| One of the biggest lies we tell our kids is that if they just do what they love (for a living) all kinds of magical things happen. They “never work a day in their lives” and “the money will follow”. This lie is closely tied to “follow your heart” when choosing a college major and even tied to “you have to go to college to have success in life”. Here’s the truth. Doing what you love does involve work. It involves passion. It involves ingenuity (especially if you want to monetize–otherwise it is a hobby). BUT, the work is more rewarding. BUT AGAIN, the reward comes not from doing the work you love but from fulfilling a purpose. Doing what you love and making a living doing it is fulfilling. It is confirmation. It fills your cup. But it doesn’t happen without a plan, a stated purpose, knowledge, practice, a little luck and a desire to execute. Guess what, all of that is work. But it can be fulfilling work. And maybe that feels less like work–in the same way that raising your baby doesn’t always “feel” like “work”. So, if you find yourself saying those above things, please know you are not accurate and you are potentially damaging the realities of aspiring entrepreneurs. At best you are not letting them adequately prepare themselves, their families and their reserve funds. Building takes time. Time is the most precious resource. Help someone be a good steward of their treasure. If you have thoughts, aspirations, ideas or dreams about blazing your own trail, let’s get coffee. Advice is always free and sometimes worth exactly that. But I do promise to listen and get excited about your idea. |
