The title of this piece might make it sound like what I’m writing about this time leans negative. In fact, it’s just the opposite. I recently had an opportunity to do some work with educators focused on incorporating passion in our goal-setting and design processes, and it was a truly awesome experience. In engaging in the work, I started with the foundation of where passion-filled work comes from (at least based on my lived experience). The four pieces below, the PITS, as I refer to them, are what I see as the necessary ingredients to allow us to build more passion into the leading and learning that makes up our lives.
Passion starts with purpose
For us to be passionate about something, we have to understand the rationale for it to exist. Passion is only ever driven through a connection to something, and regularly that connection comes from a purpose that we can understand and align with. The clearer the purpose behind an action taken, or the clearer the mission and vision of a given organization, the more likely we can draw passion from it. My organization’s mission statement is “Service and innovation through partnership.” I understand the mission, it’s clear to me what we stand for, and I can feel a connection to it. Foundationally, it’s a passion ingredient that I can say is present.
“I” is for identity
Purpose is great, and it is only once we can see ourselves in something that we can authentically relate. That authenticity is a necessity for passion-driven work because, if we can visualize ourselves connected to an action, an organization, a group, etc., then we can visualize the steps needed for us to work for and with that group, organization, action, etc. Identifying with something allows us to want to do more to make it happen, grow it or support it as needed.
I began my career as an eighth-grade science teacher and spent a decade connecting with the students, families and community of the district I served. When I transitioned to a new organization, I was fortunate in that the district I had previously worked for fell within my new organization’s catchment area. I was able to identify with the new organization and see myself having a bridge from my previous district to the organization where I was now employed. This helped me build a passion for my new role right from the start.
Timing is everything
It’s hard to remain passionate about something with no time connected to it. Are we doing something for a day? For a month? For life? Sometimes the length of time is less important than the fact that time itself is defined.
Why is time so important to passion? Primarily because passion requires energy, and to give something our all, we have to be able to dole out our energy in a way that works for the time allotted. Short timelines for passion-driven work may require a sprint (think a one-time opportunity to work with a district, for instance), while longer passion-driven experiences (like a relationship with a spouse) require a more consistent and more balanced passion to keep things moving smoothly.
Serving others and ourselves
We draw passion from good work. And good work is work done in service to others (and sometimes ourselves). Work that is done to benefit the lives of people is work that is kindling for the infusion of passion. And this work can be totally innovative or mundane; so long as it serves other people, we can build passions around it.
I’m fortunate in my work that I can see the connection to helping others in everything that I do. Sometimes that feels like a bit of a stretch (not all elements of our work need to be passion-filled). That said, I feel lucky to have so many elements of my work that are passion-driven.
We might not be able to be passionate about everything. We can, though, recognize the PITS of passion and use them as reminders for when and where we can most effectively embed passion into our work. If we can take advantage of those opportunities to be passion-driven, then chances are we will be more effective, more efficient, and simply get more joy out of our work on a daily basis.