“Nobody can be successful unless he loves his work.”
~ David Sarnoff, pioneer of American radio and television

I agree with David Sarnoff, because if you love your work, the sky is the limit. But how do we recognize or even become aware of the kind of work that we love?

First of all, activities we love often don’t even feel like work. These are the activities you are passionate about, that nobody needs to push you to do or motivate you for. These are the types of activities you wish you had more time for. You may already know what you are passionate about — maybe dancing, or spending time in nature, or participating in a particular sport. Perhaps you have a passion for politics or acting, or for building things or doing research, or something else, but you have not been able to make this activity part of your daily work.

Or you may not be aware of what your passions are because you are preoccupied with the challenges of your current work. Often I hear people complain about the work they have to do, rather than addressing the more direct question of “What is it I love to do?” I have found that once people change their focus from complaining about their current work or situation to seriously thinking about what it is that they love to do, an answer shows up.

This happened with a man I once met who was complaining throughout our entire conversation about his life situation. After I asked him to reflect on what activities he would love to do, rather than continuing to dwell on the misery of his current misery, he suddenly recalled his love of painting. Remembering how happy he had been when he used to paint opened up a whole world of possibilities, and allowed him to rediscover his passion. Once he made the transition to make painting a part of his daily work, he was able to rise out of his depression and become happy and successful again.

Wherever you are in the process of answering this question, knowing what your passion is and making it an integral part of your career will make you happier, more energetic, and more successful in your work.

What is it you love to do or what is your passion?

If you would like to learn more about how to find passion in your work, see The Boomerang Approach at: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0615979769/