Are you willing to make the sacrifice?
Are you willing to make the sacrifice?
Welcome to February. It’s hard to believe that 8.3% of 2024 has already come and gone. Has 2024 been going your way? We sincerely hope so!
My husband and I were having dinner at a restaurant on Saturday evening. We ended up having a very interesting conversation with our waiter. He passionately told us about his dream of starting a food truck business. His face lit up when we encouraged him to tell us more – he pulled out his phone and started sharing his vision with us. I thought to myself: WOW this guy is so passionate! He embodies everything we tell people about living with passion and having a clear purpose. It is inspiring and contagious!
What struck me was when I asked about his plan (probably because I have two kiddies of my own): He shared how he was going to work on a cruise ship for two extended sessions lasting up to 6 months each. He told me how he would be missing out on his 1-year-old’s many firsts. But he has to do it to create a better future for his family. He hopes to raise enough capital that he won’t have to do a third trip.
On the way home my husband and I were talking about the fact that living your passion does not come without commitment or sacrifice. It always sounds very romantic, but having and living your passion is seldom (if ever) smooth sailing. It takes a lot of unglamorous work, it requires boatloads of consistency and commitment, and it takes saying yes and no to the right things. Passion can get you going, but it won’t be enough to sustain you if the other ingredients aren’t also in place.
We often speak to people in our line of work who feel pretty meh about where they are in their personal and professional lives. Some have not yet discovered what they are passionate about, while others know but, the obstacles, barriers and doubts keep them from taking the first necessary steps.
If you are part of the first group, I would like to encourage you to become curious. I think about the early explorers of the world and how their curiosity drove them towards fantastic discoveries. But they also at times encountered dead ends, dangerous creatures, and they had to endure some gruelling ridicule from those disbelieving onlookers. What do you daydream about when you are bored or have a quiet moment to yourself, those things you have always thought would be fantastic to try if you just didn’t have all these other responsibilities? Is there a way to start, even if you started very small?
To the second group, stay curious. The path you are on will require you to continuously question and search for a better alternative. The key word is continuous. The magic lies in doing the small, most important things right every day. As Adam Grant reminds us: “The days can be easy if the years are consistent. You can write a book or get in shape or code a piece of software in 30 minutes per day. But the key is you can’t miss a bunch of days.”
The tiny bits of progress that come from consistency and commitment drive passion forward.
Passion gives life purpose. Commitment brings results.
If you are struggling with consistency or you need some guidance in terms of identifying your passion, get in touch. You can reach us at info@purposeworks.co.za.
At PurposeWorks we are all about Making You and Your Work Rock. Our focus is on Organisational Health and Design, Employee Centered Culture, Leadership Development and Performance Coaching. For more information on how we can help you create a work environment that rocks, develop a great team, become an inspiring leader or unlock your personal excellence talk to us at info@purposeworks.co.za.
