When people debate the importance of passion at work I am usually baffled.
The ongoing argument about the relevance of passion is one we won’t go into here.
Instead lets look at the definition of passion and go from there.
Passion – a very strong feeling about a person or a thing. An intense emotion a compelling enthusiasm or desire for something.
So based on that definition alone wouldn’t it seem reasonable that passion is part of the equation when it comes to doing fulfilling work?
I mean shouldn’t you have a “very strong feeling or compelling enthusiasm” for the work that you are doing?
My argument is that you definitely do…but why?
Why is passion important at work?
Well lets take a look at a few reasons shall we?
Passion is important at work because..
- Passion gives you ENERGY– passion gives you the kind of energy that wakes you up before your alarm goes off. The kind of energy that keeps you up tossing and turning at night (in a good way). The kind of energy that keeps you working at something for hours on end without a break. The energy that makes time become irrelevant.
- Passion helps you to THINK BIG – having passion for your work can lead to some BIG ideas. When you start from a “very strong feeling or compelling enthusiasm” for something you naturally want that idea to expand into bigger and better things. Big game changing ideas come from passion…not indifference.
- Passion can often times lead to purpose – being passionate about something, someone or some outcome can lead you to a purpose (or a mission if you will). By being involved with something you are passionate about it can put you in the right place to “connect the dots” which can lead to something with tremendous meaning (to you and others).
- Passion keeps you engaged – lack of interest is one of the biggest problems in the workplace today. When you are doing work that you are passionate about it keeps you engaged and keeps away the boredom. Doing work that doesn’t keep you interested just doest cut it!
- Passion excites you – working on or around something your are passionate about is exciting! Excitement is that short term rush you get when you
- Passion keeps things fun – this is a big one! Too many us work at jobs that really aren’t any fun. We have fallen into the trap of working for works sake and “fun” isn’t even in the equation. Having a passion for something, someone, or some outcome can make work seem like play…and that sounds like fun to me!
- Passion helps you get past your fears – passion can be a great driving force behind what you do. Feeling so strongly about something can help you do things you never thought you could or would do. Passion can get you out of your comfort zone and on the road to do some great things.
- Passion helps you grow – when you are passionate about something you become a student and learn everything you can about and related to your passion. This learning mode will help you grow both personally and professionally in more ways than you can imagine.
- Passion helps people get to know the real you – Barbara Corcoron says “You can’t fake passion” and I couldn’t agree more. When you are truly passionate about something its obvious. People can tell immediately and they can almost feel it. When you are passionate about something the real you shines through which get others to know exactly what you are all about.
- Passion creates resilience – when you love something or feel so strongly about a subject or an outcome the obstacles you face seem trivial. When times get tough the genuine passion you have for what you are doing keeps you going. Without passion (and purpose) small obstacles can seem like mountains that aren’t worth climbing.
- Passion keeps you curious – when you are passionate about your work you stay curious. This curiosity leads to always wanting to know all there is to know about your passion. This curiosity fends off the boredom, fuels the excitement and leads to bid ideas.
- Passion helps you do your best work – like I said at the beginning of this article, when people debate the importance of passion at work it really baffles me. I mean how can you provide the absolute best product or service to your stakeholders if you aren’t passionate about the work you are doing? Can it be good work? Sure. Great work? Maybe. Your BEST work? I don’t think its possible. When you are passionate about your work you are passionate about the people you serve so you always want to do your best work and passion is a key ingredient.
- Passion helps you build company culture – how many companies do you know that have a great company culture? Now how many of them are passionate about the work (or mission) that their company represents. I would say that the people at Zappos probably aren’t overly passionate about shoes. What they are passionate about is their company and all that it represents. When trying to build a great company culture passion (for something) is something that shouldn’t be overlooked.
- Passion makes you happy – being around or doing the thing that you are passionate ultimetely makes you happy. It doesn’t matter if it is someone, something or some outcome you are fighting for in the end we are really doing it to makes you happy. Can you think of a better ROI?
So there you have it! Some of the main reasons why we think passion is so important at work.
Even though this isn’t meant to be an all inclusive list (I’m sure we will add to it as needed) we still hope it resonates with you.
But we also want to know…why is passion important at work for YOU?
We would love to hear from you!
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