Career vs. Passion. Can You Have Both?
Does your career overlap with your passion?
Oftentimes, I find there are two answers to this question from other people.
It’s either, Yes! I found a job doing what I love! 🥰
Or, My job is JUST a job sis. 😑
Personally, I sit in the middle of these two sentiments. And I think it’s super valid.
Passion is what stirs you up inside and gives you that excitement, motivation, and pride to push forward. For me, that was visual storytelling.
I’ve always loved playing with cameras and writing stories. I was that kid in elementary school who would bring her digital camera and take photos of her friends at recess, trying out funny angles and instructing everyone how to pose.
And writing stories felt like such an adventure - like piecing together a puzzle of plotlines. I loved that surging sense of accomplishment when the picture finally assembled and made sense. Creative writing assignments in school were always a good time.
So I parlayed that into a journalism degree (shout out Toronto Metropolitan University), and upgraded my writing and camera skills ✨
Using those skills to build my own business, Dom Productions, has been a dream come true.
But in all honesty, there are some days when it feels like just a JOB 🙃
Some days, I don’t want to answer a bunch of emails.
Some days, I don’t want to edit until my eyes bleed.
Some days, I wonder if I really should’ve pursued acting or teaching French.
When those feelings arise though, I just sit back and remind myself of that passion that brought me here in the first place.
If you feel like you’re at a crossroads in your career, here are three things you can do to ignite that spark that may have brought you there in the first place.
Reflect to Reconnect
This should always be your step one. Take a step back to evaluate where you’re at and reflect on what initially drew you to your job in the first place. What about it brings you joy? Has anything changed since you’ve started?
Reflecting can be intimidating, yet therapeutic. And it doesn’t have to take long! Sometimes when I feel conflicted, I’ll dump all my thoughts onto a bunch of sticky notes. I’ll set a timer for 10 minutes and try to get out as much as I can. When the time is up, I can visually sort through the pros versus the cons.
This is a great practice when you feel like you need a shift and realignment in your life.
Set new challenges and goals
Now don’t get me wrong, I love a good routine. But sometimes, the daily routine of a job can put you in a rut. It can exhaust even the best of us.
A trick here is to set some new goals. New projects can make you feel excited again and achieving them can bring that sense of accomplishment you’ve been craving!
For me, I’ve challenged myself over the past few months to take on some more creative work. I love shooting for businesses and brands, but sometimes I need a change from headshots and interview-style videos! More recently, I did a 90s-themed shoot at this crazy studio in Toronto, featuring @millennial.ca and @retrokid_to. The photos turned out AMAZING.
Prioritize work-life balance
Just because you’re doing what you love doesn’t mean you don’t deserve a break. Read that again.
This can look like shortening your work days, taking an extra day off next month, or delegating a task that you don’t enjoy and don’t need to specifically do yourself.
All of these suggestions free up time for you to get enough rest and do things outside of work that bring you joy. All in all, this will make you more appreciative of your job in the long run.
For example, I HATE reviewing contracts. But it’s an absolute necessity when running this business. That’s why I choose to delegate that task to another team member, freeing up some of my time so I can focus on things I enjoy, like actually editing the photos and videos for our clients.
And this is not to say that your job should be all love and rainbows. There will always be things you don’t like to do at your job… and in life. But if you can find ways to balance the good and the bad, your job won’t feel like such a drag.
It’s all about finding what you love about your job and leaning into those areas because at the end of the day, working in something that is your passion is such a blessing!
Ready to let your passion shine through? 📸
Dom Productions offers high-quality, fun head shots and photo shoots at affordable rates for brands and businesses.
Check out our photo service packages or book a call with us to learn more!
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