If you've ever had the opportunity to find a paying job in your dream field, you've had a taste of the fulfillment that comes from doing what you love for a living.
En relationship: How to make your passion your profession
I had this experience when I landed my dream job in a multi-million dollar musical in Madison Square Garden in New York. I was so fascinated by the production and everyone I worked with that I didn't think twice about contracts or salaries. And then it happened:$542 a week (before taxes, union dues, and agent fees). It couldn't be true. It was my dream job .
We are ready to compromise everything, including the ability to meet our basic needs, to continue working in a field that we are passionate about. But if we continue to bargain for the things we need, fair and just payment being chief among them, we can lose the freedom to pursue the life and career we love.
The real danger of doing what you love in life is loving your job so much that you're willing to compromise the value of your time to keep doing it.
If we can start accepting that doing what we love for a living is part of our passion and not its singular definition, we can begin to think more creatively and holistically about how to build lifestyles that reflect all of our values and priorities.
Here are some steps to get started.
1. Design your dream life in all areas.
We've all spent time contemplating our dream jobs, imagining what it would be like and what we'd be like to do what we're passionate about full time.
Be sure to apply the same level of careful consideration to all of your lifestyle areas:relationships, family, health and finances.
As you discover what matters most to you will be able to consider all of your values rather than blindly pushing towards your career goals without considering your other priorities.
Related: The best career advice, from people who have made it to the top
2. Consider your motivations.
When reviewing your goals, think about the reasons behind them.
For example, if my goal is to be in a Broadway show, my reason might be the validation of being on Broadway or the thrill of performing in New York.
When I look at these patterns, they're not particularly compelling. They are ego-driven and shaped by the expectations of others.
Generally speaking, goals that work long-term are based on your values, grounded in your desired feelings, and largely within your control.
3. Refine your dream.
If you find that some of your goals are weak, cross them off your list or think of ways to turn them into stronger goals.
This will give you the opportunity to consider new goals that better match your motivations.
In my case, starting my own business gave me the financial stability I craved while providing the flexibility I needed to keep playing on my own terms, without compromising personal pursuits like travel or spending time with friends and family.
By considering all of my lifestyle priorities, I was able to discover more sustainable and fulfilling approaches to my career.
4. Give up the either/or approach.
Entertaining and exploring new approaches to career goals doesn't mean giving it up. Saying yes to non-work priorities like family and flexibility doesn't mean saying no to professional growth and doing what we love.
Research shows that people who make progress towards something they care about every day report being satisfied and satisfied. Even if what you love isn't what you do full time, working on your passion a little each day (even if it's just 15 minutes) can still generate feelings of fulfillment.
Related: 4 Ways to Find Passion and Purpose in Your Life
This article originally appeared in the September 2017 issue of SUCCESS magazine.
