Passion Demands Effort

Have you ever heard the phrase “Follow your passion” before from someone you know? And how helpful has it been for you to hear it?

It hasn’t been for me at least. It sounds like an easy mantra to live by. It’s not like passion lurks around the corner, waiting to be discovered. You don’t stumble upon it by chance.

It’s a product of exploration, curiosity, and consistent effort on your part.

For some people, passion is clear from day one. But for many of us, it takes time. It will take years of exploring, failing, and learning before you find that thing that lights you up. That thing you can lose yourself for hours.

As David Kelley said, “Failure sucks, but instructs.”

I’ve walked down this road myself. As a designer, I have a passion for aesthetics, storytelling, and human behavior. But these passions didn’t just pop out one day. I had to do the work.

It started with one thing: curiosity. I love looking at beautiful buildings, landscapes, and art. I love to listen to and read interesting and inspiring stories. I love understanding why people do what they do. But the thing is, love isn’t the same as passion. To convert that love into passion, I had to put in the work—spending hours learning, practicing, messing up, and starting over.

There were days when I felt like giving up. But in those breaking points, you have to push through to get where it gets enjoyable. That’s how passion is cultivated.

There’s a vital aspect of discovering your passion, and that is to keep an open mind. You have to be ready to step out of your comfort zone and try out new things. Your next passion could lie in the most unexpected places, and you’ll never find out about it—simply because you didn’t try it out.

Passion is an ongoing journey, not a destination. As you evolve and grow in life. The same thing can happen with your passions. What you’re passionate about today might change after 10 years. But that’s okay.

So, get out there. Explore. Try. Fail. Learn. And repeat that process.

You never know where you’ll find your next passion. But one thing is for sure—you won’t find it unless you put in the effort.

Stay curious, stay open, and stay persistent. Passion will follow.