Successful people like Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg always focus on their passion and they will tell you to do the same.
And yet, some of us will worry about getting a job. So what explains the paradox of why finding your passion might not necessarily feed you?
Even though the world face an increasing amount of information due to continuous technological advancement and also to openness to sharing information, there are still information asymmetry, which is crowding of unwanted information, between you and the purposeful job that you are after. Some call the crowding of information as noise.
Here is a guide to focus on finding that purposeful job amidst the noise out there:
Individuals first take vocational jobs because the world needs someone to do the job and the market pays for the job to be done. For instance, some become teachers because the next generation needs to be educated and the society pays for teachers to do that job. By taking a job, you fulfill your basic needs to give you energy and time to think about your career and search for more opportunities.
Of course, you can feel that existing jobs can starve you of sufficient time and energy. In that case, you focus on saving some money and staying healthy. Once you have enough to buffer you for a time period of searching for the next paid gig, you can find opportunities to pursue your passion and eventually monetise it by aligning with the market or backing up with not-for-profit organizations. Here I am assuming not-for-profit organizations fund you because the world needs you for the job.
Among those individuals who develop mastery of their skills and love doing them over and over again regardless of whether they are getting paid. That's passion.
If you are still figuring out a self sustaining way to fund your passion, then you can go back to find a job and store up some resources. Along the way, you can find some mission trips to build moral support.
Some went on spiritual paths to volunteer for something that the world needs and these individuals are passionate about it. They go on overseas mission trips. For instance, a teacher go to rural areas to educate the kids or a religious man go on a pilgrimage. Missions tend to have a finite period because the goals can be achieved in a short time and the resources given are generally limited.Note that there can be mission trips such as conferences or some community retreats.
For any job you do, always try to do your very best. This thought eventually forms a habit such that you gain mastery of your job to become a professional.
Overtime, most individuals find independence through building professionalism in whatever they do. They become professional because they excel at it and they are most importantly paid for it. For instance, the teacher specialises in imparting a specific subject or imparting knowledge to a specific group of students.
Luck stands for Labour--Under--Correct--Knowledge.
If you keep working hard and keep looking , you create chances by design of your work and encounters. That moment will come if you keep on going.
Purpose is the eureka moment when the individual discover endless job in doing a job in a sustainable manner, peaking along the 4 dimensions:
1. You love it
2. You are great at it
3. You are paid for it
4. The world needs you for it.
Have you found yours?
Keep searching.
Sincere
Andrew Liew