Why you must love what you do.
February 27, 2007
Are you constantly stressed out by the work that you do day-to-day? Do you hate getting up during the week because you dread going to work (wherever that may be)? Is "job" a four letter word in your vocabulary?
Then you need to change what you do, fast. Did you know that stress has been proven to cause heart attacks and strokes? Yes, long term, doing work that you don't love can kill you–literally.
Besides, if you don't truly love what you do, your success will be limited. A "secret" of the most successful people in the world is that they have a real passion for their work. To them, it's not really work at all.
For example, today I got up, answered some support tickets, hung out at the $7 Secrets Forum to answer a few questions and read what was going on, and checked my inbox for the flood of sales that had come in over night. I was interviewed by an associate I met at the $7 Secrets Forum, and that went very well. I decided to reward myself with 9 holes of golf (and I did much better than usual). Then I came home, answered a few more support tickets and got the pool and spa cleaned up and heated for my family to enjoy later tonight.
Not one single thing I did today felt like "work". In fact, I often tell people who ask me what I do for a living that I don't really have a job–"I play around for a living" is what I like to say.
And yet, despite not really doing "work"–since I love what I do–I earn many, many times more than I ever did with a J-O-B. Success found me because I am passionate about what I do.
That's not to say that there aren't some stressful days or situations that I have to deal with. They happen, sure, but they are not the norm. If you're not loving what you do 4 out of 5 work days, then you seriously need to consider a change.
Being passionate about your work means you'll put effort into it to make it the absolute best it can be, regardless of whether or not it will "pay off" in the end. People who are focused solely on the bottom line will only invest as much time and energy into their projects as they feel they can get out of it. Those financially implied limitations, while maybe understandable, never produce the "great" products or web sites. The greats are built around passion and interest, not money.
Work at your passion, give it your all, make it the best it can be. That will show through in the final product, and it will naturally draw people who are interested in the subject. They will see your real love for your work, and they'll respect and admire that. More importantly, it will keep them coming back for more.
No, you will never truly succeed if you don't love what you do for a living. You'll hit a ceiling and never go any higher–or your stress level will grow and grow until you die of a heart attack or stroke.
Love what you do, and every work day will be like a mini-vacation.
Comments
26 Responses to “Why you must love what you do.”
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Jonathan Leger has been earning his living online full-time since the fall of 2004. He regularly posts advice about search engine optimization (his current passion), AdSense and Internet Marketing. 
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Hello Jonathan
I would like to thank you for the 7dollar secrets scripts. I can agree with you wholeheartedly on Love What you do and jobs that are disliked and stressful lead to bad endings, I dislike my present mode of employment intensly and am under constant stress and preasure to push the people under me to produce more in less time reducing costs so that the people that invest in the projects obtain a larger return. And yes it can cause strokes as I suffered 1 a few years ago and came off on the lucky side in being able to recover 99.9% some are not so fortunate and never recover. Jezz this topic sets me off. Anyway I am working towards being free of this in part thanks to some of your help. Not knowing you personaly but learning from your published knowledge.
Keep working at it Conrad, and you'll achieve it! You sound motivated, and that's a big part of what you need to succeed.
Hi Jon,
I could not agree more than you. I really dislike my current job now and working towards on full-time being as an affiliate marketer. This is where my passion and interest in.
I want to thank you for the 7 dollars scripts too! You are really a brilliant programmer.
John Tan
Hi Jonathan,
As always, You have opened a great subject.
If you will allow me I will submit an article I wrote, I think it fits this subject.
[snipped–feel free to link to your article in your URL]
Thanks for the last email - You really must love your work.
My friends call mine a hobbie I get paid for.
Wonderful story Jonathon
Regards,
Chris
Being a stay at home mom, this is SO important. I don't want to be away from my kids, but I also want to start building a business where I can not only help Military moms (my target), but grow an income where we can be free not to worry about finances.
While I haven't tried the $7 scripts yet, I have seen good success with some ebooks I am selling on eBay of all places. No returns so far and I couldn't be happier! Thanks Jonathan. You're a breath of fresh air in this crazy internet marketing world!
Hi Jon;
Your 'love your work' article scares the bejabbers out of me because it is so true. There have been too many times that I felt emotionally choked out by incompetents who were promoted above me and wondered how on Earth I let myself get into this j.o.b. mess. Yes, it did literally feel like the last heart beat was just around the corner because of various immature and incompetent jerks. A pretty scary feeling. I thank God that there are people out there on the internet, like you, who give us some hope to escape from this tense inferno. Keep up the good work.
Amen!
i am one of those guys who wants to love what i do but i am not sure of what i am doing or how to do it.i know what i want to do but there is noone whom i can ask for help .Being an older computers were not around when i was in school i just by trial and error ,but i do have the $7 secrets which i find helpful, thanks
Ya, fun is what life is all about. So in this societal model where money income so often relates to doing - it only makes sense to be doing, for money too, but what feels like fun
A few months ago I watched The Secret and it makes the point that loving what you do and feeling a sense of gratitude in every day is essential to real success.
It sounds very touchy feely but loving what you do is actually a business principle every bit as strong as watching your cashflow or hiring good staff.
Besides if you're making a lot of money and stressing out where is the point?
Love what you do and everything falls into place eventually.
Hi and good-day readers n posters
Yes Jonathan you really have to love what you do … every morning you should wake up think how lucky you are … Jump outta bed whip the cutains open shout out YES!! … another great day to share my new opportunities with all those folks who are looking for a better way online to earn extra income… to enjoy a better life style…
So how's the world looking today from where your sitting … it's looking great here in this … Northeast corner of the UK now I understand that there is no free lunches if your marketing on the internet; So I have made a deal with my self …it is?
… Have a laugh with someone I love every day & not to take life and work to seriously … enjoy every day as it comes and understand there is no new fundamentals in living as-well as marketing … You only get one go in life as life is not a rehearsal,
Plus!! Why try and reinvent the wheel when it comes to marketing on the internet so my advice is find something you like to do then find out who does it best then make them your mentor then life should be a lot less complicated…
Regards
Phillip Skinner
P.S:~
The harder you work, …"AT LIFE" … the luckier you will be; … then Success will Follow…
(Excellent Free way for all of us to get link-backs see my link)
I really like this most recent content - it is certainly true. Doing what you love is tantamount to being professionally successfully!
I hope this comment finds you sane and energetic.
~ A faithful reader
I agree with Phillip. I too love what I do. I build custom homes and do IM , Really though?, Im torn do I quit my "day Job" because I am currently earning my salary from IM? I love both and am very thankful for the opportunity that I have to do two things I love very much. I guess It may be obvious that I'm not entirely sure what I "Really Want". I do feel stretched at points theres so much to do and so many hats to wear as an Im'er….. Sheesh I love building homes and I love building my IM business. At any rate I think this is a great posting john
Hi Jonathan
I did love what I was doing when I was a teacher. The job changed, mangers moved in and the stress levels went through the roof. I got out and am healthy. Some of those who stayed got seriously ill.
So now I love what I do at home slowly building my Internet Business. But I think most people have a mental barrier something along the lines of "I am not supposed to enjoy my work or it wouldn't be work"
Having fun and getting paid for it sounds kinda balanced to me!
Alex Newell
Once you set your purpose, a wider expression of your calling often referred to as vocation, a career is an expression of that calling. A job is usually temporary, a way to make money in the here and now, and may or may not be a career or a fulfillment of your calling or vocation.
Just my take on it, but people hate their job because it has nothing to do with their purpose in life.
Onward with purpose,
Chaplain Paul Slater
What a wonderful collection of jewels of truth. For Anthony, above, let me say that I am also a senior citizen, 71 years old. No computers in my school days.
Anthony, pick your passion - whatever you most enjoy and pursue it with enthusiasm. Good days, bad days will abound, but, never quit trying and know that success is just over the horizon. That advice from a guy who shares equal skill in HTML programming and reading egyptian tomb writings.
I finally got smart and placed my efforts into Wordpress and the blogging route. It worked. I am also the guy that qualified for a karate black belt at age 65. They said I couldn't dl it.
My blog is on the subject of natural health and healing - which is really why I dropped in here.
The comments and email alluded to here are absolutely on target, but, my research has proven that a postive attitude, an upbeat approach to life, living, and the people in your circle of influence has a much wider influence on your total lifestyle than most people realize.
Your health.
Learn to laugh, look for the good things around you. Smell the flowers. Hug somebody. Make time for important people like your loved ones. Quit watching TV shows involving murders, gruesome subjects, jarring music, and treat your sensibilities to sensations more soothing and tranquil.
Give your mind a chance to move out of the defense mode. Your subconscious mind dosen't know that the horrific car wreck being recorded is just a movie.
Once the conflict is cleared, your mind is available to process the positive things. A good chuckle and the good feeling that goes with it produces endorphins in the brain, and these little rascals are the things that good health - a strong immune system, defense against pain, etc. All the good "stuff."
Your circle of friends and associates will expand. People will look forward to meeting you, and every day will be just a little brighter - even if it is raining.
There is no more powerful medication available to you than the power of your positive mindset. It can't do everything, like cure cancer, but what it can do will absolutely astound you.
Jim Parsons
Canada
Are you kidding me? I wrote you about 10 days ago. I am putting in 12 plus hour days. It's 6:30 a.m. here. I've been up since 5:58 a.m. (2 minutes before the alarm went off) The suprising point is I went to bed at 1:06 a.m. and here we are again ready for "another day on the web!"
What do I do? I'm the Training Advisor for one of (if not "The") the top respected SEO Software Companies. How did I get here in a sentence?
I love seo so much, I have dedicated my past 10 plus years in it. I did it without making a cent at it! I read and applied over an e-e-e-asy two thousand hours a year on the subject.
That's over 21,000 hours hours now on those 104 (120 -debatable) little factors that are included in search engine algorithms.
Then I went into some forums and just started "solving"peoples problems who had not read and applied as much as I did. (A no brainer to offering a service).
I did this for free! That's how I got the "job." The owner saw how I would write these one plus page "solutions" via PM to his customers(c.c. to owner). I usually went after the most upset ones.
After turning one of his "impossible" customers around, he offered me the job, since I knew way too much about his software.
Well in just 10 "short" days, I became a "digital product media house." Now I make e-covers, PDFs with graphic illustrations, webpage and web graphics, MP3s, complete with full online video training packages.
Of course it helps if along the way if you learn Adobe Photoshop, Camtasia, and Dreamweaver.
The owner says "outstanding quality." This is not a plug for you people out there, because he has me so busy, I have to hire my wife part-time to off load some of the tasks!
And even though my price is dirt cheap for each package I produce, I now make at least $1,000 a day just by myself.
The great part is I re-invented myself in the process. This is what doubled my daily earnings.
It's true Jon, success follows the passion where ever it goes.
I went on the web and found out that even if I opened a business as a "digital product media house", there was very little competition due to price alone.
My conclusion is I love what I do - I just kept on doing it so long for free, that after 21,000 plus hours, someone finally just said, "Hey, want a job?"
The difference between a job and doing what I love to do? I got to name my price and the owner didn't even hesitate!
And this is only the beginning for me. How's everyone else doing out there?
That's pure obssession. Oops! Look what follows.
Success!
Hi Jonathan,
Excellent post and one that I will whole-heartedly agree with!
!) But…I'm hanging in there and trying not to let the corporate world give me health problems!
I have to admit that I'm still in a job that I have grown not to like, (18 years plus now in corporate America!), but I'm working towards what I really do enjoy doing, (affiliate marketing, adsense sites). I have a blast putting together websites and could spend all day doing it and never feel like I was working.
But…I haven't begun to see the returns yet, so the "day job" is still a necessity. It's funny though…I know without a doubt, that it's just a matter of time before things take off. I just have this feeling that I could walk away from the day job right now and everything would fall in place…(after the wife beats the snot out of me for losing my job
Your post was great so very true!
Chris
I totally believe that you much do what you love doing to attract business your way. Your post makes it sound like this is effortless which it may be once you are established.
As a new solopeneur in the coaching business, it is much more difficult to attract business. I work with individuals who are interested in life long learning. I am currently working on a series releated to social intelligence. Would love to hear from others about the idea of social intelligence.
Jon,
This post got me thinking, you are very right in the matter! I am fortunate in that I enjoy what I do around 50% of the time at work; but I want to enjoy it more than that!
Thanks for prompting the thought process
Dave
Doing what you love a no brainier, to me at least. I only worked 3 jobs in my life, and only quit one. The reason I quit was because my online business started to make me more money then my JOB. Three years later, with my business sold, and I making royalties from it, more then I need to live, I'm working on other projects now, mostly content websites (75), I'm an internet marketer for a big company, and I love every minute of it. My friends and family are jealous because they think I do nothing and yet I make more money then them. But it takes a lot of work, and brain power I would say. You have to be smart to do this kind of stuff. I started my own business not knowing anything about it, and make profit from the very first day, with almost no risk. It was awesome.
Hello everybody
I absolutely agree that you must love your work. I love babies which is why I have my own childcare centre for babies from 1 month to 2 years old. Can you imagine the joy of seeing them do the things that you have taught them and seeing their little faces light up when you play and sing with them? I always feel very lucky that my work is also my passion.
Cecilia Koh
Hi Jonathan,
I must admit, that is such a great article. But, the problem online today is that there is so much to learn, and most of the marketers aren't teaching anymore, they are merely product pushers.
I must admit, your mails are one of the few that gets opened, and I have learnt a lot, and I do hope many will take note as to what you wrote here.
It's not about the money, build slowly, and learn fast, it is all possible, but take it one step at a time.
Keep away from fast promotion techniques, the old way is the best way.
Alex Marlin
P.S. I love that $7 script idea, simple, so simple that many would wish they came up with the idea.
Thanks Jon. Another great and inspirational article !
Love who you link to, too!