Do You Really Have To Love What You Do?

Are you one of those people who live through the week counting days toward the weekend?

Do you hate waking up in the morning and going to work to do the same work over and over again?

Do you ever wonder what it would be like if you actually followed your passion and did that thing that you’ve always wanted to do?

Well, if you answered yes to any one of these questions, you’re obviously not living the life you’ve dreamed of and you are certainly not enjoying what you do.

For me, it’s different. Every day I wake up around 9AM (because I stay up late working) looking forward to the work I do. Most days I wake up in the middle of the night thinking about work and coming up with new ideas to write articles and ways to improve my work (I have a laptop near my bed, just in case). Even while I’m taking a shower, I think of work.

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Some might think that I’m bragging (maybe I am?) and creating a fake illusion about freelance work. But the truth is I just really love what I do. I love putting my thoughts into words. And I get paid for it! In a way, I’m living the dream (well, my dream at least).

Now, I know what you’re thinking. Some of you have mouths to feed. Bills to pay. College debt to pay. And you simply can’t afford to quit your job to follow your passion nor the time to start a side business.

I know how that feels. I’ve been there too. I used to have that same mindset. I jumped from one job to another for a long time. Although I didn’t last more than 6 months at any one of those jobs because I felt miserable working at those demeaning jobs, listening to the boss’ whining, taking orders, and mostly I always felt like I’m not using my full potential. I just couldn’t stand it.

Now that I’ve finally found freedom and meaning in the work I do, I’m happier than ever. And I would never even consider going back to work at a day job ever again!

And I wonder how happy your life might turn out if you could do the same.

Some say that you don’t have to love your job. That’s partly true. A job is something you do to earn a living. You don’t have to love it.

But, when it comes to a career it’s different. A career is something that’s going to cost you a large part of your lifetime. If you’re not happy about your career and doing the work you do, you’ll probably end up being miserable for many years until you grow old and look back at the time you’ve wasted.

What’s the point of making a ton of money if you’re not satisfied with your life and if you’re stressed and depressed all the time?

Most successful entrepreneurs, like Elon Musk, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, made a name for themselves by not following someone else’s orders, but by following their passions and doing the things they most enjoyed doing.

Take Richard Branson, for example. The man started his career while he was a teenager by starting a magazine, then he went on and started his own record label, then he decided he wants to launch an airline, now he’s building spaceships and doing a whole lot of different business in between.

Branson never settled for just one job or one business. Whenever he felt like doing something he just went ahead and did it. He didn’t care about risking everything he had, failing, or losing money. He even risked his life for his businesses, several times (if you get a chance read Branson’s autobiography “Losing My Virginity”).

And Yes, I also took a risk when I decided to become a full-time freelancer. It’s scary. At first finding work wasn’t easy. I questioned my career choice almost every day. But, somehow I made it!

It’s not luck that brought me here to where I am today. It’s hard work, motivation, and refusing to give up and go back to being miserable again.

So, Yes! I believe you have to love what you do to live a meaningful life. A life that you don’t feel stressed or depressed all the time. A life where you can wake up every morning excited by your work. A life where you don’t hate your family for making you do a job you hate.

You’re lying to yourself if you think you don’t have the luxury to do the work you love or that you can’t leave your job because your family depends on it.

Before becoming a billionaire, Elon Musk lived off a dollar a day to save money. Tony Fadell, the founder of Nest, started building his business in his garage while he was working a full-time job at Apple.

You don’t have to live off a dollar a day or even quit your job right away. Keep working on the day job. And start working on a side business while you’re at it. Find clients and do some work part-time. Once you feel comfortable, say goodbye to your job.

If you could invest just 2-hours a day to work on that side business, to register an account on UpWork, and find some freelance clients, you can comfortably quit your job without taking any risks and switch careers to do the work you love.

It’s just 2-hours a day. How hard can it be?

Stop binge watching Netflix shows. Sleep a couple of hours late or try waking up early. Work on your side business during your weekend and holidays. You have a choice!

There’s nothing you can’t achieve if you put your mind to it. Refuse to give up. Refuse to live an average life. Don’t settle for anything less than greatness!