Passion or Money? A Happy And Successful Life Is More Than Just Money

If you’re feeling unfulfilled in your career, it may be because you’re on a path that doesn’t allow you to follow your passion. Perhaps you’ve stuck yourself in a particular job because the money is good. Ultimately, chasing money instead of passion won’t get you far if you’re looking for self-improvement.

Money is a very powerful thing. It builds empires and breaks down kingdoms; it allows for dreams to come true and it takes others away; it makes some people happy and others completely miserable. Today the pursuit of money is almost directly linked to the pursuit of happiness, and many will argue that money = happiness.

Although money is great and can buy us all the things that will temporarily make us happy, no amount of money can buy time^[1]. Time is our most valuable asset and it is something that, while on this earth, we should spend most wisely. You shouldn’t feel like you’re mindlessly wasting your life away.

This generation is particularly in trouble because jobs are scarce, and many of us will be stuck doing jobs we hate just because we need money. Although this may be the right move for our careers now, this shouldn’t be something we do for the rest of our lives. It is best that you search for something that allows you to follow you passion.

Here are 8 reasons why life is more than just money, and that you should follow your passion:

1. You’ll Feel Better About the Work You Do

There is nothing worse than having to wake up every morning during the week to mindlessly go do work you don’t care about or that you feel isn’t adding anything to the world. However, if you choose to follow your passion, you can begin to truly enjoy what you do. While the monetary reward may be smaller, the internal rewards will make up for it.

2. You’ll Stimulate Your Creativity

Being forced to do work is one of the most draining experiences. While there are times at every job where you may feel the work may be draining and dull, when you are passionate about the work, you can move past the dull days as you know the next will likely bring something new and interesting.

Your creative process will get a huge boost when you follow your passion. You are more inclined to come up with creative ideas when you like what you do. This will not only add more interest to your life, but it will make you better at what you do and will likely lead to you moving up the ladder in the long run.

3. Work Won’t Feel Forced

When you value money over pursuing your passion, you will find yourself in an endless cycle of misery. Work will not feel like a journey or adventure, but more of a taxing nuisance on your mind and body that has to get done. This, of course, will lead to stress and anxiety.

Every day that you go to work with this mindset, you begin to hate your job more and more. While many people feel that they must work hard to retire and have money to enjoy themselves, what’s the point of enjoying yourself in your later years when you spent some of your best years being miserable?

Instead, follow your passion and see how much work just seems to flow instead of you having to force things to happen.

4. You’ll Be Able to Relax More

When you put in so many hours doing something you dislike just because it makes you money, you’ll find it difficult to get over the stress that work causes. However, when you follow your passion and do something you enjoy, the weekend will really feel like time that you can use to relax and reset before getting back to work on Monday.

All of this, of course, bodes well for your long-term health as more relaxation means an improved lifestyle overall.

5. You’ll Probably Work Less Hours

When you work at a job you’re passionate about, you’ll be able to focus more and get things done on time because those tasks don’t feel like such a burden. When you’re simply working for money, motivation is more difficult to find, which may lead to longer hours in order to get things done.

Every industry has a busy season, and without a doubt there will come a time when you will need to put in the extra hours. Will it be easier for you to work longer on something you can relate to or something you can’t stand doing?

6. You’ll Go Above and Beyond

Certain obligations at work will require you to go above and beyond the call of duty. In certain times during the busy seasons, you may be asked to do certain tasks that are not part of your everyday schedule. It is much easier for you to put in the extra work if you care about it.

Because you are passionate about your job, you will be willing to put in the extra effort to go beyond what is required of you, which will make you feel good and earn the right kind of attention from your superiors.

7. No Obstacle Will Stop You

When you follow your passion and really enjoy what you do, nothing will stop you from getting your work done. Because you are passionate about what you do, you feel unstoppable and nothing can get in the way of you achieving greatness.

Your passion ignites your work, and, like a rocket, it accelerates you past roadblocks that may come about. Any obstacle that comes your way is accepted and fought off with a creative solution.

8. You Will Feel More Fulfilled

There are few feelings better than achieving a level of success you set out for yourself as you follow your passion. When you finally reach the pinnacle, it is that much more enjoyable knowing you got there doing something you love and something you feel adds value to the world.

But, Following Your Passion Is Not Enough to Become Successful.

In the world we live in, it’s necessary to make money, but that doesn’t mean it needs to be our top priority when choosing our careers. Ultimately, you will do better and work your way up faster at a job you genuinely care about, so instead of following the money, follow your passion and give your career a boost.

But simply following your passion is not enough to become successful, here’s what you should do too: Why Following Your Passion Is Not Enough to Become Successful