Balancing Passion and Practicality in Your Career Choice
A few years ago, comedienne Melissa McCarthy did an incredibly funny sketch on SNL. She walked into a bank as “Barb,” seeking a small business loan for her new pizza business. The loan officer (played by Jason Sudeikis) soon figured out she was actually asking for a loan to start a pizza eating business. (In other words, she wanted to get paid for eating people’s leftover pizza.) The loan officer asked, “What gave you the idea that the bank would give you money so that you could eat pizza?” McCarthy replied, “I read that book, Do What You Love, the Money Will Follow. And I said, ‘Barb, you love eating pizza!'”
It’s funny because it’s absurd…but you get the point. Yes, we need to follow our passions and pursue careers around “doing what we love,” but obviously, not everything we love to do is going to make money. In other cases, there may be a wide range of career options that allow us to do things that align with our passion. We need a bit of common sense in this equation–and that’s where practicality comes into play.
The journey of career selection can often feel like a tightrope walk, balancing between what truly ignites your spirit (your passion) and what aligns with the realities of life (practicality). Understanding these two concepts is a key step in making an informed career decision.
Passion is that deep-seated enthusiasm or intense desire for a particular subject or activity. It’s what makes your heart race with excitement and fills your mind with images of potential accomplishments. It’s the spark that can turn an ordinary job into a fulfilling career.
On the other hand, practicality refers to considering the tangible aspects of a career choice. This could be the job market demand, financial stability, work-life balance, and career growth opportunities. It’s about ensuring that your career can sustainably support your lifestyle and future goals.
Balancing these two elements in your career choice is crucial because while passion can fuel your drive and make your work feel rewarding, practicality ensures that your career is sustainable and aligns with your personal and financial goals.
Let’s dive deeper into how you can achieve this balance.
Evaluate Your Strengths and Weaknesses
Knowing your strengths can help identify careers that harness your natural abilities, while understanding your weaknesses allows you to spot areas for improvement or careers to avoid. For instance, if you’re passionate about music but struggle with stage fright, a behind-the-scenes role in the music industry (like producing) might be more practical than performing.
Make Practical Choices Around Your Passion
Bear in mind that passion and practicality aren’t always mutually exclusive–in fact, you can often get them to work together. Going back to the analogy of the musician…if you’re passionate about becoming a performer and you know you won’t be happy working behind the scenes, then the practical solution would be to seek training and/or therapy to deal with your stage fright and learn how to overcome it. In other words, don’t give up on your passion because of your weakness, but have a little patience and take practical steps to turn that weakness into a strength.
Take Key Factors into Account with Your Career Choice
When deciding on a career path, it’s also important to consider factors like job availability, income potential, and work-life balance. If you’re passionate about a field with limited job prospects or low pay, you’ll need to make a few practical decisions about how (or if) to pursue it. For example, if the low job demand is a temporary thing, you may choose to “wait it out” and see if the market improves. If your passion is teaching children, you’re choosing a relatively low-paying career, but there’s also a high demand for teachers–so if you decide to pursue that passion, you may just need to make some life adjustments so you can live within your means.
Cultivate Both Passion and Practicality
To truly balance passion and practicality, it’s essential to cultivate both. This might mean taking courses or gaining experience to make your passion more practical, or finding ways to inject passion into a practical career choice. For instance, if you’re passionate about helping people but also need a stable income, you could consider careers in healthcare, social work, or education which are practical and yet align with your passion.
Finally, between passion and practicality, it’s okay to prioritize one over the other at different times in your life. You might need to focus on practicality when starting out, then gradually incorporate more of your passions as you become more established in your career. Choosing a career path is a significant decision, but remember that it’s not set in stone. People often change careers, discover new passions, or find ways to make their current job more fulfilling. It’s during these times of change, growth, and transition that a career coach can be very helpful–and that’s why I’m here. If you want some guidance and support in figuring out a career or job that strikes that balance between passion and practicality, access my calendar to schedule a free, no obligation discovery call for yourself.