There’s that old saying; “Choose a job you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.” Do you believe it? I’m not sure if I do.
Is it healthy to have the lines between work and play so blurred? Sure, there are undoubtedly benefits to enjoying your job, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t disadvantages too. Is making work your one and only purpose really the best thing? Let’s find out…
Con: Love ain’t easy
So you’ve landed your dream job. It’s everything you’ve ever wanted and now you can finally be happy forever, right? Maybe not. Just because you love something, it doesn’t mean that it isn’t hard. In fact, it might even be harder, for the simple fact that it means so much to you.
Your love for what you do drives you, pushes you to always want more, and this is hard work. You can still get burnout from doing the things you love for this exact reason.
Because if you love your work, why would you need a break? You keep going because your passion is spurring you on, and suddenly you hit the point of exhaustion where you’re unable to go on. It’s in times like these that you wonder if working your dream job is really all it’s cracked up to be. But if loving your job makes it even harder, why bother?
Pro: Finding purpose in your work
Well, you persist with your dream job because you love it, of course. You can’t see yourself ever wanting anything else as much as you want this one. You’ve found purpose in your work, and this is far from a bad thing.
When your work feels worthwhile, completing it gives you a sense of satisfaction that contributes positively to your overall happiness and fulfillment. In the end, your hard work pays off, and the passion and effort that you put into your dream job is worth it.
Con: Unsteady work-life balance
However, a notable difficulty of doing something you enjoy is how it thins the veil between home and work. A healthy work-life balance is one that has definite boundaries between the two, but this can become difficult when you let your work become your hobby too. This stops you from properly utilising your downtime for rest and recuperation — another surefire route to exhaustion.
And when the seemingly inevitable burnout does come, not only are you fatigued from your job, but you feel like you’ve lost your purpose because even your passion couldn’t prevent burnout. In fact, your passion was what caused it. But it’s not the end of the world; it is possible to find balance and prevent future burnout.
It’s harder the more invested you are in your job, but it’s important to find things outside of work that you find fulfilling so that your entire purpose isn’t work. Focus more on your family and loved ones, or the things you love to do leisurely.
Remember that you have a life beyond your job that is just as important. Make the conscious effort to create a healthy work-life balance, and you’ll find that pursuing your dream job becomes all the more rewarding.
Pro: Your passion is contagious
Your love for your work is a double-edged sword; it can motivate you to do amazing things — just as long as you’re careful that you’re not pushed too far. But once you find a healthy equilibrium, your passion can help you gain great success in work. And it’s not just you who will be affected by this; your dedication to what you do will begin to rub off onto your colleagues.
The bottom line
At the end of the day, there’s a reason why people try so hard to find their purpose in work; because to do so makes our lives feel worthwhile. If you’ve managed to snag your dream job and find your raison d’etre in your work, you’re one of the lucky ones. Of course, there will be ups and downs — no job is perfect! — but if you make the effort to ensure balance in your life, you’ll find yourself all the happier for it.
Written by Adena Dewar
WellBe is spearheading the way to a brighter future for corporate wellness. Our innovative portal is scientifically designed and tailored to each individual employee to improve their wellbeing. We specialise in a range of services from coaching and therapists, to meditation and reading materials. Our aim is to reduce workplace stress that costs UK businesses £42 billion per year. Get in touch with us by visiting our site wellbe.global for more information.
