The dream job.

Making tons of money doing what you absolutely love.

You’ve probably heard that saying, “Just follow your passion!”

It sounds like great advice for someone wondering what they should do with their life.

Might make one feel warm and optimistic.

Until they think of the “tons of money” part.

Then, probably the opposite – let down, frustrated, and stuck.

So, I’m just going to cut to the chase, “Follow your passion” is terrible advice.

It’s based on the flawed premise that everyone has a passion to begin with, and also that one’s interests and passions are fixed.

As if one doesn’t develop new fascinations as they age, gain knowledge, or have new experiences.

It stems from the value of short-term emotional comfort above anything else – “What do I enjoy doing most” – which makes it incredibly difficult to continue when the going gets tough.

And, the going DOES get tough.

Also, the most important part, it completely neglects the marketplace and people’s actual needs.

Although on the surface this piece of advice sounds great, it’s just the start.

One needs to apply a little more thought, and take it a step further.

Really, what needs to happen is the Passion needs to be DEVELOPED into a Purpose.

Now, without a doubt, everyone has a unique combination of talents and abilities.

By identifying what yours are, and what other things you think you can get really good at with enough practice (almost anything), you put yourself WAY ahead.

These are usually the things you find yourself already pretty good at, which other people seem to struggle with.

It’s probably something you enjoy doing, too.

Next, the part that’s missing, and the part that needs to come last, is some research and observation.

Market Analysis.

One must find what people need and what needs aren’t been met well enough.

This is what you can contribute. This is where you can make a difference.

This is where a passion is DEVELOPED.

There’s a really great Japanese concept called “ikigai” which essentially means “a reason for being.”

Above all, ‘ikigai’ aims to balance your passions and talents with what the world needs and is willing to pay for.

The idea is to put together

1) What you Love.

2) What you’re good at.

3) What you can be paid for.

And, 4) What the world needs.

The fundamental Truth behind Ikigai is that All Things Are Connected.

So, it’s about acknowledging your path in life, knowing what brings meaning into it, and putting it all together to serve others.

It’s about bringing joy, fulfillment, and balance into your every-day life.

Simply put, it’s your reason for getting out of bed every morning.

And, we all need a reason to get out of bed every morning.

A reason much stronger than ‘to get money’ or ‘to pay the bills’.

Using the Ikigai model (image on my website), we can expand on the well-intentioned advice of “Follow your passion”.

It’s a subtle shift from putting the attention on what you love to putting the attention on what you care about.

What you love makes you happy and you enjoy it.

What you care about aligns what you love with your values and the impact you can make.

This is how one can create their dream job/business.

This is how one can make tons of money (eventually) doing something meaningful and enjoyable.

This is how one sets themselves on a path towards a future they look forward to.

Keep in mind though, on this path, this journey, there’ll be a lot of obstacles in our way.

But, we can’t let that stop us.

A life of Mediocrity just isn’t for us.

“There is no greater thing you can do with your life and your work than follow your passions in a way that serves the world and you”

– Sir Richard Branson