Passion, for many of us, is an unscratched itch.
We think about it. We deny it. We’re always looking for it. We obsess over it. We admire others for pursuing it. But no matter how we try … it always feels just beyond our grasp.
We all have our excuses for not making the leap. Before I get into some common reasons, I’d like to share a bit of the story that lead to me finally scratch that insatiable itch.
Before starting Dabble, I worked at a large architecture firm as an urban planner. In the back of my mind I knew that I was unfulfilled. I was searching for something more meaningful, something I could throw my weight into, something that wouldn’t fling me on the couch at the end of a 10 hr workday craving nothing more than to numb my brain with a beer or an hour of reality TV.
My problem with my job wasn’t that I was underpaid or not appreciated for my work. The problem was I didn’t care deeply (um — at all) about what I was doing.
It wasn’t always this way. The first year in the working world was great. I was learning. I was naive. I was dropped fresh out of college into this formal world where clients needed things on time, business trips were had, people actually paid me money (!?!) and I spent most of my time absorbed in observation of this strangeness.
But then I woke up one day and saw that this new world was not what I signed up for. I saw that my life was great ON PAPER. That the shroud of a successful ‘career’ was something feeding my ego, but not my soul. It’s not that I didn’t work hard or that I expected success on a platter – it’s just that I didn’t find anything worth fighting for.
I think most people would have been surprised at discovering my discontent. In my work I was confident, upward moving, capable, ambitious. All the things most people would equate with success. Of course, all of this would be fine if I wasn’t, well, miserable.
And though I’d finally admitted to myself that I was unhappy, I still stayed for a while. TOO LONG. And then one day I realized the excuses that I was using to convince myself to stay were just that. Excuses. Which brings me to the 5 biggest lies that I told myself (and that you might be telling yourself, too) that kept me from pursuing my passion:
1) I’m comfortable right now.
I make enough money. I have good friends. I do fun things. Do I really need to add something else or make a change? If you’re not fulfilled, yes. Typically the things that make you passionate are outside your comfort zone and daily routine. They aren’t easy. They take hard work and a leap of faith. They might not work out just the way you hoped. At the end of the day, you need to decide whether stability and predictability are the best guiding lights for your life.
2) I’m just too busy. I don’t have enough money. I’ll wait until …
The stars will never align and the conditions will never be perfect for you to start pursuing your passion. When you finally have enough money, you’ll decide you should maybe have a bit more. “Maybe next month” turns into “maybe next year”. Think of these excuses as problems to solve, not barriers that are insurmountable. Life is short – and it can end anytime. If it’s important enough to you, make it happen. Period.