| I say: Take your passion and make it your obsession! | | | | performance did not improve; in fact it probably got |
| (Passion, in this context, is generally thought of as a | | | | worse. I had lost my drive, my mojo. I was not |
| strong overpowering or compelling interest or | | | | passionate about my job; I was not obsessed. |
| desire. Obsession is the fact of being even stronger | | | | Consequently, it didn’t matter how hard I |
| in this interest and desire.) | | | | worked. My mind said work harder. But my heart |
| How do you know when this has happened? Maybe | | | | said this isn’t for you. I should have listened to |
| this answers it. . . | | | | my heart. The lesson for me: you have to be |
| “A master in the art of living draws no sharp | | | | passionate about your work to really do a good job, |
| distinction between his work and his play; his labor | | | | to really succeed, to really be happy and satisfied. |
| and his leisure; his mind and his body; his education | | | | Now I wonder, did I ever have that requisite |
| and his recreation. He hardly knows which is which. | | | | passion? Did my passion ever become my obsession? |
| He simply pursues his vision of excellence through | | | | Early in my career, my goal was to get ahead. My |
| whatever he is doing, and leaves others to determine | | | | objectives were to gain more responsibilities, to |
| whether he is working or playing. To himself, he | | | | make more money, to be recognized. Those goals |
| always appears to be doing both.” | | | | seemed to be the driver, the passion to drive me to |
| -- Francois Auguste Rene Chateaubriand, 18th | | | | succeed. And by most standards I did succeed as I |
| century French writer, politician, diplomat and pioneer | | | | accomplished all those objectives and beyond. But |
| of the romantic movement in French literature | | | | as I reflect now, I do not think those drivers were |
| And why do we want to achieve this state? | | | | “passion.” They were only what drove me |
| I think the most difficult period of my career was | | | | to achieve. But I was not really succeeding. |
| when my job role was one I did not like. | | | | I think for true success you have to (1) find your |
| (Fortunately this really only occurred once in my | | | | passion and (2) make your obsession. As the |
| career). I recognized at the time that my job | | | | learned French romantic reflects above, work is play, |
| performance was suffering. As I saw my | | | | play is work. When you reach this state you will |
| performance slipping my solution was to work harder, | | | | have succeeded; your result will truly be excellence; |
| work more hours. So work I did, to the point of | | | | your passion will be your obsession. |
| mental and physical exhaustion. But my | | | | “Pleasant in the job puts perfection in the work. |