more than one passion and we're allowed to change our minds as life throws obstacles, challenges, and new experiences at us. What we want from life and our careers changes over time and transforms into something new. It’s important to let yourself change your mind as you grow and build your career and interests. The thing about pursuing what you love is that it’s not so much about the destination, but the journey itself. The journey of discovering what you're passionate about is more important than the accomplishment itself as it's all about personal growth and development.
5. Realize that working to stay passionate prepares you for success
Putting in the hard work now will pay off in the future. If you can find out how to make a living doing something you’re passionate about, it may be worth a few years of hard work, stress and instability while you solidify your future plans and dreams. Ultimately, if you’re pursuing a career that you enjoy, you’ll be more likely to work later, come up with ideas, innovate and be inspired, improving your creativity. If you're passionate abut what you do, the work you're doing won't feel like work. As they say, if you do what you love, you'll never work a day in your life!
6. Learn as much as you can wherever you are in life
Working at a job that’s less than inspiring is something almost everyone has to experience at least once in their life. There will be a time when your work may be menial or uninteresting. Staying passionate and positive during soul-sucking jobs can be a challenge. What’s most important is to approach the job, no matter what it is, as an opportunity to learn and continue working towards your passion beyond the office. Become the best possible employee and learn everything there is to know about the workplace. Just because your current job isn’t inspiring, doesn’t mean it isn’t preparing you for your dream career. The lessons and skills you learn in a more uninspiring role can boost your ability to adapt when you're following a more stimulating path later on.
