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I don’t fully agree… It’s hard to become really good at something you hate, because you just want to avoid doing it at all costs rather than put in the time needed to become better. And just because you can’t make money off your biggest passion (like video games or music) doesn’t mean you can’t have other interests that can guide you in your career choice. It’s not like you’re assigned one passion at birth and can’t be interested in multiple things. Like in the Steve Jobs example, he was probably genuinely passionate about his work, even if it wasn’t his first ever passion in life.
And Steve clearly said that, "If you have not found your passion, keep looking". Probably Zen life is not what he much impressed with and turned out to be the innovator and problem solver which he later found as the real passion.. Keep looking.
"Follow your passion" works for some people and doesn't work for others. But the phrase "Be so good, they can't ignore you" is fantastic and universal.
Passion starts the engine, but only discipline can keep it "rolling". No matter how passionate you are, it is discipline, the only thing that will make you practice when you don't feel like it, or when you "don't have time" for it. That's the whole point of the book; find some things that meet the criteria and practice so much that you can't be ignored.
For me discipline and passion kind of go together. My passion in the professional world is something that requires discipline, and I’ve always been really good with discipline myself.
You can still chase both you know, the fact that it's your dream, does not necesarily mean you have to make money out of it, but you have to make money out ot something.
Of course you can be so poor and be passionate on whatever you're doing. as long as you're okay with the broke life you're living then there is no problem. For me, i could only could enjoy life when i could do my passion without having any financial issues
I read this book in 2014 and decided to chase money (the "adjacent possible") instead of my dreams. I ended up miserable and chronically stressed for the next 5 years of my life. Those were pivotal years and I'd pay any amount of money to get them back. Follow your passion, people. Just work hard at that instead of whatever seems the path of least resistance. Even if you end up poorer, you'll be happier. Time is your most valuable resource.
Depends on how you define "passion". I don't think "I'm passionate about playing guitar, but I suck at it" is passion. Same can be said about "Be so good, they can't ignore you", what if passion is the drive to do things until you are THAT good?
Somehow Ali breaks down everything with clarity, which is something we all appreciate. Following your passion doesn’t always equate to achieving success. Every one of us is different.
I love piano and even when I'm not good at it, I still enjoy every second of it and it allows me to practice and get better while enjoying the process. But when you are not really interested in the subject, even if you are good at it, the process will be very difficult and remorseful for you. So whether or not to follow your passion is not something others can definitively advise you on, it all depends on you and your personality.
People downplay or ignore the element of luck or chance. So many things depend on it - the family you were born into, the country, the opportunities you were given when grown up, etc. Sometimes hard work, passion and determination only is not enough. People should appreciate the effect of luck or given opportunities more and not take them for granted.
"I'm really glad I spent my whole life chasing all that money instead of wasting time on all the people and things I really cared about." Said no one, ever.
I disagree with the 'longer you're doing something and the better you become at it you then love it' - I've been doing office work for 30 years and while good at it, I hate it.
I don't think this is the most sound advice. At least not for everyone. I think too often we take the extremes at times and then sort of run with an idea. There's a point where you don't love something enough, and there's a point to where you love it too much that you can't bother to follow it or see yourself fail in it, so you're more in love with the idea. And sometimes, very often times, I think this advice works better for people who place much more importance on emotional highs that they can't stick to one thing when it becomes 'boring' or hard.. In my mind, the thing I'm passionate about is the thing I keep coming back to like some crazed obsessed madman. Even when it makes me sad, or frustrated, or angry, or discouraged, or happy, or bored. It's a total and complete irrational level of dedication, despite the rollercoaster of emotions and phases.
@@cloudyskies5497hey is it ok if you explain it to me? I don’t get what they are saying and id really appreciate it since im in the middle of making important decisions about which business i will do, whether to follow my passion or not. Would really appreciate you 😁
@@DennisVicta I'll do my best to explain the OP's comment & how I resonated with it. The thing I'm passionate about is something I do and I really can't be talked out of it. Like the OP said, I go after it like a crazed madman and do it even when it's boring or in my case, even when in the eyes of others I might look to be failing at it and not making much money. It doesn't change with emotions or phases. It's always my goal, and I have the "craftsman mindset" mentioned in the video, where I'm not waiting for some romantic muse of inspiration to bless me in order to have permission to do it, I just do it. In my case, I recognized it as a passion in high school and started pursuing it earnestly in college. I've been working on it as a side job over the decade since then. Pursuing this has forced me to learn technical skills I otherwise would not have bothered with, and that has given me the confidence to pursue more technical certifications and work in my day-job options. Hammering away at this has opened doors for me and I can see that it is leading me into day jobs that are more and more technical, and in which I make more money and have more autonomy, which yields more financial stability and time to keep working on this passion. This passion keeps bringing in more money as I learn more, improve my craft, and increase my skill set on how to be smarter about it. It may one day replace my day job, but even if it doesn't, once I am old I will have decades under my belt of hammering away at this and I will be really good at it, plus I'll be financially secure. That's a life well lived in my opinion. Hope that makes sense.
Gaming content creator here.. gonna have to hard disagree with the beginning of this video. I love video games and love my job making videos! The solution isn’t “don’t follow your passion”, the solution is moderation. So many gaming content creators overwork themselves, get burnt out, then second guess their skills and passion. Don’t follow your passion is terrible advice
That's what he said in the video,for people who are successful in their passion like Jobs,it's easy to say "follow ur passion".....what I wud say is under the "successful creator" layer,there lie rotten layers over layers of unsuccessful people who wud tell "dont follow ur passion without thought"...
it is a bad advice for those who want to pursue career for their ideal financial gain (making more money). If financial isn't an issue then yes, nothing wrong with follow your passion
Well, I am finally following my passion for the first time in years, studying my passion and also starting my career through mandatory practice and honestly I’ve never felt happier.
Don’t follow your passion. Follow you effort. Follow where you spend your time because when you’re good at something, you tend to want to get better. -Mark Cuban
so true, effort equals inputs and you can control it, the result is just an output and you can't control it. On top of that input if you're doing so long and stay in the flow(learning) you'll have your passion.
@@AungBawhey Aung is it ok if you explain what you mean? Im really confused if i should pursue my passion as my business. And this is a lifechanging decision for me. Please help me, i need you.
I am ironically a musician in college for a music industry degree, and when he said what the craftsman mindset was, it sounded like exactly what I was doing. My goal is to be impossible to not hire because I want to be able to sing in any genre in any setting and be really good at that. And I'm already decently good at that. So, it's kind of funny when the "don't follow your passion" video just reaffirms that I definitely am doing what I should be, even though it *is* music, because music is that thing I'm really good at. I've seen videos like this before, and it's made me question if music should really be my career, but at this point, I'm just going to try my absolute hardest, and if for some reason it doesn't work out, I have a backup plan. I have a hard time believing that after all the music burn-outs I've been through and come back from, I could ever dislike it enough to stop. It's my entire life.
Thank you Ali, I'm 18 and currently doubting the very first important decision of my career life...your videos always help me to keep going and try to do my best to develop new skills, even if I don't know where I'm going exactly (guess some of us aren't born with that burning sense of purpose lol). I just feel so reassured every time you talk because you're actually very honest and down to earth. It's a quality I truly appreciate
Being good at something does not mean you won't hate it, the truth is, you will hate every job you get unless you learn to be at peace with your circumstances. If you build amazing lego figures every day, it's not going to be equally fun every time, but if you can do it anyways without judging the experience, you can do anything and feel happy at the end of the day. It has nothing to do with passion, but passion brings fulfillment.
OMG, Ali, this video is all what I need right now. I'm struggling to apply the PhD right now. It's really hard and sometimes I just want to quit and make music for living, which is my passion, but this video rescues me from this wrong direction. I will keep going and thank you for making thei great content.
I feel you! Doing medical board exams and sometimes you just want to quit! I have many passions but am sticking to what I started, something that I have to ground me while still enjoying passions and making it an income in future too.
The reason why I agree with this advice is because till now, nothing has been fully passionate to me. The same thing which I love doing, I would really hate it somedays.
There's a difference between being good and then getting passionate about it, compared to being passionate about something and then becoming good at it because of your passion. Most people are in the first category. Like you said, people like being good at things. I've noticed many people get "trapped" in their success and can't leave because they're too good at it. The second category of people don't get trapped.
Life Is about discovering yourself and growing just because you suck at guitar the first time doesn’t mean you couldn’t be good at it. It’s about the amount of time you spend on it. Confused by what you mean about when we’re better at something? There are many things you can get better at by practice
You need passion to push through the difficult fields like medicine. If we focus only on “getting good”, then we tend to focus too much on pursuits with short-term gratification.
It’s the other way around you can be passionate about anything let’s say doctors but if you don’t have the discipline to keep pushing through the sections you don’t wanna study thats discipline that’s not passion passion is just doing what you like
lmao I was about to say but Beth was quicker, as someone who worked in healtcare and managed doctors, the vast MAJORITY of them are in it for status and money, nothing else.
Hey which hobby is it? And how do you follow your passion correctly? Im really thinking which business to do and am scared ill hate my passion, please help i need you 🙃
It really depends on who "you" is. You're right that these pieces of advice are not meant for most people. There are certain people whom which following their passion *is* the right advice. They're just not the majority. Heck, they're probably less than the square root of the majority.
Hey mcglomecode Who is the right person to follow their passion? Im in the middle of a really big decision of what business to do, a lifechanging the decision and so i need your help please
@@DennisVicta I subscribe to “do what you feel called to, but never sin” philosophy- if you feel called in that direction, then go for it, but if there’s sin motivating it, repent of that first
Following your passions inevitably leads to skill in those fields. So passion and skill is essentially one and the same. It’s physically impossible to do something everyday, more so something you enjoy or are passionate about, and not become masterly skillful in it.
I feel like that's just the fundamental difference between people who are passion-oriented and people who are success-oriented. For someone who is really passionate about one or multiple things, happiness will come from doing the thing every day and skill will emerge from that happiness. For someone who only wants success in society, happiness will emerge solely from mastering that skill and being (close to) the best. I'm not saying that one personality is better than the other, it's just that everyone is driven by different needs.
@@olderon66 I think you nailed it. Two totally different mindsets. One focused on external validation (success) and the other being focused on internal validation (fulfillment). Goal vs journey.
Wow,that video really reflected my path to my passion. I always thought to follow my passion but when I consider how got where I am, it's a combination of so many skills I want to develop over time. Besides thank u Ali.
Following passion or what you love doesn't translate to sucess but sucess is pretty subjective to be honest and yes it is hard for passion to be your career capital but that doesn't mean you shouldn't do what you love. This topic is still arguable.
So many of these things such as becoming so good they cant ignore you, happened to me in my own career, but I never realized or thought about these concepts until now. For sure this is something I want to teach my team.
Virat kohli, one of the greatest cricket players of all time once said in an interview, "I get motivated from the thought of being able to contribute to my team's victory. If I don't have that, I'd still have the skill, I'll know how to play this game so I'll go and score anyway but if the passion for winning the game for my country isn't there, I won't pressure myself more than my body can take" This precisely explains why following your passion is the key. You can chase something all you want in the hunt of money, fame but if you can't see yourself doing something happily for the rest of your life, there's only so much you can do. You're exhausting yourself. The journey is more important than the destination, always. Salam from 🇵🇰
Basically, follow your passion but don't follow impulsive short-lived interests. We mistake slight interests and "kinda-wants" as passions, but genuine passion would be the fuel for discipline. You can be good at something but hate doing it, and you won't be able to conjure up consistent discipline for developing the skill, which is why passion is important.
Hey Aaronlo, i hope you can help me, is it if ok if you explain what your comment above means. How do i know if i should follow my passion as my business or not? Please help me on that
Amazing how after listening daily to all of Ali’s podcasts and watching every RUclips video I have come to naturally read the next book in the book club 😮😂
this is exactly what i need. I'm in the state of paradox of passion, i have so manny interest but I'm confused what should i try first to be my passion of life definitely will take notes on this Thans Alii !
If my 18 year old self had seen this video 34 years ago my entire life would have been far, far better. This video could replace the entire senior year of high school and provide more actual value.
I share those sentiments, my whole life would have turned out much better. The only other thing is that would my 18 year old self have listen to this advice, I’m not entirely sure I would have.
Cal Newport on his podcast channel has hardly gotten 50k views on any video, considering that 'deep work' and 'not following your passion' are his original ideas. While many influencers in the world use his ideas to earn money, I think he deserves far more respect since he has spent much more in his lifetime researching these topics.
@@ponternal It is so old news now. I don't know what these people are talking about. It has been the quote for most of the human ages, and it has had so much popularity in the recent couple years.
Its not terrible advice its just context you can’t say follow your passion without saying about routine discipline. Following passion is key to happiness in life
that's literally what i did my senior project on in high school lol the one thing i learned from high school is that the only thing that can consistently bring good things into my life is following my passions, and if school were taught that way instead of "learn this because i said so" there would be less crimes, and probably less bigotry in the world
I am in IT and sit whole day in front of computer, and still passionate to play with computers after work - so i guess it doesnt have to be like that :)
I guess I’m lucky then. I “followed my passion” and got good at what I do. I’m still pretty young and don’t plan on stopping my improvements either as I aim for the top of my field.
here are my two cents: no matter what you do you're need sadness and pain in your life so you know when the good times come: you wouldn't everyday to be sunny otherwise you wouldn't have gratitude for it being sunny
Couldn't agree more. My passion for making videos grew each time I uploaded. However, the better I am = the more critical I am of my older videos and hide them all 😅
There’s a difference between following your passion and being delusional. Following your passion isn’t jumping into the fray and tryna do things. It’s a combination of meticulousness and hard work and grit. Being delusional is doing none of those things or one of those things and just doing something.
Ohhh my God I am reading the book right now. I am on the last chapter where he explains how he applied the insights in his own life. This video feels like it was made for me. I can't wait to hear what you have to say Ali. Thank you!
No no bro what, you have to like something to get extremely good at it. Also, streamers don't love making videos, the love playing games for fun. I love both, making videos is amazingly satisfying and fun for me. So is playing games. Thus, content creation. You have to find the thing that you really love doing, and want to improve at. Then get really good at it.
I'm passionate about people. Talking to all different kinds of people. Singing and sharing my life experiences with people. Learning from other people. Mentoring and helping wherever I can. All the while being thankful to God for everything.
So some questions remain unanswered. First you should ignore your passion but then go on to develop valuable skills (become the best at something) and the passion will follow. You used musician and youtuber as examples. Two things that usually are passion driven fields. So why don't follow your passion then? Wouldn't you be far more likely to have the energy and motivation to become exceptionally good at something if you are already passionate about it to begin with? Don't quite get why the two are in contrast to each other. Also in those fields you also need talent. You cannot become the very best musician if you don't have musical talent. You need both: incredible talent and extreme dedication to become very good at it.
@@ac3e19 Not really. Some people have perfect pitch. Some people are tome deaf. It is something you can learn but you can only get so good at based on genetics.
You can't overlook passion tbh. If you always have something else in your mind and it lingers with you, then you're going to lack focus, even if you try to improve on something that you've already built on.
And what if the resources( capital, opportunity, etc ) you need to go behind the y are not with you? You're doing x because you didn't have to money for y. Or you desperately need a z that can only be achieved through x. And z is for survival. Y for passion.
I thought you were gonna talk baseless stuff but you made real valid points, our passions are much better being our hobbies, and our jobs are better being something we're good at 👍🏻
Thank you so much for this video Ali, I loved your advice about realistic expectation for time devoted to work. As somebody in their mid-20s, it has been eye opening to see for myself what it looks like to put in the time and effort necessary to get good at a thing and really make it happen. I hope to internalize this advice and make this year truly great.
I think everyone has a different definition of passion, for example for me it's the main drive to do something. I had a lot of passion for games in my early days and so I wanted to just play video games entire day. I ended up quitting high school and making living off video games my job. It was fun at first, but gradually become more of a hassle and I learned the hard way that it's best to not make your passions your job as you'll lose love for the thing you initially enjoyed. I quit and gradually my passion for games came back. Now I'm going a different route, learning programming to become a highly paid SWE with the hopes that the quality of life/balance of high pay & flexibility lets me enjoy my hobbies more in free time and open more opportunities for me. I have no passion for programming, but I believe that the job is very much in demand and highly paid. It will allow me to live a much easier life and the flexibility that comes from money would let you have the time to be passionate about other things in your free time.
Who cares about success when you enjoy what you are doing? If there's no love and passion for what you do, then why does it matter to live at all? All of us will die and sucess does not follow you to the grave. The only thing that matters is that you find what you are passionate about and do it for as long as you live, no matter what. No wonder why depression, anxiety and many other mental health problems are the real pandemic and the suicide rates are skyrocketing.
@bizentino your comment was really wholesome and touching. I'm currently struggling with depression and loss of meaning in life and I guess it's because most time of the day I spend on work I don't love. Agree with your ideas 100%
I disagree with this, getting good at anything requires patience, and patience only works if you are patient in the right direction. And the right direction need to be fulfilling . Only passionate people don't give up when they fail, but they keep trying until they succeed .
This kinda explains why after 3 years working in the field i thought i was loving its stopped being fun, and why i wanted to do everything except that in my free time
This is so true, I'm in medical school but my passion is video editing and so much other hobbies. I still keep them as hobbies that would hopeful develop into an enjoyable multiple source of income but I wouldn't put it before my medical career
Well said. Love your talk about autonomy. It doesn’t get handed to you and it’s all steps that need to be taken. Be good at whatever first. That should be the focus
I'm an admin assist...have been for 25years or so...main draw is it allows a level of autonomy...relatively easy and occasionally creative...but no rare talent. Its a thankless job. But weve had many challenges, outside of work, throughout the last 30 years and I'm grateful for a job that doesn't overly tax me.
Man! Whether you admit it or not, self-satisfaction is always dominant on money. If you get anything in the world but not satisfied, that's worst. On the other hand, you only get those things so that you just increase your satisfaction, whether you end up achieving more or less, it's the best life.
If you enjoy topics about mastery and masculinity, I invite you to explore the videos I share on the Mastery Order Channel. Challenge yourself with some concepts about manhood, explore your masculine potential to the maximum and become the kind of man you would admire. We can only better ourselves together, as men among men, so I invite you to use what I share and, of course, share your own thoughts so that others can benefit from them as well. All the best to you!
I think from my experience, after watching this video about not following your passion and finding my passion. Here's what i learned.. You can still do what you love, however i think what most people often forget is our mental health. Our mental health and physical health is like the core part of us than our passions, talents, etc. Why is this important? When we don't prioritize our mental and physical health we deteriorate. Instead of not finding our passion and still search for what we want to do. Do your inner work as usual it includes taking care of your body, mind, and soul. When you do this it will be more clearer. Passion or not following your passion isn't always about doing what you want. Its our core self that needs attention its our body, mind, and soul. To find what you want to do. Find careers or jobs that are good for your mental health and not the ones that will make you neglect yourself. And, this is how you will find what you truly what you want to do on the longer term.
Honestly people who succeed at music have found it since childhood speaking about the most. They trained since childhood through classical nd contemporary. Once that childhood passes it becomes almost impossible to be that good at music if one didn’t do the work in early age you can take any example.
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Awesome video
I would also recommend reading The will to power If you liked that book @Ali abdaal
I don’t fully agree… It’s hard to become really good at something you hate, because you just want to avoid doing it at all costs rather than put in the time needed to become better. And just because you can’t make money off your biggest passion (like video games or music) doesn’t mean you can’t have other interests that can guide you in your career choice. It’s not like you’re assigned one passion at birth and can’t be interested in multiple things. Like in the Steve Jobs example, he was probably genuinely passionate about his work, even if it wasn’t his first ever passion in life.
@ Grenyuk
Excellent point!
Constructive criticism is imp.
The truth is you don't agree at all .
Ali did point out how one can combine interest & use it to their benefits tho. Career capital & stuff.
And Steve clearly said that, "If you have not found your passion, keep looking". Probably Zen life is not what he much impressed with and turned out to be the innovator and problem solver which he later found as the real passion..
Keep looking.
"Follow your passion" works for some people and doesn't work for others. But the phrase "Be so good, they can't ignore you" is fantastic and universal.
@@eieigo what’s your parents passion
It’s like saying be so rich they can’t unsee you. general advice so universal that everybody can understand nobody know how to do it
You can be good at something but hate it. Heaps of people who are stuck in jobs for 10-20 years plus who aren't passionate about it.
Just be better than the competition bro its simple
@@ponternal yeah. it's simple. that's why everybody that doing it, succeed.
Passion starts the engine, but only discipline can keep it "rolling".
No matter how passionate you are, it is discipline, the only thing that will make you practice when you don't feel like it, or when you "don't have time" for it. That's the whole point of the book; find some things that meet the criteria and practice so much that you can't be ignored.
There is no "discipline," only state of mind.
@@MiketheNerdRanger what do you mean by that? Could you elaborate.
exactly
bassicaly the book is about 10.000 hours thing
For me discipline and passion kind of go together. My passion in the professional world is something that requires discipline, and I’ve always been really good with discipline myself.
Ali with all my respect, just because you want to chase productivity and money over your dream doesn’t mean the rest of us have to
You can still chase both you know, the fact that it's your dream, does not necesarily mean you have to make money out of it, but you have to make money out ot something.
Of course you can be so poor and be passionate on whatever you're doing. as long as you're okay with the broke life you're living then there is no problem. For me, i could only could enjoy life when i could do my passion without having any financial issues
@@adamkamienski7322 I’m okay with that what bothers me is the idea money should be central and our passion should be set aside
@@a_man7818 i mean you can also do something you are not passionate about and still be broke
@@alexandria5420 He’s always been money-fixated so the advice isn’t really surprising!
I read this book in 2014 and decided to chase money (the "adjacent possible") instead of my dreams. I ended up miserable and chronically stressed for the next 5 years of my life. Those were pivotal years and I'd pay any amount of money to get them back. Follow your passion, people. Just work hard at that instead of whatever seems the path of least resistance. Even if you end up poorer, you'll be happier. Time is your most valuable resource.
Yah.... thanks for sharing your experience 😇
Real talk. Getting no advice is preferable to bad advice.
Exactly... I totally agree with your comment. Realistic advice 👏🏻
Yeah on the other hand there are some people who get paralyzed or too anxious because they don't know their passion yet.
It's not chasing money...its how you chase it
Depends on how you define "passion". I don't think "I'm passionate about playing guitar, but I suck at it" is passion. Same can be said about "Be so good, they can't ignore you", what if passion is the drive to do things until you are THAT good?
Indeed.
From my pov, it is exactly that, the strongest of my internal motivators .
Can u summarize what points r on the video because I don’t feel like watching it lol
Spot on.
@@zuki9425 exactly why you wont be something great in this life
Somehow Ali breaks down everything with clarity, which is something we all appreciate. Following your passion doesn’t always equate to achieving success. Every one of us is different.
Comment is sus
"Love doesn't mean it has to last forever", same applies for passion.
If it will not be last forever then its not true love bitch we called that interest 😎
@@krishnabhardwaj7400 I will rephrase that for you, "True love doesn't mean the relationship has to last forever"
@@imnemo2327 i Got your point dude i m sure your are not belongs to india ! right?
@@imnemo2327 just use love there is nothing called as true love
@@hdheyeyey9817 ok
I love piano and even when I'm not good at it, I still enjoy every second of it and it allows me to practice and get better while enjoying the process.
But when you are not really interested in the subject, even if you are good at it, the process will be very difficult and remorseful for you.
So whether or not to follow your passion is not something others can definitively advise you on, it all depends on you and your personality.
I don't know how to play it too... But i just love the music 🎵🎶
@@dsx9927 so happy to hear that dear one
Agreed!
Kinda appreciate how fast Ali talks in his videos. No need to fast forward since he also goes straight to the answers. Thanks man
Ikr it saved me having to double speed the video
@@giordanodsouza9563 why? Do you think that if he was speaking slowly you would be wasting time?
he talks at normal speed actually. most people talk slow to me since they are trying to drag out the videos for the sake of monetization or whatever.
@@newt2120 Nope, he talks faster than most RUclipsrs out there. It's all relative, do what works for you.
He talk too fast. I had to slow the video down.
This advice makes so much sense. I've been exploring some unconventional approaches to success on Nixorus that align perfectly with these ideas.
Only passion can't lead to success but passion with hard work and dedication earn success.
Discipline come's always first....
But you know what wisdom is more important than hard work
People downplay or ignore the element of luck or chance. So many things depend on it - the family you were born into, the country, the opportunities you were given when grown up, etc. Sometimes hard work, passion and determination only is not enough. People should appreciate the effect of luck or given opportunities more and not take them for granted.
"I'm really glad I spent my whole life chasing all that money instead of wasting time on all the people and things I really cared about."
Said no one, ever.
This
Many Billionares usually say exactly that though?
@@RaelagDidEverythingRight Really? Who?
@@RaelagDidEverythingRight they're lying to keep their shareholders happy. Sociopaths like that have holes they can never fill.
Lots of people do say that!!
I disagree with the 'longer you're doing something and the better you become at it you then love it' - I've been doing office work for 30 years and while good at it, I hate it.
I don't think this is the most sound advice. At least not for everyone. I think too often we take the extremes at times and then sort of run with an idea. There's a point where you don't love something enough, and there's a point to where you love it too much that you can't bother to follow it or see yourself fail in it, so you're more in love with the idea. And sometimes, very often times, I think this advice works better for people who place much more importance on emotional highs that they can't stick to one thing when it becomes 'boring' or hard..
In my mind, the thing I'm passionate about is the thing I keep coming back to like some crazed obsessed madman. Even when it makes me sad, or frustrated, or angry, or discouraged, or happy, or bored. It's a total and complete irrational level of dedication, despite the rollercoaster of emotions and phases.
Like Rescuers in Syria
Well said
Okay that made a lot of sense to me, thank you.
@@cloudyskies5497hey is it ok if you explain it to me? I don’t get what they are saying and id really appreciate it since im in the middle of making important decisions about which business i will do, whether to follow my passion or not.
Would really appreciate you 😁
@@DennisVicta I'll do my best to explain the OP's comment & how I resonated with it. The thing I'm passionate about is something I do and I really can't be talked out of it. Like the OP said, I go after it like a crazed madman and do it even when it's boring or in my case, even when in the eyes of others I might look to be failing at it and not making much money. It doesn't change with emotions or phases. It's always my goal, and I have the "craftsman mindset" mentioned in the video, where I'm not waiting for some romantic muse of inspiration to bless me in order to have permission to do it, I just do it.
In my case, I recognized it as a passion in high school and started pursuing it earnestly in college. I've been working on it as a side job over the decade since then. Pursuing this has forced me to learn technical skills I otherwise would not have bothered with, and that has given me the confidence to pursue more technical certifications and work in my day-job options. Hammering away at this has opened doors for me and I can see that it is leading me into day jobs that are more and more technical, and in which I make more money and have more autonomy, which yields more financial stability and time to keep working on this passion.
This passion keeps bringing in more money as I learn more, improve my craft, and increase my skill set on how to be smarter about it. It may one day replace my day job, but even if it doesn't, once I am old I will have decades under my belt of hammering away at this and I will be really good at it, plus I'll be financially secure. That's a life well lived in my opinion. Hope that makes sense.
Gaming content creator here.. gonna have to hard disagree with the beginning of this video. I love video games and love my job making videos! The solution isn’t “don’t follow your passion”, the solution is moderation. So many gaming content creators overwork themselves, get burnt out, then second guess their skills and passion.
Don’t follow your passion is terrible advice
Agree with everything you said
Following passion is bad advice for business that’s pretty much it and agree what you said.
Couldn't agree more with you. Can't agree with this viewpoint/advice, tbh.
That's what he said in the video,for people who are successful in their passion like Jobs,it's easy to say "follow ur passion".....what I wud say is under the "successful creator" layer,there lie rotten layers over layers of unsuccessful people who wud tell "dont follow ur passion without thought"...
it is a bad advice for those who want to pursue career for their ideal financial gain (making more money). If financial isn't an issue then yes, nothing wrong with follow your passion
Well, I am finally following my passion for the first time in years, studying my passion and also starting my career through mandatory practice and honestly I’ve never felt happier.
I am starting at University soon, but I am not sure if I should follow my passion…
@@maximilian2782 you only have one life. If you don’t ever try to chase your passion, you’ll be left wondering what could’ve been
@@maximilian2782 like he said. You have one life. Do you want to make the most of it?
Don’t follow your passion. Follow you effort. Follow where you spend your time because when you’re good at something, you tend to want to get better. -Mark Cuban
makes sense
You are still directing yourself to your passion
so true, effort equals inputs and you can control it, the result is just an output and you can't control it. On top of that input if you're doing so long and stay in the flow(learning) you'll have your passion.
@@AungBaw yessss for me that’s creative writing & studying things related in the field of science
@@AungBawhey Aung is it ok if you explain what you mean? Im really confused if i should pursue my passion as my business. And this is a lifechanging decision for me. Please help me, i need you.
I am ironically a musician in college for a music industry degree, and when he said what the craftsman mindset was, it sounded like exactly what I was doing. My goal is to be impossible to not hire because I want to be able to sing in any genre in any setting and be really good at that. And I'm already decently good at that. So, it's kind of funny when the "don't follow your passion" video just reaffirms that I definitely am doing what I should be, even though it *is* music, because music is that thing I'm really good at. I've seen videos like this before, and it's made me question if music should really be my career, but at this point, I'm just going to try my absolute hardest, and if for some reason it doesn't work out, I have a backup plan. I have a hard time believing that after all the music burn-outs I've been through and come back from, I could ever dislike it enough to stop. It's my entire life.
Thank you Ali, I'm 18 and currently doubting the very first important decision of my career life...your videos always help me to keep going and try to do my best to develop new skills, even if I don't know where I'm going exactly (guess some of us aren't born with that burning sense of purpose lol). I just feel so reassured every time you talk because you're actually very honest and down to earth. It's a quality I truly appreciate
Me tooo
Being good at something does not mean you won't hate it, the truth is, you will hate every job you get unless you learn to be at peace with your circumstances. If you build amazing lego figures every day, it's not going to be equally fun every time, but if you can do it anyways without judging the experience, you can do anything and feel happy at the end of the day. It has nothing to do with passion, but passion brings fulfillment.
I’ve had to screenshot your wise comment
I agree,
OMG, Ali, this video is all what I need right now. I'm struggling to apply the PhD right now. It's really hard and sometimes I just want to quit and make music for living, which is my passion, but this video rescues me from this wrong direction. I will keep going and thank you for making thei great content.
phds are handed out like candy today. totally worthless.
NO, this is NOT what you need - see my comment above!
I feel you! Doing medical board exams and sometimes you just want to quit! I have many passions but am sticking to what I started, something that I have to ground me while still enjoying passions and making it an income in future too.
@@potbellyfatguyfromnewyorkcity So you have one then?
The reason why I agree with this advice is because till now, nothing has been fully passionate to me. The same thing which I love doing, I would really hate it somedays.
Usually if you’re good at something you will become passionate about it because people like being good at things.
Good point
To some extent but sometimes if it's too easy you're more likely to get bored of it.
There's a difference between being good and then getting passionate about it, compared to being passionate about something and then becoming good at it because of your passion. Most people are in the first category. Like you said, people like being good at things. I've noticed many people get "trapped" in their success and can't leave because they're too good at it. The second category of people don't get trapped.
@@newsun2838 are you dumb???? yes you can be good at something AND HATE IT!!
I'm good at math for my entire life but not passionate about it🤷
Life Is about discovering yourself and growing just because you suck at guitar the first time doesn’t mean you couldn’t be good at it. It’s about the amount of time you spend on it. Confused by what you mean about when we’re better at something? There are many things you can get better at by practice
You need passion to push through the difficult fields like medicine. If we focus only on “getting good”, then we tend to focus too much on pursuits with short-term gratification.
You’d be surprised to learn how many people are doctors because for the money, status, or because their family wants them to be.
@@folklore_of_beth Yeah, passion is overrated.
It’s the other way around you can be passionate about anything let’s say doctors but if you don’t have the discipline to keep pushing through the sections you don’t wanna study thats discipline that’s not passion passion is just doing what you like
You can live without passion but you can’t live without discipline
lmao I was about to say but Beth was quicker, as someone who worked in healtcare and managed doctors, the vast MAJORITY of them are in it for status and money, nothing else.
My hobby since I was 9, is now my job and I am loving every minute of it
Hey which hobby is it? And how do you follow your passion correctly? Im really thinking which business to do and am scared ill hate my passion, please help i need you 🙃
It really depends on who "you" is.
You're right that these pieces of advice are not meant for most people.
There are certain people whom which following their passion *is* the right advice. They're just not the majority. Heck, they're probably less than the square root of the majority.
Hey mcglomecode
Who is the right person to follow their passion? Im in the middle of a really big decision of what business to do, a lifechanging the decision and so i need your help please
@@DennisVicta I subscribe to “do what you feel called to, but never sin” philosophy- if you feel called in that direction, then go for it, but if there’s sin motivating it, repent of that first
Following your passions inevitably leads to skill in those fields. So passion and skill is essentially one and the same. It’s physically impossible to do something everyday, more so something you enjoy or are passionate about, and not become masterly skillful in it.
I feel like that's just the fundamental difference between people who are passion-oriented and people who are success-oriented.
For someone who is really passionate about one or multiple things, happiness will come from doing the thing every day and skill will emerge from that happiness. For someone who only wants success in society, happiness will emerge solely from mastering that skill and being (close to) the best.
I'm not saying that one personality is better than the other, it's just that everyone is driven by different needs.
@@olderon66 I think you nailed it. Two totally different mindsets. One focused on external validation (success) and the other being focused on internal validation (fulfillment). Goal vs journey.
Wow,that video really reflected my path to my passion. I always thought to follow my passion but when I consider how got where I am, it's a combination of so many skills I want to develop over time. Besides thank u Ali.
In conclusion don't just follow your passion, become good at it
Following passion or what you love doesn't translate to sucess but sucess is pretty subjective to be honest and yes it is hard for passion to be your career capital but that doesn't mean you shouldn't do what you love. This topic is still arguable.
Passion mindset and craftsman mindset go hand in hand.
Passion starts the cycle, but in general craftsman mindset will make you get there
So many of these things such as becoming so good they cant ignore you, happened to me in my own career, but I never realized or thought about these concepts until now. For sure this is something I want to teach my team.
Virat kohli, one of the greatest cricket players of all time once said in an interview, "I get motivated from the thought of being able to contribute to my team's victory. If I don't have that, I'd still have the skill, I'll know how to play this game so I'll go and score anyway but if the passion for winning the game for my country isn't there, I won't pressure myself more than my body can take" This precisely explains why following your passion is the key. You can chase something all you want in the hunt of money, fame but if you can't see yourself doing something happily for the rest of your life, there's only so much you can do. You're exhausting yourself. The journey is more important than the destination, always. Salam from 🇵🇰
Basically, follow your passion but don't follow impulsive short-lived interests. We mistake slight interests and "kinda-wants" as passions, but genuine passion would be the fuel for discipline. You can be good at something but hate doing it, and you won't be able to conjure up consistent discipline for developing the skill, which is why passion is important.
Hey Aaronlo, i hope you can help me, is it if ok if you explain what your comment above means. How do i know if i should follow my passion as my business or not? Please help me on that
And how do you tell the difference between “short lived interests” and “true passion”??
@@DennisVictaYou, the individual should know that, no one else.
Amazing how after listening daily to all of Ali’s podcasts and watching every RUclips video I have come to naturally read the next book in the book club 😮😂
Thanks!
People who are passionate work harder than anyone else and get better than everyone else. It’s definitely the right thing to do.
this is exactly what i need.
I'm in the state of paradox of passion, i have so manny interest but I'm confused what should i try first to be my passion of life definitely will take notes on this Thans Alii !
If my 18 year old self had seen this video 34 years ago my entire life would have been far, far better. This video could replace the entire senior year of high school and provide more actual value.
@@jordycg5818 hes 52 what do you mean?
I share those sentiments, my whole life would have turned out much better. The only other thing is that would my 18 year old self have listen to this advice, I’m not entirely sure I would have.
@@alexgomez6723hey so why shouldn’t i follow my passion for my business?
Cal Newport on his podcast channel has hardly gotten 50k views on any video, considering that 'deep work' and 'not following your passion' are his original ideas. While many influencers in the world use his ideas to earn money, I think he deserves far more respect since he has spent much more in his lifetime researching these topics.
Focusing and not following your passion are not new ideas
@@ponternal It is so old news now. I don't know what these people are talking about. It has been the quote for most of the human ages, and it has had so much popularity in the recent couple years.
i guess podcasts arent hos passion
I don’t think he’d be crying into his tea-cup due to the book royalties that bigger channels reviewing his book drive his way.
Its not terrible advice its just context you can’t say follow your passion without saying about routine discipline. Following passion is key to happiness in life
that's literally what i did my senior project on in high school lol the one thing i learned from high school is that the only thing that can consistently bring good things into my life is following my passions, and if school were taught that way instead of "learn this because i said so" there would be less crimes, and probably less bigotry in the world
I am in IT and sit whole day in front of computer, and still passionate to play with computers after work - so i guess it doesnt have to be like that :)
Thank you for giving people realistic expectations.
I just love books by author Cal Newport, so good they can't ignore you and Deep work are the best self-improvement books I have ever come across.
yes yes yes his stuff is always picked up late lol....
I guess I’m lucky then. I “followed my passion” and got good at what I do. I’m still pretty young and don’t plan on stopping my improvements either as I aim for the top of my field.
What field is it?
here are my two cents: no matter what you do you're need sadness and pain in your life so you know when the good times come: you wouldn't everyday to be sunny otherwise you wouldn't have gratitude for it being sunny
Couldn't agree more. My passion for making videos grew each time I uploaded. However, the better I am = the more critical I am of my older videos and hide them all 😅
thats not the point of this video bud
no need to hide them though. those are your footprints of your growth
@@saidrakhmiddin9860 yeah you're right but she did it on purpose
There’s a difference between following your passion and being delusional. Following your passion isn’t jumping into the fray and tryna do things. It’s a combination of meticulousness and hard work and grit. Being delusional is doing none of those things or one of those things and just doing something.
It's amazing how i was trying to explain this to my friends. I am going to use your thoughts to convice them more
Ohhh my God I am reading the book right now. I am on the last chapter where he explains how he applied the insights in his own life. This video feels like it was made for me. I can't wait to hear what you have to say Ali. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing!!
@@aliabdaal good job
I dunno man, Im great at maths, but I hate doing jobs in maths, but I love doing support work despite not being great at it.
No no bro what, you have to like something to get extremely good at it. Also, streamers don't love making videos, the love playing games for fun. I love both, making videos is amazingly satisfying and fun for me. So is playing games. Thus, content creation. You have to find the thing that you really love doing, and want to improve at. Then get really good at it.
Such sage advice. Thanks so much. I think students who have not started careers yet should definitely watch this video.
I'm passionate about people.
Talking to all different kinds of people.
Singing and sharing my life experiences with people.
Learning from other people.
Mentoring and helping wherever I can.
All the while being thankful to God for everything.
🤣
if i didnt follow my passion, i'd probably be living under my parents. glad i did. people should do it
What’s your passion?
Excellent point, Don't follow your passion. I don't worry taking wrong decision, take decision and make them correct.
So some questions remain unanswered.
First you should ignore your passion but then go on to develop valuable skills (become the best at something) and the passion will follow. You used musician and youtuber as examples. Two things that usually are passion driven fields. So why don't follow your passion then? Wouldn't you be far more likely to have the energy and motivation to become exceptionally good at something if you are already passionate about it to begin with?
Don't quite get why the two are in contrast to each other.
Also in those fields you also need talent. You cannot become the very best musician if you don't have musical talent. You need both: incredible talent and extreme dedication to become very good at it.
I highly recommend Mastery by Robert Greene for this topic.
Musical ”talent” can be learned tho
@@ac3e19 Not really. Some people have perfect pitch. Some people are tome deaf. It is something you can learn but you can only get so good at based on genetics.
@@anjitnarwal6676 Lol. I am reading these books at the simultaneously
@@austinprescott4039 Beethoven was deaf
You can't overlook passion tbh. If you always have something else in your mind and it lingers with you, then you're going to lack focus, even if you try to improve on something that you've already built on.
¿What do you mean?
@@jadeQ69 u cant focus on X if u have something in your mind (Y) that u want to do sinse it takes away your focus from the X.
@@gutzimmumdo4910 yeah, now that I read the first comment it has always made sense
I don't even know why I didn't understand it 😅
Thank you btw ✌️
And what if the resources( capital, opportunity, etc ) you need to go behind the y are not with you? You're doing x because you didn't have to money for y. Or you desperately need a z that can only be achieved through x. And z is for survival. Y for passion.
I was skeptical when reading the title of your video, but, Ali, you totally convinced me! Great video!... as always :)
lucky break is one of the best things i've ever heard for dealing with anxiety and fear of starting something
I rather die than to not do what I love.
Honestly same
This is what’s happening with me, it’s annoying af but i love my passion
what is your passion
Thank you Ali for being realistic also for the people OUT of first world countries! :) It is so refreshing to find relatable and quality content.
That advice (of follow your passion) has always felt sort of crazy. Feelings: confirmed.
I thought you were gonna talk baseless stuff but you made real valid points, our passions are much better being our hobbies, and our jobs are better being something we're good at 👍🏻
Thank you so much for this video Ali, I loved your advice about realistic expectation for time devoted to work. As somebody in their mid-20s, it has been eye opening to see for myself what it looks like to put in the time and effort necessary to get good at a thing and really make it happen. I hope to internalize this advice and make this year truly great.
I think everyone has a different definition of passion, for example for me it's the main drive to do something. I had a lot of passion for games in my early days and so I wanted to just play video games entire day. I ended up quitting high school and making living off video games my job. It was fun at first, but gradually become more of a hassle and I learned the hard way that it's best to not make your passions your job as you'll lose love for the thing you initially enjoyed. I quit and gradually my passion for games came back. Now I'm going a different route, learning programming to become a highly paid SWE with the hopes that the quality of life/balance of high pay & flexibility lets me enjoy my hobbies more in free time and open more opportunities for me. I have no passion for programming, but I believe that the job is very much in demand and highly paid. It will allow me to live a much easier life and the flexibility that comes from money would let you have the time to be passionate about other things in your free time.
I absolutely hate how this labour market is so sickeningly capitalistic and cannibalizes on one's passions.
When I am creating I am my happiest. The sweet spot is having time constraint for it everyday makes me most productive
First follow passion and then become the best in it 💯⚡
Thank you! Cleared lot of doubts
This channel is such a blessing! 😭
Who cares about success when you enjoy what you are doing? If there's no love and passion for what you do, then why does it matter to live at all? All of us will die and sucess does not follow you to the grave. The only thing that matters is that you find what you are passionate about and do it for as long as you live, no matter what.
No wonder why depression, anxiety and many other mental health problems are the real pandemic and the suicide rates are skyrocketing.
@bizentino your comment was really wholesome and touching. I'm currently struggling with depression and loss of meaning in life and I guess it's because most time of the day I spend on work I don't love. Agree with your ideas 100%
I disagree with this, getting good at anything requires patience, and patience only works if you are patient in the right direction. And the right direction need to be fulfilling .
Only passionate people don't give up when they fail, but they keep trying until they succeed .
Wow what great advice! Im quitting my passion, computer science, right now!!
Please don’t quit because this video said so; ensure you really want to follow another route before you dump computer science.
@@adanzeobioha Agreed
It’s hard to stay disciplined, especially when times get hard, if you’re not passionate about what you do.
This kinda explains why after 3 years working in the field i thought i was loving its stopped being fun, and why i wanted to do everything except that in my free time
I don't leave comments on RUclips videos that often these days but I have to say, this video was genuinely good.
Indeed
This is so true, I'm in medical school but my passion is video editing and so much other hobbies. I still keep them as hobbies that would hopeful develop into an enjoyable multiple source of income but I wouldn't put it before my medical career
But are you also passionate about medicine?
@@sunny100294not really atleast for me
Don't follow your PASSION, but always BRING it with you.
I love that book read it in 2018, after watching this video am going to read it again. Great video and book choice too
I really like the new set up, it feels more relatable than and fancy office in the middle of the most expensive city in the world 😅
Well said. Love your talk about autonomy. It doesn’t get handed to you and it’s all steps that need to be taken. Be good at whatever first. That should be the focus
I was passionate about what I do and I still love every second of it (15+ years later). So, I wouldn't agree with that statement.
That’s very cool! What do you do if I may ask?
@@hnnhml I'm an opera singer and an English teacher. Got my education in both, doing both as jobs. :)
@@accenttunebyellie wow that does sound very cool:) I'm happy for you!
Love what you do is different from do what you love.
Genuinely one of the best RUclipsrs on the platform.
I'm an admin assist...have been for 25years or so...main draw is it allows a level of autonomy...relatively easy and occasionally
creative...but no rare talent. Its a thankless job. But weve had many challenges, outside of work, throughout the last 30 years and I'm grateful for a job that doesn't overly tax me.
Man! Whether you admit it or not, self-satisfaction is always dominant on money. If you get anything in the world but not satisfied, that's worst. On the other hand, you only get those things so that you just increase your satisfaction, whether you end up achieving more or less, it's the best life.
If you enjoy topics about mastery and masculinity, I invite you to explore the videos I share on the Mastery Order Channel.
Challenge yourself with some concepts about manhood, explore your masculine potential to the maximum and become the kind of man you would admire.
We can only better ourselves together, as men among men, so I invite you to use what I share and, of course, share your own thoughts so that others can benefit from them as well.
All the best to you!
Thank you so much for this video! It certainly helped me self reflect.
I'm so glad 😊
You are definitely my VERY favorite youtuber! Thanks so much for all your videos, they are insightful and inspiring.
He looks soo trust worthy and kind
This is extremely insightful, thanks so much for this video!
Your body language is awesome dude!
Watching ur videos for last 2yrs! You helps me alot.
Love from India 💕💕
I think from my experience, after watching this video about not following your passion and finding my passion. Here's what i learned..
You can still do what you love, however i think what most people often forget is our mental health. Our mental health and physical health is like the core part of us than our passions, talents, etc. Why is this important? When we don't prioritize our mental and physical health we deteriorate.
Instead of not finding our passion and still search for what we want to do. Do your inner work as usual it includes taking care of your body, mind, and soul. When you do this it will be more clearer. Passion or not following your passion isn't always about doing what you want. Its our core self that needs attention its our body, mind, and soul.
To find what you want to do. Find careers or jobs that are good for your mental health and not the ones that will make you neglect yourself. And, this is how you will find what you truly what you want to do on the longer term.
Best advice ever 🎉I wish I knew this 15 years ago - but I guess in many ways it’s never too late to seize the day 🙏🏾
Gave me so many insights! Thank you for this wonderful video.
Honestly people who succeed at music have found it since childhood speaking about the most. They trained since childhood through classical nd contemporary. Once that childhood passes it becomes almost impossible to be that good at music if one didn’t do the work in early age you can take any example.
Thank you Ali for creating this video!