Rethinking “Finding Your Passion”
There has always been a debate about “finding your passion” in your work.
I resonated with a perspective from Emily Durham that is summarized in this short clip.
She suggests that the three core elements to determining a great job is VPL.
Considering what you need in three areas:
Validation – Feeling recognized, acknowledged, and respected at work. Knowing that your day-to-day efforts and output are valued in the workplace
Purpose – The feeling that your daily work matters and contributes to a broader goal. This also involves aligning your tasks with things you care about
Lifestyle – This encompasses logistical needs like flexibility to work from home, a commute you tolerate, and the financial compensation needed to fund your life outside of the office.
My Perspective
I like this framework because it allows each of us to evaluate the three “needs” and determine what is right for us personally. We will each have different answers and that is the beauty. When I look at the list of three, I would start the exploration with lifestyle.
What do you want your overall life to look like?
Once you have that high level vision, you can consider if your current role fits that or if you need to begin to explore to find something different.
From there, you can ask questions about purpose and validation.
Are you getting the levels of each dimension that you need?
Where are the gaps?
Most importantly, can any gaps that exist be closed in your current role?
If not, it may be time to look for a rotation or a bigger move.
Posts This Week
Our Me-Suite. We all have an executive team inside us. Guiding our lives in many ways. This post takes the C-Suite and applies it to our life with some questions to consider.
Book Review: The Art of Pacing. For anyone whose life seems to be moving more like a sprint than a marathon, this book might be for you. My highlights and overview are in this post.
MeEO Growth Equation. Previously, I had written a self-awareness post using the acronym of SAVVY. This post follows up on how to move from SAVVY to GROWTH.
Are You Stuck or Stagnant? As life moves quickly, we can suddenly find ourselves stuck or stagnant. This post covers how to recognize when it’s happening and do something about it.
Fika – A Swedish Tradition. To end the week, this post celebrates the Swedish afternoon Fika. Maybe you can find a way to add one of these to your afternoon.
Podcasts That Caught My Attention
This week the podcasts are all tied (some loosely) to the idea of appropriately pacing our lives to be sustainable for the long run.
The Art of Pacing. 27 minutes. The Next Big Idea Daily. Tied to my book review above, the first book summarized in this podcast is The Art of Pacing: A Guide to Balancing Short-Term Demands with Long-Term Thriving by Elizabeth Svoboda. Then we hear a summary of The Long Game: How to Be a Long-Term Thinker in a Short-Term World by Dorie Clark.
Your Team Needs Recovery Time. 10 minutes. Modern Mentor. This episode talks about the “active recovery phase” between pushing hard and resting. The Breathing Room, a standing block of time built for reflection, review, and solving hard problems is introduced.
Drink Your Coffee Outside. 4 minutes. Before Breakfast. This short episode suggests we can boost our mood this time of year by drinking the first cup of coffee outside.
The Ingredients for a “Nice Life”. 20 minutes. Life Kit. This episode suggests that instead of the exhausting pursuit of the “perfect” life, we might try to create a “nice” life instead. Ideas from The Nice Life: How to Elevate the Everyday and Find Joy in What You Have by Rachel Wilkerson Miller.
What Do You Think?
Have you followed your passion or something else in your career journey?
Do you think your life is running at a good pace? Why or why not?
What ideas did the posts & podcasts spark that you could implement in the week ahead?
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