I went out last night with a friend of mine and we got on the subject of day jobs, a job someone has that financially supports their pursuit of interests that may have nothing to do with how they earn their paycheck. I’m passionate about writing, yoga, and teaching, and I’m slowly working my way toward making more of my income from those sources. In the mean time, my student loan collectors require payment so it’s off to work (at a day job) I go.
Lately, I’ve been feeling a little badly about my day job situation, wanting to make more of my income from activities that I’m truly passionate about. My friend whom I spoke with last night is a tremendously gifted writer and comedian. She’s a freelancer who makes her living as a content strategist and project manager. She’s found her freelancing work gratifying enough to make her living, and not too taxing so that she has plenty of energy and creativity to pour into her writing and comedy. She has such clarity about the role of her day job in her life, and her attitude made me feel much better about my own situation. Making a living from a passion takes time, and that’s okay.
I thought about my friend in light of the many statistics that I read about the job satisfaction of Americans. These stats only look at day jobs. They don’t account for the real passions of American workers, which may be far different from the jobs where they earn their paychecks.
Everyone owes it to themselves to have a passion. If you can turn that passion into a career, then make sure to applaud your ingenuity and efforts. And if for a while you need a day job to keep those passions alive, know that you’re not alone. There are plenty of us in that same boat. Some people find that they prefer this arrangement, that they want their passion to stay their passion rather than tying a paycheck to it that may diminish their enjoyment of it. It’s all about finding the balance between work and passion that works for you, and that’s something that we all control individually.
Christa Avampato 