I've learned, in my 30 years of doing business, that oftentimes people suggest you're supposed to follow your greatest passion. While it's really important to have passion for what you're doing, this overly repeated dictum is a misnomer.
You shouldn't adhere to it.
It's more important to follow the greatest opportunity for which you have passion. Not your greatest passion for which there is a sliver of an opportunity.
If you have enough interests, then you don't have to pursue the ONE that is the most passionate for you. Instead, consider this line of thinking…
“Okay, here’s a killer opportunity right now! And, to be honest, I’m kind of digging this. It's not the thing I want do the rest of my life, but there's seriously a great opportunity here.”
Success as an entrepreneur has so much more to do with timing than it does with passion.
Think about it… if we waited until the timing lined up with the thing we were the most passionate for, most people would never experience true success.
And if I hadn't experienced real success in things that I had some passion for — but not the most passion for — I wouldn't have had the money or the success or the experience to pour more money, more time and more know-how into things that I have incredible passion for. Like:
- Teaching people how to start a business
- Helping people understand marketing
- Guiding people on crushing their social media
I have more passion for all the above than just about anything. Yeah, even more than I have for fitness or diet or products or fashion or any of the other things that I've done in my businesses and career.
But there were many times in my life where I had to put teaching, marketing and business off to the side; because it wasn't the right opportunity at that moment.
Look, while my words may seem a bit harsh, it’s the sort of advice — for a budding entrepreneur — I sincerely wish someone would’ve shared with me early on in my business journey.
For more not-so-typical business advice straight from the heart, check out the Build Your Tribe episode below:
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