First of all, let’s make a clear distinction between the two.
Passion is when you’re excited to see a new episode of your favourite show.
Passion is when you’re getting goose bumps listening to a song.
Passion is when you’re doing things for the sake of doing them.
Purpose is the opposite of that.
Purpose is when you’re not eating that box of doughnuts because you want to look good after the pandemic is over.
Purpose is when you’re so anxious you’re going to be sick, but you still get on that decisive video call.
Purpose is when you’re doing things you sincerely hate - because you have a good reason to.
High Achievers Crave Purpose Not Passion:
Harvard Scientists: Passion Is Overrated
I’m sure at least one person in your life has recommended you to “follow your passion.” However, studies show that passion alone is rarely the key to professional success:
1. Passion is a weak predictor of success in a workplace. However, passion combined with perseverance and grit is a good predictor of job performance.
2. Passion fades over time, which makes it an unreliable source of “motivational fuel” for your projects.
3. People who believe that passion is “found” and not “developed” were less likely to explore new topics and areas, which is a crucial trait of successful entrepreneurs
Instead, researcher Jon M. Jachimowicz suggests looking for work that gives you a sense of purpose, not joy.
After studying several hundred entrepreneurs, he found that the ones that believed their work has to bring them a sense of joy were less likely to be successful. These people were more likely to quit their projects after 9 months.
On the contrary, entrepreneurs who were devoted to focusing on things that no one else cares about were more successful on average. Consider that the German word for passion, “Leidenschaft,” literally translates to “the ability to hardship.” I recently wrote about the founding story of Dropbox. Its founder, Drew Houston, wasn’t innately “passionate” about virtual storage. Nobody was. But he did find immense purpose in keeping up with his MIT friends, who were founding one successful company after another.
It wasn’t “passion” that inspired Jan Koum and Brian Acton to move in together and sacrifice their social lives to build WhatsApp. Both had quit their jobs, and both had put their savings into the company. Surviving and proving your bosses wrong can be a perfectly good purpose.
5 Questions That Will Help You Find Your Purpose
Concepts like “purpose” are often mythologized to oblivion. People often talk about purpose as if it were some magical force from above, incomprehensible to the human mind. But, by definition, purpose is: the reason for which something exists or is used.
Discovering a purpose you’re willing to sacrifice for is an intimate exercise. These types of answers can only come from within. It helps to look in your own past:
1. Which people have you helped in the past? If I interviewed everyone you’ve ever met, who would say that you were irreplaceable? What is common among all those people?
2. How precisely have you helped them? Did you inspire, or educate them? Did you use words or actions to do it? Was it a face-to-face or virtual interaction?
3. When are you the most productive? What puts you in the ‘flow’ state of mind? What kind of work makes you forget your troubles and focus on the better tomorrow?
4. What kind of work do you consider important? Who do you look up to? Who are your heroes?
5. Imagine yourself six months from now. What does your older, more advanced self have to say about his/her recent progress? Imagine your older self is giving an interview. What do they say?
Be unapologetic in these answers. Your purpose isn’t something you need to share with the rest of the world. It’s a piece of core code that will drive you internally for the years to come. You are, after all, the last person you want to lie to.
