Are Passion and Profit Mutually Exclusive?
Recently I saw a movie based on the life of Bobby Jones, one of the greatest golfers of all time, who never turned professional to boot. One of the film’s themes explored amateurs and how they’re “real” sportsmen, playing out of passion, with no money in the equation.
Amateurism can limit a sport’s potential (see my post in Light the Torch regarding Why I’m Glad Amateurism is Basically Dead In the Olympics). And Bobby Jones was lucky to be born into a well-to-do family that gave him the chances and connections to build a decent law practice while winning golf’s grand slam. Not to mention that not all of us possess the prodigious ability of Mr. Jones, which helped him find great success in his passion. Yet the movie’s message is something freelancers should consider.
Thanks to all the opportunities offered online, such as a wider client base and the greater potential to build passive income, a popular buzzphrase is “monetizing your passion.” Or the ability to make a living from what you really like to do, instead of just working for the money.
Work will always be work. Even if you’re following your dreams, requirements are a great morale sapper. It’s human nature. NBA players who are becoming rich from a fantasy career feel the pressure of constant practice, the busy schedule, competitiveness and earning the millions they are paid each year. Passion is replaced by a need to get the job done.
There are days when I catch myself simply working just because I have bills to pay, that I have commitments to fulfill. Not because I’m genuinely passionate about what I’m doing. And I notice that I’m tempted to minimally fulfill a project’s requirements, so that it’s out of the way and I can move on to the next one.
What gets me back on track is the realization that I’m lucky to be able to make money on my terms. Though writing (one of my passions) sometimes becomes something I have to do, putting together words to get the message across is still a very enjoyable experience for me.
In the film, it took a while for Bobby Jones to realize his passion for golf, despite the obvious talent he had for the game. It took me a few months after graduation to discover that writing was for me. But in both cases, once the dream was discovered, all the pieces fell into place.
While Bobby Jones considers passion and profit mutually exclusive, he could literally afford to do so. Personally, passion and profit aren’t mutually exclusive. Not paying attention to practical considerations while building a career is unrealistic at best, suicidal at worst.
But we do agree on one thing: it’s not good when it becomes all about the profit. That’s because when passion becomes secondary, the work suffers. It becomes a hill to get over, and when that happens, it becomes hard to dedicate 100% of your skills and determination.
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POSTED IN: Ramblings of a Freelancer
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