In a letter to his brother Theo, Vincent Van Gogh shared this thought, “Blessed is he who has found his work.” But how does one find one’s work? “Follow your passion” and “Know your purpose” have become career-coaching folklore, but all of us seem to more confused than ever about the *one thing* that we are born to do, our north star.
First of all, please understand, it’s ok not to know what your passion is. I am 38 years old, and I still have so many things I love to / want to do. I have not zoned into that ‘one thing’ I will do for life.
Secondly, “Specialization is for insects,” as the science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein famously wrote. “A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly.”
👉 We will all have multiple careers in our lifetimes, and the meandering path of experiences will self-correct, as long as we are optimising for *learning and impact*. In my limited experience, that’s what has worked for me.