Cal Newport, in his book, Be So Good They Can't Ignore You, talks about why following your passion can turn out to be bad advice.
The premise of his argument rests on the fact that we all have multiple interests and that following your passions can lead you to become a victim of the "passion trap."
The passion trap stems from the idea that our interests evolve over time. At school I had an interest in cricket, at University I had an interest in Hemingway, after school I became interested in travel and nature. Getting caught up in a roller-coaster of passions means we don't ever involve ourselves in deep work.
Deep work is something that's required in order to develop a rare and valuable skill - something Newport argues is essential for success. It's been argued that it takes 10 000 hours (roughly 10 years) to become a master in your chosen field.
I believe the path to mastery is quicker now. With the right combination of mindset traning (beliefs, attitude, assumptions, thoughts, feelings), skills and talents to match an evolving context, I believe we can shorten the time it takes to master something to 7000 hours (or 7 years).
A similar theme cropped up in one of Penelope Trunk's most popular blogs of 2013 - where she talks about how the pursuit of happiness makes a life shallow and devoid of meaning. Here she is quoting Roy Baumeister where he compares the difference between a happy life and a meaningful life; "Happiness without meaning characterizes a relatively shallow, self-absorbed or even selfish life, in which things go well, needs and desires are easily satisfied, and difficult or taxing entanglements are avoided."
It seems that both authors argue against following your passion in the pursuit of happiness. There's more depth to life. Is the message that underlies this one of rather developing a sense of meaning and purpose which drives your life forward with vigor and vitality? Perhaps honing and giving of your gifts is intrinsically linked to wellbeing and joy.
Look around, how can you align your skills, talents and interests to make a difference? Where these qualities align, I believe you'll find greater meaning and purpose - which will make you happier at the end of the day. In 2014 how will you contribute to something greater than yourself while utilizing your gifts to make your life more beautiful?
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