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Is having a job that is your passion a pipe dream?

One of the many conversations I'd love to have with you in person someday, Josh! That and what it's like having an entrepreneur as a spouse!

I think the simple answer is that for many it is a pipe dream, and for a few it's not.
 
mikeg_74 said:
My dream job involves athletic ability that I know I do not possess. So My passion runs deep for all things sports related. I kick myself in the ass a lot for not pursuing my career path for sports broadcasting/reporting before life got in the way.

So I just found something that keeps me on my toes and has me constantly learning/evolving. Something secure and that will always be in demand. I cannot do a job where I don’t constantly learn or feel like it’s repetitive. That would be the death of me professionally. What I do now I’m constantly learning and I’m constantly evolving.

As a father of two girls, wife, dogs and a mortgage, I’m making the best of it bc that’s the path the lord has laid out for me. I choose to look at the glass half full and not chase the “what if”.
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mikeg_74 said:
I cannot do a job where I don’t constantly learn or feel like it’s repetitive. That would be the death of me professionally. What I do now I’m constantly learning and I’m constantly evolving.
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This is exactly how I feel.

My wife is a consultant, and absolutely loves her job. A few years ago she began using a virtual platform for some of her international clients.

Back in August she saw me twiddling my thumbs and asked if I would like to step in and produce one of here meetings. She said it would be easy, and boy, was she right!. I did an entire series with her and I was bored out of my damn mind. I mostly browsed THP.

There is no way I could do that sort of repetitive technical work without losing my mind. It's a perfect job for other people who don't mind it. Easy hours and it pays a lot. But I just can't do it. Not that it was ever even a consideration, but now she knows not to ask me .




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I used to tell my kids they would have two kinds of jobs. Then I changed it and told then they would have two kinds of days at work:

1) I can't believe I get paid to do this.
2) I can't believe I have to do this to get paid.

There is a lot of wisdom borne of experience in this thread. One key piece is:
What you do should not define what you are if you want to be happy in your work and your life

If you work to live, as many of us do, and you define yourself by what you do, you are more likely to be miserable. The last eight years of my career have been my best because I enjoy what I do, I work with great people, and I've stopped owning problems out of my control. I care, but I don't let them consume me. My mantra is basically: I'm an independent contractor, and X happens to be my customer right now.

I've also told my kids, "You're gonna find what you're looking for." Most jobs/careers have good and bad parts. You'll notice more the side that matches your outlook/attitude.
 
c.a.eleric said:
i can speak to me, and what i think i know about myself. i also have work in an industry where i meet with successful people in myriad industries.

the tl;dr is some people work to live, and others live to work. if you are one of the latter, i think it's possible to find something you're passionate about and then have that pipe dream working life.

but me, i'm the former. i hate working, doesn't matter what that work would be. mostly it's because i hate the idea of having to do or be anywhere in particular, and lacking the freedom to do what i want when i want to. i have spoken to people involved in the things i love - music, wine, golf, film, food - and some speak about their careers with a twinkle in their eye, while others have a very noticeable fatigue come over their face after years of feeling beat down. and no, financial success doesn't differentiate one reaction vs the other.
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Was coming here to say the exact same thing. I am also a work to liver. I have a field which I am good at, gives my brain a good test each day, has its peaks of stress, but provides my family with a good life. I also can’t wait for the day when I can punch out for the last time and be free of the need to have to go to work.
 
Wonton said:
Sadly, most people make sacrifices to do what they need to do (i.e. working at a job to pay bills, feed the family, etc.) and their dream gets put on hold.
Like my mom. She was a RN for 35+ years; worked her butt off to raise me and my brother. I had a conversation recently with her and she always wanted to be a photographer. I didn't know this. I feel grateful and thankful for sure. I owe my life to her. Now, she's retired, traveling the country in a RV, taking amazing photos and making good money doing it. I'm glad she didn't give up on her dream because seeing her work, she definitely meant to be a photographer.

The point is, I see very few people doing what they aspire to be when they were younger. Doesn't mean that dream goes away completely.
Me, I work (very good at what I do) to keep my dream alive. Dream of being a chef. I get to practice, learn new culinary skills and always refining what I know already because I'm doing what I need to do.
I will be a chef one day. Succeed or Fail, I owe myself to at least try.
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Well said and great perspective!


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Badger_Golfer said:
I think that for most people it is a pipe dream. Most people have to do whatever work pays the bills, even if that means doing a job that they hate. Most dont have the luxury of doing a job that is their passion. Thats just reality.
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I agree. Lots of money was invested mainly by my parents and then some by me to become a civil engineer. I worked for the Department of Transportation for thirty two years, but while I enjoyed it, it was not a "dream job" really. Just a good job. Almost everyone I know just worked a job and most hate their jobs.
 
There are a lot of aspects of my job that re a passion to me. That said, I’m not a huge “dream job” person. At the end of the day, it’s still work. c.aeleric put it well - I’m someone who “works to live” - I like my job a lot and I’m really glad I put in the hours of school to get here but it’s not the center of my life.
 
Not a pipe dream. Working for a well established development and design firm now. The pipe dream for me would to own and run my own company someday, so hopefully these are the early stages towards that.
 
I probably would have answered this differently a year ago. But right now, I am lucky enough to have a great job doing something I have passion about. I dont think this is my true passion in life, but I dont think I could pay the bills working at a golf course or working in golf. Outside of golf, coaching is a passion of mine but I dont think the stress of it would allow me to truly enjoy it
 
bigskyirish said:
I met a guy not too long ago that said the advice he gives his kids is not to try to find work doing something they love, but to find a job that gives them freedom. His reasoning was that unless you love to work, it's still just going to be a job at the end of the day and you're not going to be all that excited about it no matter what field you're in. But if you find something that gives you freedom, you'll have more time to enjoy the things you love.

Everyone is certainly different, but for me, that advice seems to hold true. I generally like the field I work in, but I certainly don't live to work. If I win the Powerball tomorrow, I'll never have another job in my life. But since moving from a large employer to being self-employed (with two partners), I've had substantially more freedom to set my own schedule and prioritize as I see fit, instead of having those things dictated to me by people I barely know in a different state. The difference in my enjoyment of work (since I have to do it) is substantial.
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That is great advice but sometimes it can be complicated. Having freedom is a big part of why I work where I do. It has allowed me take days off whenever I feel like it, come in late, leave early, pick up the kids, etc. I will be the first to tell you that I don't love what I do on a daily basis and the reality is I'll never get rich doing it but sometimes the good outweighs the bad even though I feel like I am capable of so much more.
 
You don’t have to work your passion to be passionate about your work.

I didn’t grow up wanting to do what I am doing now, and there is a lot of other careers that would be cool.

But my passion in my field keeps me going.


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At least you have been able to be in something and stick it out for a longer time frame. I have bounced around for the better part of the past 20 years.

I have always thought that it is hard to have/find your dream job when you honestly don't know what that is. I have no clue what I would want to do, that would leave me fulfilled, leave me happy.
 
PhillyV said:
I probably would have answered this differently a year ago. But right now, I am lucky enough to have a great job doing something I have passion about. I dont think this is my true passion in life, but I dont think I could pay the bills working at a golf course or working in golf. Outside of golf, coaching is a passion of mine but I dont think the stress of it would allow me to truly enjoy it
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I think this sums up what I was trying to say for me. I've got a job doing something I like, with people I really love working with, but I think my true passions lie outside of work. And I agree a lot with what was in bigskyirish's post - my job gives me a ton of flexibility, and that goes a long way for keeping me happy.
 
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