The Dark Side of "Follow Your Passion"

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Following your passion might be keeping you poor. Sounds harsh, but hear me out. I was dead broke in my early 20s, devouring self-help books that all said the same thing: follow your passion.

Ironically, that advice didn't help me at all. It was only when I changed what I actually did that my life changed.

Here's why "follow your passion" is deeply flawed advice:

First, it gets cause and effect backwards. Most successful people become passionate about things after they get good at them, not before. Passion follows competence, not the other way around.

Second, it's frustratingly vague. Many people have no idea what their "one true passion" is. It's much easier to identify what you're good at than what you're passionate about. Bill Gates tried law, mathematics, and programming before finding his direction - he was exploring his abilities, not chasing a clear passion.

Third, liking something doesn't make you good at it. Warren Buffett follows what he calls the "circle of competence" - focusing on what he understands best, not what excites him most. I've seen countless fitness enthusiasts start gyms and fail because they knew nothing about business.

Fourth, it completely skips over the hard work part. Getting really good at anything means practicing the boring, difficult parts too. All research on deliberate practice shows it's not an enjoyable process. The real work begins when the excitement ends.

Fifth, it creates unrealistic expectations that work should always be fun and exciting. It's not. Perhaps only 30% of your day doing what you love means you're winning at life.

Sixth, it ignores financial realities. Just because you love something doesn't mean you can make enough money doing it. Look at all those American Idol tryouts - passion doesn't equal market value.

Seventh, it misses more important factors like decent pay, good co-workers, recognition, security, and purpose. The environment you work in dramatically affects how much you enjoy it.

Eighth, it assumes both you and the world remain static. What if your passion becomes obsolete? What if your interests change as you age?

Finally, it's self-focused rather than others-focused. Research shows people who focus on serving others experience more fulfillment and can endure significantly more challenges when their work has purpose beyond themselves.

Instead of following your passion, try this: start with curiosity, commit to developing skills first, build on your existing abilities, embrace deliberate practice, set realistic expectations, consider income potential, create a supportive environment, allow your interests to evolve, and connect your work to serving others.

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The same work can be just a job, a career, or a calling - depending entirely on your perspective.

Maybe just do what the world values that you're good at, and allow yourself time to become passionate about it as you master it.