“Do what you love and the money will follow.” I know the writer who created the phrase meant well. I also know that she did not mean to be simplistic in this advice. She was not suggesting that everyone who loves to sing makes money doing so. But the phrase seeped into the culture and the simplistic notion created an undue amount of pressure to find “what I love”.
In running Career Counseling Connecticut through the years, I’ve had to impress upon young adults that such pressure is unhealthy.
Disliking what you do 40 plus hours a week is a recipe for an unhappy life.
So is spending time in analysis-paralysis trying to discover what you love and hopeful that it will pay the bills. A lot of actors have found this to be the case.
Liking what you do “enough” is realistic and even more realistic in terms of making enough money since what you “like” probably has far more jobs than what you love.
This has been my message to those graduating from college and to young adults as they make their way in the world.
Happy to help you find what you like enough that makes enough money! Not as inspiring as “I’ll help you find the career you love and get rich!” But more honest and realistic.