What does “loving what you do” really mean?

Life’s too short to spend time doing something you’re not passionate about. How often do we hear that?

So, is it always possible or necessary?

To me, it’s an individual thing because for some people, their passion comes from things other than their work, and their work supports their passion.

For those of us who really do love what we do, how do we go when we have those days where we really just don’t feel like getting stuck into our work? When I’ve had those moments or mornings, I have wondered whether it meant that I was still doing what I loved and was passionate about.

After all, if I really loved it, wouldn’t I be springing out of bed full of energy and enthusiasm every single morning? Because I know that I am definitely in the right place and feel alive doing what I do. So, how does that fit into those blah days?

I heard something Simon Sinek (author of Start with Why) said in an interview on the Art of Charm podcast recently that made so much sense to me and also made me feel so much better. He was relating our love for what we do in business to being a parent or a partner. He said that we can love our children but not necessarily always like them; but we still show up and do our very best. Same with our business or our careers.

I loved that description! Because And it helps me.

Knowing that this feeling may happen from time to time enables me to savour the moments where I feel on top of the world, when life makes complete sense and I feel complete joy doing what I do, so that on the days (and they are rare), when I simply don’t feel like jumping up and down in joy I know it’s okay. It will pass. And because I’m not a fan of denial, it’s honest.

I can accept the truth of the feeling which enables it to pass through faster. And I can then do stuff to change my state.

Be real. Be true to yourself. And cut yourself some slack because you’re not a robot. When that joy is there, make sure you spread it around!

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