What does it mean to be “Passionate” about your work?
Passion is one of those words that gets tossed around so often it risks losing its meaning. We’ve all heard “follow your passion” as career advice, and I’ve also said that it’s terrible advice if taken literally.
Just because you love photography doesn’t mean quitting your job to be a full-time photographer will bring you joy or financial stability. Yet, dismissing passion altogether is equally dangerous. Passion, when cultivated and channeled, is one of the most powerful forces for progress in our lives.
Welcome to Lesson 5 in the 52 Life Lessons Series. These special solo episodes are part of The Working Well Podcast. Next week we will have another amazing interview episode for you, so right now, let’s dig into how to Lead with Passion, and why it’s the Driving Force of Progress
Passion is not just a fleeting feeling. It’s a catalyst. It fuels performance, persistence, and resilience.
When you’re passionate about something, you’re anchored. You want to learn more, practice harder, and keep showing up even when things get messy. Pair that passion with deep purpose, and it becomes rocket fuel.
Passion in Action: My Story
Early in my career, I thought success was mostly about working harder and putting in more hours. That “grind it out” mindset worked for a while, but eventually it left me drained. What pulled me out wasn’t working longer; it was reigniting passion.
One of the most vivid reminders came when I started writing The Fitness Curveball. For 15 years, I kept pushing the project aside. I told myself I was too busy running my business, raising kids, and dealing with life’s curveballs. It wasn’t until I tapped into the passion I had for teaching people the principles of sustainable performance that the book became a reality. That passion gave me the focus and energy to sit down, day after day, and write, even when the words didn’t flow easily. In fact, seeing the power that applying my 4 Pillars of Performance provided to the book project was an amazing boost to my inspiration.
Over the years, there have been a number of times when I felt like I was stuck. Each time, I was able to get unstuck by consciously curating activities that brought me passion and that contributed to my purpose. In my speaking, coaching, and consulting work, it’s always about helping people unlock potential, supercharge their mindset, and build sustainable habits. This doesn’t just pay the bills, it lights me up and that energy is contagious. I’ve seen it in myself, and in thousands of people I’ve worked with.
The Research Backing Passion
This is also backed by science. Research agrees with what most of us feel intuitively: passion is a driver of wellbeing, resilience, and performance.
Think of your life as a tapestry woven from many threads. Some are dark, heavy, and draining. Others are neutral—neither good nor bad, just there. But then there are the rare, vibrant ones—your red threads. These are the activities that light you up. You anticipate them with excitement, you lose yourself in them while doing them, and afterward you feel energized rather than depleted.
A fascinating Mayo Clinic study showed that physicians who spend just 20% of their time focused on the work they find most meaningful are far less likely to burn out. Keep in mind that this isn’t about chasing a dream job or abandoning your current role, it’s about deliberately weaving more of those red threads into the fabric of your everyday work.
Here’s a simple exercise: spend one full week paying attention to when you feel alive at work. Carry a notebook and draw a line down the center. Label one side Loved It and the other Loathed It. Every time you notice yourself in flow, jot down what you were doing under Loved It. And whenever you catch yourself procrastinating, watching the clock, or finishing a task with relief that it’s finally over, write it under Loathed It.
At the end of the week, you’ll have a map. Most tasks won’t make either list, but the ones in your Loved It column will stand out. They’ll carry a unique emotional charge. The “loved it” ones are your red threads. These moments and activities don’t just get done, they pull you forward and lift you higher.
Global workplace research across 19 countries by Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall adds another layer to our perspective: 73% of people report having the freedom to shape their job to play to their strengths, yet only 18% actually do so .
Imagine the shift in performance and joy if more people pulled those “red threads” of passion into their daily work.
The takeaway? You don’t have to love every task. But you can always find love in what you do. That distinction changes everything.
Small Sparks of Passion Matter
Passion doesn’t always announce itself with fireworks. Sometimes it starts as a flicker of curiosity. That’s why I encourage people to set their awareness radar to scan for sparks of interest. What excites you, even just a little? What tasks feel energizing rather than draining?
When my son was eight, he started a little fidget spinner business. At ten, he launched another one selling hummus and tapenade so he could buy a toy he wanted. These ventures weren’t global empires, but they were expressions of his passion to create, to test ideas, and to make things happen. His curiosity turned into learning experiences, and those experiences built confidence. That’s the essence of passion, it doesn’t have to be massive to be meaningful.
Passion at Work
In business, passion is often misunderstood. Leaders sometimes fear it because they equate it with impulsiveness or emotion-driven decisions. But true passion, grounded in purpose, is one of the most strategic assets a leader can cultivate.
Think about it. Two employees are doing the exact same job. One finds meaning in the details, connects their work to a bigger purpose, and takes joy in small wins. The other sees every task as a grind. Who will be more engaged, more resilient under pressure, and more likely to stick around when challenges hit?
The answer is obvious. Passion transforms mundane work into meaningful contribution. It helps people weather storms, adapt faster, and create momentum. As I wrote in Your Work from Home Productivity Handbook, personal performance equals work performance. Passion is the spark that bridges the two.
Cultivating Passion
Let’s get very real here. Life isn’t always sunshine and rainbows, or living constantly in a flow state. We’re not going to be passionate about everything we do. Filing expenses or cleaning the kitchen rarely feels inspiring. But passion is something we can cultivate. In situations like this it can even be our passion to do a good job at whatever we are doing.
Here are some simple strategies that work:
- Find the sparks. Notice what energizes you. Keep a simple list of tasks or topics that grab your attention.
- Design your work around them. Even small adjustments, like spending 10–20% of your time on energizing tasks can make a huge difference.
- Create meaning in the mundane. Instead of asking “Do I love this task?”, ask “How can I bring love into this task?” Whether it’s connecting with a colleague, learning a new skill, or reframing the impact, passion can be cultivated in context.
- Pair passion with purpose. Passion alone can burn bright but fizzle fast. Purpose gives it direction, sustainability, and impact. Ask yourself “what’s the deeper reason I’m doing this work?”
A Challenge for You
Look at your week ahead. Where are the sparks of passion? What are you dreading? What’s one small adjustment you can make to bring more of what lights you up into your schedule?
Remember, passion isn’t about chasing a dream job or waiting for inspiration to strike. It’s about making daily choices to align your work, your energy, and your focus with what brings you joy and meaning.
As the research shows, that alignment boosts not only your happiness but also your performance and resilience . Passion isn’t fluff, it’s a competitive advantage, for you and for your organization.
Final Thought: We can’t always do only what we love. But we can always find something to love in what we do. That’s the essence of passion, and it’s the driving force of progress.
Links and Resources
More Podcast Episodes: www.timborys.com/podcast
Red Threads: (https://www.forbes.com/sites/annesugar/2022/05/31/marcus-buckingham-shares-how-to-find-your-red-thread-in-his-book-lovework/)
Joy in the Workplace: The Mayo Clinic Experience (https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10248366/)
