Summary

The article argues that the advice "Find something you love and you’ll never work a day in your life" is misleading, as even passionate work involves hard work and tasks one may not enjoy.

Abstract

The author reflects on the popular quote suggesting that loving one's work means never feeling like it's a chore, pointing out that this is an unrealistic expectation. Despite running a successful business that aligns with his passions, the author acknowledges that not all aspects of work are enjoyable. He emphasizes that true fulfillment comes from being dedicated to one's work, even when it's challenging. The article cites a Gallup survey indicating that a majority of employees worldwide are disengaged at work, highlighting the importance of engagement for better business outcomes. The author encourages readers to seek work that they are willing to commit to, even when it's difficult, and to focus on making a meaningful impact rather than just enjoying every moment.

Opinions

The notion that work should always be enjoyable is deemed a "big fat lie" by the author, who has experienced the hard work required to run a successful business.
Engaged employees are crucial for organizational success, but many are disengaged because they expect their jobs to be constantly fun and fulfilling.
The author believes that loving what you do is about finding fulfillment despite the inevitable difficult tasks, not about avoiding work that feels like work.
He suggests that readers should aim to find work they are so passionate about that they are willing to persevere through the hard times.
The article posits that meaningful work is about contributing to something larger than oneself, not just personal satisfaction or financial gain.
The author proposes three questions to help readers determine if they have found the right work: whether they are willing to become the best in their field, if they want to contribute to their organization's success, and if they would continue their work without pay.
The author concludes by encouraging readers to allow themselves to do things they hate to discover what is truly fulfilling and to dedicate themselves to a purpose greater than themselves.

“Find Something You Love and You’ll Never Work a Day in Your Life” Is Horrible Advice

Your quest for loving what you do might be ruining your life

I first came across inspirational quotes like “Find something you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life” at the age of 19.

I was only halfway through my business studies, but I already knew that a corporate job wouldn’t give me the sense of fulfillment these quotes promised.

And to be honest, I did believe that work would never feel like work if you love what you do.

I was one of the millions of people who got tricked and believed it’s possible to have a job or business that’s all sunshine and glitter.

Based on that belief, I started my own business because I was sure loving what I do would be easier if I’m my own boss.

But you know what? That’s nonsense.

You can love what you do and still work hard

According to a survey by Gallup, more than 65% of employees across the globe don’t feel engaged in their job.

They’re not passionate about their roles, don’t care about going the extra mile, and are not really interested in creating something new or better.

In short, their work is all about meeting the bare minimum instead of moving the organization forward.

And it’s no surprise that engaged employees lead to better results in an organization. Gallups 2017 State of the Global Workplace Report states the following:

“Engaged employees produce better business outcomes than do other employees across industry, across company size and nationality, and in good economic times and bad.”

The problem is that these employees don’t like their job and aren’t great at it because you can’t be good at something you hate.

And if these disengaged employees see quotes like “Find something you love and you’ll never work again,” they think there’s really something that could feel like fun all the time and be profitable.

After four years of being my own boss and running a profitable online business, I can promise that “do what you love and you’ll never have to work” is a big fat lie.

You might enjoy what you’re doing, but if you have ambitious goals, even your dream business will require actual hard work.

Find something you can’t stop doing because you LOVE it

I’m one of the few people who genuinely love what they do for a living.

I write articles that are read by hundreds of thousands of people every month, have a community of thousands of inspiring people, create online courses that I’m proud of, work with epic brands and clients, and I do all of that with my soulmate. I can work whenever I want, with whom I want, and from wherever I want.

Sounds great, right?!

And guess what? Despite the joy and freedom I experience in my job, I sometimes need to get my ass up and do stuff that’s not fun or interesting.

I need to invoice clients, manage Facebook groups and get rid of spammers, deal with technical difficulties, reply to support emails, and so much more.

I don’t enjoy any of these tasks, but I go to bed feeling fulfilled and grateful every single night.

Doing something you love is not about not doing annoying work.

It’s about a sense of fulfillment despite the difficulties you face.

Even the most enjoyable and fun job or business will feel like a job at times.

And that’s fine. The problem is that we’re being told that’s not how it’s supposed to be and that we should be feeling joyful and passionate 100% of the time.

That’s not only unrealistic but destructive.

Your professional career doesn’t need to represent your entire life.

You can find so many things you’re grateful for and passionate about outside of your working hours.

The truth is great things aren’t meant to be easy. Every job and business will feel like work if you have ambitious goals.

Big goals always require big action, even if you love what you’re doing.

Instead of expecting work to feel like fun, aim to find something you love so much that you don’t want to stop doing it even if it gets hard.

I don’t always feel like writing, but I love that I have the opportunity to share my thoughts and ideas with the world.

I don’t always feel like showing up in my community, but I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunity to connect with like-minded people, so I show up no matter how I feel.

I don’t always feel like overdelivering for my clients but I love doing great work, so I do it anyway.

Forget about “never working a day in your life,” focus on falling so much in love with the work you do that you choose to work hard.

3 Simple questions

Now you might ask yourself: “Okay, but how do I know I’ve found the right thing?!”

There are many answers to that question, but I’ve found the following three questions most helpful:

Am I willing to become the best person doing my job?

It’s hard to like what you do if you’re doing a miserable job.

You might start at the bottom, but if you genuinely want to love what you do, you’ll need to focus on being good at whatever you’re doing.

Becoming one of the best people in your industry or niche requires dedication and effort.

But the better your results, the more you’ll love what you do. The problem is that becoming great takes effort and work.

Learning and growth always include pain and discomfort — otherwise, everyone would do it and live the dream.

Do I want to move the organization forward?

Second, being passionate about your job indicates that your efforts are not just for yourself.

If you’re too self-centered and focus more on your reputation and personal brand than on the impact you create, you’ll soon lose the passion.

Meaningful work is always about a purpose that’s bigger than one person — it’s about making a difference for many people.

If you don’t care about the impact and only focus on vanity metrics like followers, likes, and status symbols, you’ll soon lose the love for your job.

Would I do it without the payment?

Last but not least, getting paid is great, but if you’d stop what you’re doing without the pay, you’re not really passionate about it.

You might love your job or business because of the income, but if that’s the sole benefit, you won’t enjoy your days as much as someone who’s dedicated to a meaningful mission but earns less money.

We all need to pay the bills, but would you keep doing what you’re doing for a fraction of the payment? Would you say no to another job to keep serving your clients to make the impact you’re passionate about?

Final thoughts

Stop thinking that you need to love what you do to have a great life.

Allow yourself to do things you hate so you can discover what’s truly important and fulfilling.

You don’t need to love every minute of your working day to live a fulfilled life. You need to be dedicated to a mission and purpose that’s bigger than yourself.

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