Pseudo Passion
Have you ever felt pressured to pursue a career you may not enjoy? Have you felt the need to make a choice just for the sake of getting benefits, or a better benefits package? Then, in a way, you might have been pressured by what I call “pseudo-passion.”
Based on dictionary.com, the word “pseudo” means “not genuine” while “passion” is defined as “an intense desire or enthusiasm for something.” A pseudo-passion would be acting out a passion for external reasons and not feeling it genuinely on the inside. This might seem like a positive thing (“fake it till you make it,” perhaps), but in reality, the pursuit of a pseudo-passion can cause more damage and harm because people waste so much money and time pursing something that doesn’t ultimately bring them joy.
The real issue is that once we’re on that road of pretending, we barely notice that we’re going in the wrong direction until it’s too late. We think once we get authority, popularity or fit in with a group – because it is considered trendy to pursue such passion – we’re better off. This is not necessarily the case, but how do you know if you’re on the right or wrong track?
There are ways to truly examine whether your hobby or career choice is an outcome of pseudo-passion:
Check your motivation level: Examine how you feel when you’re about to embark on a new task; does it feel heavy? Do you still feel motivated to do it, and do you see it as fun or as a chore? The way you feel toward something will give you a strong indication of how you genuinely feel. Yes, we sometimes feel heavy when we must do specific admin tasks in our daily lives, but that is not what I mean. What I’m getting at is this: To what extent do you feel the flow? According to the guru of creativity flow, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, flow is the state of creativity, the sweet spot when you are truly immersed in the thing that you’re engaged in. It is all senses working with you once you get in that state, and you’ll find that you’ve done the work without feeling like it was actually work.
Look to the future: Do you see yourself doing this activity for a lifetime? Imagine how your life might turn out once you grow in your current career. Do you see yourself growing to be a CEO in the same organization, or do you find yourself yearning for something else that you’re connected to in a much deeper sense? Dreaming about your future can be a powerful tool to assess your current state of affairs. Every present action will affect our future state; the future and present are connected so invest in your present moment wisely to see the future you’re always dreaming of.
Reflect on your goals: One way to assess if you’re getting close to your goal is through reflections. This can help you figure out when you’ve reached your goals and identify when you’re having some difficulties doing so. There are so many ways you can start reflecting:
Does your current job make you happy, or do you dread going in? You can rate your overall experience from 1-10.
Do you feel fulfilled? Rate your level of fulfillment from 1-10. (go -chart Image)
What are the areas you would like to explore that could ultimately help in your career?
If you had the chance to do things differently, what would you do?
And from there, you can start building structure that takes you closer to your true passion.
We often become driven by a need to move and do something different in an effort to find our flow, but making too many changes might take us in the wrong direction. We’re all different in our thoughts, aspirations and desires, so figuring out the direction that you should go in needs to always be the first step. Being authentic with yourself and others can be the most rewarding experience. Forget about pursuing a pseudo-passion and find what’s right for you.