Passion masks weakness

Great passions are maladies without hope - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

You need to follow your passion. It might sound like great advice, but it isn’t when passion becomes a poor substitute for purpose, discipline, capability and grit.

The passion paradox

Passion for something leads to disproportionate time practicing or working at it. That time spent eventually translates to skill, and when skill improves, results improve. Better results generally lead to more enjoyment, and more passion and more time is invested. It can be a virtuous cycle all the way to extraordinary results. - Gary Keller

Passion can be a virtuous cycle. However, it can also be a vicious cycle that leads to a high level of busyness. And what happens if you are busy? You most likely do not achieve any meaningful results. Suppose you are passionate but do not build up skills to become better. Or you do not have a clear purpose for what you would like to achieve. Then your passion is just a cover for incompetence.

Following your passion is similar to working on something that is not your passion. You might like it better. However, it doesn’t mean you can put in less effort.?You still need to be talented (in the end), and it would be great if you covered a need to live off your passion. Furthermore, you need to produce output, If you are not?making any content, the world remains the same, and you are just sitting there with your passion.

Follow your passion. And put in the work. Otherwise, it is just a convenient excuse to be busy.