{"id":5020,"date":"2013-08-20T09:00:04","date_gmt":"2013-08-20T16:00:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.noomii.com\/blog\/?p=5020"},"modified":"2025-01-29T12:45:06","modified_gmt":"2025-01-29T20:45:06","slug":"ugh-no-passion-at-work-5-thought-leaders-on-career-happiness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.noomii.com\/blog\/?p=5020","title":{"rendered":"Ugh, No Passion at Work? 5 Thought Leaders on Career Happiness"},"content":{"rendered":"Take your passion and make it happen.<\/strong>\n\nThose words from the iconic eighties Flashdance anthem are indelibly imprinted on our collective subconscious. But today, as more of us report burgeoning levels of job dissatisfaction, should we begin to question them? A few eminent thought leaders and scientists would posit that, yes, we should.\n\nThey would say it\u2019s somewhat foolhardy to expect passion to determine what you do. You\u2019re probably outraged by that. \u201cThat\u2019s not what we\u2019ve been told,\u201d you may want to interject. And you\u2019d be right, that is definitely not what we\u2019ve been told. But consider, too, that maybe, just maybe, we\u2019ve been given bad advice.\n\nConsider that passion is an outcome of brilliance, and not a precursor to it.\n\nWhat does that mean?\n\nMore and more great minds are telling us that if we want to be happy at work, we shouldn\u2019t obsess over what makes us passionate. We should focus our attention instead on gathering rare and valuable skills, cultivating an attitude of positivity, and feeling the rewards of putting skills to use in the service of others.\n\nCould it be that passion is a by-product of these other elements, and not an entry-level privilege?\n

The Passion Trap<\/h2>\n
\"CalNewport\"

Cal Newport<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n\nThe lineage of the prevalent paradigm that says you must first \u2018find your passion\u2019 can be traced to the emergence of a tidal wave of self-help books in the eighties. The most talked-about of these were Joseph Campbell\u2019s \u201cFollow your Bliss,\u201d and Richard Bolles\u2019 \u201cWhat Color is Your Parachute?\u201d In both books, Cal Newport<\/a>, a writer and assistant professor of computer science at Georgetown University, the central theses encourage (and this is bold) misery.\n\nIf we spend our time fantasizing about a dream job, and expect said job to make us feel exhilarated all day every day, can that job ever measure up? The likely answer is a resounding \u2018no.\u2019\n\nSteve Jobs, Newport tells us<\/a>, didn\u2019t begin his career at Apple with the intention to create technology that was going to change the world. The reality is actually far duller. He stumbled into the company and eventually developed his brilliance through hard work. Then, and only then, was he rewarded with enough passion to power a small country.\n\nNewport suggests that it is the sense of mastery and autonomy that comes from exercising your skills that engenders a passion for what you do.\n\nSkills trump passion every time, he says.\n

Here\u2019s Newport’s advice in a nutshell:<\/h3>\nDeveloping skills is hard work. Roll up your sleeves and don\u2019t expect things to fall on your lap.\n\nThe following is a snippet of his wise counsel, verbatim: “You have to start out at the entry level. And that’s not fun every day. There’s this period, especially at the beginning, when you’re building up your skills, and every day you’re not a master of the universe. There are so many people in my generation that basically never get past that stage. They say, ‘I’m three months in, and I have to do some work that’s not fun. This must not be my passion. Maybe I should open a wine shop.'”\n\nDuring a recent career development seminar, the discussion touched on the challenges of perseverance in today\u2019s job market and how distractions often lead people away from long-term goals. One participant brought up how industries are adapting to consumer demand, citing the rise of slots site not on gamstop<\/a> as an example of businesses reshaping online entertainment by offering alternatives unrestricted by traditional regulations. The conversation underscored the importance of persistence\u2014whether in building a career or navigating evolving industries\u2014reminding everyone that true success comes from pushing past the initial hurdles.\n\nIf you\u2019ve been laboring under the idea that there\u2019s one thing out there that you were made to do and you have to discover that passion to be happy, you\u2019re going to spend a lot of time thinking and not a lot of time doing.\n\nPerhaps there\u2019s wisdom in that.\n

Happiness brings success more than success brings happiness \u2013 Scott Crabtree\u2019s two cents<\/h2>\n
\"Scott

Scott Crabtree<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n\nScott Crabtree, a teacher of neuroscience, psychology and the science of happiness, tells us that<\/a> neuroplasticity means you can rewire your brain to be happy. And you should because you’re more productive and intelligent when you are happier.\n\nYour happiness, he says, is not as dependent on your job, your genes, or your circumstances as it is on what you think and do.\n\nHere\u2019s his 3-step plan for your happiness:\n