Is Your Career Really Your Passion? It Doesn’t Have to Be

People often?say they are trying to find their passion in a career.???

Passion is created?within?you by what you believe and what you think.???

Ask?yourself:??when you?think?about the things that are the most important to you, what are they????

Contrary to what we often hear, your?career doesn’t need to be your passion. You can have a career that serves you?well –?and?pursue passions outside of?that?career.?Passion can be created and ignited in many ways.??

It?is not the?purpose?of your career, or anything else for that matter,?to?create passion in you.???

The only person who can create passion in you?– is you.??

Maybe it has been an?incredibly good?year for you?– or incredibly hard.??

No matter what is happening to you in your?business,?passion can be?within?you –?regardless of the circumstances?around you.?

Ready to?Take the Passion Test??

The test of passion is?a?commitment to something?regardless of?what happens, how it feels, or how many times you fail to get?there.?

That is passion.???

Knowing this, what are the decisions that you?want to make for yourself? How?might?you look at your life?differently????

If?your career is?NOT?your passion, then…?

• What DOES your career serve for you???
• Why do you do what you do???
• What makes you get up in the morning to go???
• If?you?could work?anywhere else,?why have you chosen to work?where you’re at??
• Why?do you choose to stay there?and keep doing it???

What I Know About Decision-Making?

We all make decisions about what we want to do based on how we feel or how we?think we will feel.?There are no wrong answers as to what drives you. And when you can identify?that, it allows you the opportunity to:??

• Maximize the benefits of what you hope to achieve?within your current business and position?
• Organize and make peace with your thoughts that may cause any struggle for you?
• Create a?clear path?that is aligned with?exactly?what your true motivations are?
• Have?a guideline to measure?all?your career decisions against?and toward

My definition of our dominant decision-making motive is:?

“an aroused need, drive or desire that stimulates behavior to satisfy the aroused need”?

There?is a?need?that you want to satisfy to ensure you maintain a feeling?or desire?you have,?or to create a feeling?or desire?that?you want.?You are?driven to?contemplate?choices to make decisions?that you believe will satisfy that need.?

If?we are unclear about what is driving?our?decision, we risk making decisions that are?not?aligned with what we want,?since the emotions lack clarity as to what is driving them.?This can result in remorse and regret once the real dominant?motives?surface?again,?since?they were?unsatisfied.??

Is Money Your Passion??If So,?Why??

Most people say money is their passion. But…

Money is NEVER the answer.?

Money is not a feeling or an emotion that has been left unsatisfied. It is paper in your wallet, or in a bank account.?

If your answer is money,?the next question is:?why???

Money generates?thoughts and?emotions. While?itself not a feeling or emotion,?money?always?triggers?thoughts and?beliefs?in us that?generate intense emotions.?There’s always a?reason?WHY?money?is significant and what it means to you?– and you?MUST know what?it?is.???

If Not Money, What Drives Employees??

This is something we explore?on a regular basis?in?our?Strive Membership Program, but?here?are?a few?highlights?of?different?categories?of what motivates employees:?

• Valued/Ego:?Some?people want to know that they are an?integral part of?every?part of?the company.?Feeling valued?and being seen as needed?are necessary?for this person.??This?person?would not be easily lured away by a competitor for money?–?if they will not be contributing at that level in ways they care most about.??
• Achiever:?Developing themselves and career advancement opportunities?are?the most important aspects?for this person. They value learning, skillset building,?and?the expertise?they gain.??
• Believer:?Money is likely the least important?factor for?this category.?Believing in and being a part of a cause or mission that is bigger than?oneself?is the?most valuable reward?for those in this category.?While this may not be their passion, it brings other value in their life that allows for fulfillment.??
• Flexer:?Work?balances?with family. This person?values?their outside?life,?and all decisions?are made around that. When offered more money, this person would not?likely?trade?their life balance for it.?Other,?low-cost?perks?and flexibility?may be?appealing to this person, however.??
• Belonger: Feeling as though they belong in the group and are accepted. When you?create?that culture with your people and they bond together, it is very?difficult?to?tear them away. The friendships and relationships they build are what brings?the most value to their world?–?and nothing can replace the value they put on that.??
• Contributor: The words I use to describe this category are security, responsibility, do the job, do it well, go home. They take pride in what they do, and they want to be paid to do it. They don’t necessarily need to lead the charge of the company in any way… they want job and financial security, and they want to go home where they have other passions.??

What about you??Do?you see?yourself in?any of?the above categories??

Career?Motives Change Throughout Life?

Our dominant?motives?often?change. You?may have been an Achiever and as you’ve evolved through your life, you?may now be?a?Contributor.???

It is?valuable to understand the?why?that is really behind?your passion.?This is what dictates?the emotions that are underneath?the surface.??

Maybe you identified with each of these on some level. Which one is the?deal breaker? Which one would you?never?compromise for the others????

We are all capable of fulfilling our?feelings?on our own, anywhere, under any circumstances. They are generated within us.?It is not our career’s job to satisfy our?need for passion.??

But at the end of the day, we are all humans?who are looking to create the life we want around?us.?Once you’ve given that some thought, consider the idea that your employees have the same options,?decisions,?and choices to make for themselves?as well.???

The more you know about yourself and what motivates?your employees, the better you can navigate those decisions for yourself and others in your business.???

We?tackle?issues like this?in our?Monthly Membership Program?here?at Strive. We can help you create your path toward the decision making and results that are right for you as you move forward.??