When talking to a disgruntled pal who’s getting fed up
with their job, you might be tempted to console them with
this aphorism of dubious origin:
“Do what you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in
your life.”
It’s only natural to reach for advice like this. It’s so easy on
the ears: take what you’re passionate about and do that. It’s
an easy-to-recite invocation against drudgery. It’s a promise
of freedom from the daily grind. And it’s advice that all of us
want to believe in. But is it true?
The internet is teeming with battle cries of inspiration urging
you to hunt down work that doesn’t look like work. You might
even feel like you’re doing something wrong if you’re not
wading in your passions for 40 hours a week. It might make
you feel like what you’re doing for a living isn’t what you’re
supposed to be doing .
Put this advice back on the shelf. You don’t have to make
your hopes and dreams the foundation of your career to be
happy. (I love Nutella and five-pin bowling —what kind of job
would that be?) Instead, we suggest swapping the idea of
“doing what you love,” for loving what you do . Work doesn’t
have to look like your favorite pastime to be meaningful.
A cheerless job can tempt you to dust off your resume,
but you don’t have to quit just yet. First, make a genuine
attempt to improve things from where you sit. Fulfillment at
work is often a matter of perspective—not place. In fact,
simply doing what you love is no guarantee your work life will
be satisfying.
“Fulfill