Passion (part 2): The three ways passion will catapult your career skyward
Article Two (of Three) on the fundamental importance of Passion - our most valuable internal resource
In our last article in this series, we explored what we actually mean by passion and why extraordinarily successful people, the world over, will so often attribute their own success to having a passion for what they do.
We discussed how passion provides a hugely valuable internal resource that we can all tap into. We also learned how passion is an incredible source of energy and a powerful enabler that fuels our inspiration, creativity, curiosity, and imagination.
But what impact can our passion really have on us, and how can it elevate the trajectory of our journey from a moderate one into a stellar one?
Here are three important attributes that our passion will catalyse naturally within us…
Fuelling our desire to work hard
It is an inescapable fact that very few people will ever truly succeed in life without working very hard to get there.
For many, ‘hard work’ will always sound like a chore. But for others, working hard for long hours can also be a joy…
Because when we reveal our passion for what we are doing, our whole attitude towards our work changes. Working hard no longer feels like hard work because we simply enjoy doing it and then doing more of it.
To put in a fifteen-hour working day from time to time doesn’t feel excessive! But it is something that we actually want to do. It is our passion that provides the motivation and energy to do so.
Hard work is central to becoming successful, and there is simply no greater fuel for working hard than the energy that passion provides...
When we are passionate about our careers, the concept of having a work/life balance will often seem alien to us. The division between work, and life outside of work, usually becomes blurred. We no longer think, ‘I really can’t wait for the weekend’, or perhaps, ‘It’s almost 5.30, I can stop working now and do something I like!’
Many successful individuals (especially entrepreneurs) have told me over the years how much they love Monday mornings and can’t wait to start a new week!
Noel Coward, that most extraordinary playwright, actor, director, and many other things, once famously said that for him: ‘Work is much more fun than ‘fun’.
As we become passionate about our work, we simply want to immerse ourselves in it and concentrate on doing what needs to be done. Our personal development also accelerates, and we become keen to learn and absorb more. The quality of our work then improves as our knowledge and experience grows.
And because we are working harder and for longer hours, we naturally become extremely productive. We end up achieving far more than most and much more quickly, too.
People who are passionate about their work can often become prolific in what they do or what they create.
Attracting the people who can help us on our journey
When we are passionate about what we are doing, our enthusiasm naturally increases. We feel more positive and appear happier when we are working. One of the greatest benefits to us here is what this does for the people around us…
Because all of our colleagues and friends love to be around people who are positive, cheerful and enthusiastic about their work.
But here’s the most important point:
We all need help from other people on our journey. Nobody can ever succeed in life entirely on their own - we will always rely on others. And one of the best ways to attract such invaluable help is through having a positive, energetic, and upbeat attitude.
Our passion shines. Our enthusiasm becomes infectious. People around us – who really matter to us - will naturally become far happier to help us simply because they want to. Many will wish to share in our energy or even have some of our energy rub off on them!
As we naturally become increasingly charismatic and engaging, people will want to associate with us more. If we are working within a large organisation for example, people will want us to join their team, or even to join our team.
Our boss will notice us and will instinctively recognise the potential within us.
One of the definitions of a great organisation is its intrinsic ability to spot, nurture and promote talent within it. That’s exactly how great organisations flourish. And those who are seen to be talented, hard-working, and passionate about what they do (even within a smaller business), will naturally attract attention. Managers know that people like them will invariably take responsibility, are proud of their work and really want to excel. They get on with things and get things done, and they also tend to be creators.
If we have our own business or are selling a product or service for someone else and are passionate about what we do or what we are providing, our customers will like us even more because of our passion and enthusiasm. We end up selling more. You’ve probably heard the old expression that ‘people don’t buy your product, they buy you’.
And when it comes to something as important as finding a mentor – which can be a hugely valuable part of our career journey - attracting a great mentor becomes a whole lot easier when we are visibly passionate and enthusiastic about what we are doing.
In summary, our passion and enthusiasm for what we are doing will naturally attract those who really matter to us, who can make a real difference for us, and who really want to help us in the first place.
Attracting those important life-changing opportunities
One of the most powerful things about being passionate about what we do is how we will naturally begin to attract great opportunities to us.
When I reflect on all of the extraordinarily successful individuals that I have met over recent years when putting together A Few Wise Words, without exception, all of them pointed to significant moments in their lives when something really important occurred for them - landmark events that enabled them each time to make an enormous leap up to the next level.
Many of them told me that without those significant breaks, they would probably not have been able to reach the same heights of success that they have managed to achieve in their lives...
Significant breaks like these, in most cases, will have involved a ‘significant person’ either opening an important door for them or offering them a substantial opportunity.
And here is the key point:
Anyone who has the power to offer something incredibly significant to us - a great opportunity - they are far more likely to do so to someone that they believe is genuinely ‘open’ to receive it, and who they feel confident will make the most of that opportunity.
They know that people who are truly passionate about their work are simply far more likely to deliver on it.
In our next article in this series of three, we will be covering;
The key to unlocking our own passion, and what we can do from now, to tap into one of our most enormously valuable resources.
Previous article:
Article #1: Why revealing your passion is crucial to your future success
Upcoming article:
Article #3: How to reveal your passion; make this your Number One goal!