A few days ago I graduated from NMIMS University. It seems like the past half-decade has blurred past me. Last week, I came across a post targeted towards teenagers and the realization hit me – I’m not a teen anymore. Some of you who are reading this might be able to relate to this, too. Long story short: time flies and we need to do something about it while we still can.
As my journey here at NMIMS ends, I see so many people who are clueless about what they truly want to pursue in life. So many people who lack passion. So many people will enter an industry they don’t like, do a job they aren’t passionate about and live a life that they won’t be satisfied with. And that pains me.
You see, a lot of people I’ve been fortunate enough to meet in these three years of my undergrad have been focusing on the typical tripartite structure of life – Education, Job, Retirement. I was speaking to a friend of mine the other day and he said the only reason he wants to do an MBA is because of the tag it adds. Not the knowledge addition, not the exposure, but purely because of the tag. And that’s okay if you’re completely out of options. But at just 21 years of age, you probably aren’t. (I don’t mean to offend anyone pursuing an MBA – it’s a great option if you’re doing it for the right reasons).
But where’s the passion?
And it’s understandable if you want a decent job – entrepreneurship has been glorified a lot and it certainly isn’t for everyone. But if you’re going to do a job why not do it in an industry you’re passionate about?
When I asked this question to some of my friends, common answers ranged from “I don’t know what I’m passionate about” to “it’s impossible to get a job in my area of interest.” And under many circumstances neither of those points are true. It is no surprise that only 20% of employees are satisfied with their jobs (survey by Economic Times). And quite frankly, I feel this negative mindset is to be blamed.
This post is not meant for those of us who are working on something they are truly passionate about. Instead, I wanted to write this post for those of us who are chasing a “good” job and money without chasing their passion & happiness first. And I understand how cliched this sounds, I do. But let me ask you this – if you had an option to potentially work on something that would make you happy, truly happy, would you do it?
What I’m sharing here is not new. I am not the first person to say this and I definitely won’t be the last. Yet despite all this, very few people will even consider chasing their passion. Sure, there are limitations. But this is why it’s important to start now. You aren’t getting any younger, and your limitations and responsibilities will only grow. This Chinese proverb puts it quite well:
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
If you have financial limitations, then you could consider following your passion after work hours. I know a few people who are interested in pursuing music professionally. They practice music and make new beats after coming home from work. Is it easy? No. Does it affect your social life? Yes. Sure there are sacrifices, but you need to ask yourself – are you willing to make this sacrifice now so you can get a shot at having a future you have always desired? To me, it’s a no-brainer 😉
If you are concerned about not knowing enough about the industry, then it’s an easier problem to tackle in my opinion. I have always maintained that it’s very important to network. Start by building genuine relationships with people who are in the industry you wish to enter. We’ve been seeing the term “give and take” a lot nowadays. Whether you say “give value first, ask later” or say “jab, jab, jab, right hook” (thanks, GaryVee) it all ultimately means the same. You need to give to people. Help those around you. If you’re good at marketing, offer them marketing services. If you’re good at operations, try to understand their operations and try to streamline it. If you’re good at sales, well, you get my point. Once you’re in the industry you can start learning more.
Along the process, you might also figure out whether you like the industry or if it was just a temporary fascination. That’s okay, too. If anything, it’s good. You’re discovering yourself and that only helps you learn more about yourself and the world around you.
It is also important to understand that a huge chunk of us aren’t chasing happiness and success as aggressively as others. Many of my friends love to work during the weekdays and party like there’s no tomorrow on weekends. And that’s perfectly fine. After all, what matters is your happiness. Similarly, if you’re most happy while banging out some code for your upcoming project while sipping a cup of coffee that’s good, too!
But while happiness is important, you simply cannot afford to ignore the future. Whether you plan today or tomorrow or ten years down the line. It can be intoxicating to chase fun on the weekends, but it’s important to keep your long-term goals in mind alongside short term gratification. The beauty of this simple principle is that:
- It is very common knowledge yet uncommonly applied.
- It applies to almost every aspect of life.
Aligning my thoughts and actions to my long-term goals has helped me a lot in gaining clarity about what I want to do. And this is a question I have pondered about a lot, especially after graduating from college. Most of us know that this is how we should be thinking (and acting) but not all of us do. If this article can help even one person to think clearly about their long-term goals and act on it then I will be a very happy man.
P.S. these were just a few of my thoughts on what I have been observing. I hope to continue sharing these on LinkedIn and other platforms regularly. Please do share your feedback with me. I will appreciate it very much, whether it’s positive or negative 🙂