You’re doing your best.
You’ve put in the work.
You’re trying to figure this following your passion stuff out.
But things aren’t going according to plan. You look at everyone else, and they seem to be farther along.
Then you start to doubt yourself …
What if you’re not cut out for this?
What if you can’t do what you love?
What if you have to settle for a mediocre life?
It may feel like you’re going insane. But you’re not. There’s nothing wrong with where you are. It just takes time to do what you love.
Why Doing Work You Love Takes Time — The Video
So why does it take time?
And what can you do about it?
The answer is in the video below. And one you’ve finished watching, continue reading the rest of this article for an even deeper perspective.
And remember, I don’t post every video here on the blog, so subscribe to my YouTube channel.
The Problem
Life has its own schedule.
We want to push, manipulate, and force. We think it’ll get us what we want faster.
The problem isn’t that doing work you love takes time; it’s that we expect it not to.
We want to build a six-figure business in 6 months, to be crystal clear about our passion today, and to get a book deal yesterday.
And when you throw your fears into that mix, it becomes a cocktail of stress.
You create a virtual reality where you think you have to measure up to be okay. You have to prove yourself. You have to make things happen.
And you feel like you can’t stop, because everything will fall apart.
But everything is already falling apart. It’s when you stop the madness that things begin falling into place.
The Solution
The answer is to stop fighting life.
Realize that doing work you love takes time because you have to get good at what you do. You have to learn so much. You have to make mistakes.
It’s not a problem unless you tell yourself that you should be somewhere else.
I’ve come to accept that I am where I am, doing the best I can with what I have.
I know I’m trying too hard when I feel frustrated, overwhelmed, or anxious. I can’t control life. I can only live life.
I still have thoughts about wanting to accomplish more. My mind believes that if I can just achieve more, I’ll be happy.
But that’s a lie.
I don’t have to take my thoughts so seriously. Instead, I can take one tiny step at a time, and enjoy what’s already here.
An Example from My Life
I started Wake Up Cloud in December of ’09.
The early years were filled with both anguish and excitement. I started by sharing what I knew. Eventually I realized I wanted to turn this into my full-time thing.
That’s when I started forcing, but it always blew up in my face. It was like trying to push a balloon with a needle.
Today, I look back and I see how futile it was to try to ‘go out there and get things done.’
It may work for some, but for the vast majority of people it doesn’t. Not according to my experience.
The more I relax, the more things come to me. And from those things I choose the right ones by what feels most alive to me, what my inner GPS nudges me toward.
And that’s one of the reasons I’m able to do work I love today.
Wrapping Up
Doing work you love takes time, but that doesn’t mean you have to postpone your enjoyment.
I enjoy writing, and I’m writing this article right now.
I’m doing what I love.
I could lament about how I could be better, or I could simply enjoy this moment.
So while this all takes time, there’s no need to worry so much about it. No need to take yourself, or your thoughts, so seriously.
Do what you can with what you have.
And let all those worrisome thoughts pass by.
Cheers from the North,
Henri
P.S. Would you like to dive deeper into doing what you love? I invite you to check out my book Do What You Love: Essays on Uncovering Your Path in Life.
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Good points here, Henri. I have to keep myself in check every so often because I get disappointed that I haven’t achieved certain goals in some ridiculous amount of time I was hoping for. I like the advice of “stop fighting life.” For me, I’m just trying to be patient, keep learning, and keep chipping away each day.
Absolutely. After a while, you realize that no matter how much you achieve, you’ll want more. That’s when it begins dawning on you that you might as well enjoy what’s right in front of you. Thanks for commenting, Mark!
Just what I needed this week. Thanks. Do you mind if I share it with my readers?
Nope. Feel free to share. Just remember to link back to the original source/article.
I enjoy all the white space on your blog. It makes it easy to cut and paste your positive quotes I keep in a separate document for myself (giving you the credit, of course!) Your ideas are worth noting and keeping. Thank you
Glad to hear that. Thanks Shelly 🙂
Thank you Henri. All of the above resonates with me, and is all true from my own experience. What you explain here also does add to the enjoyment of life; getting rid of the constant pressure! Not forcing things to be the way we think it should go! Letting better answers that we may not have thought of come, as a result.
Exactly, Lynne. Not always easy to do, but perfection is not required. Not even in this.
Reaching a turning point after reading many of your books. As I began with How to Write Non-Fiction Ebooks; How I Made Over $100,000. Online Doing What I Love; Writing Blog Posts Readers Love; Follow Your Heart along with many of your articles. Thank you for hitting the nail on the head with insight we’re not alone. “My virtual business shrink.”
I started the initial creation of my business as far back as December of 1992 holding strong to my assumed business name through the state. E-book’s business model to work from anywhere, anytime to be closer to my boys. Maintaining headstrong all along to my virtually remote business model, only I understood as the time. My website evolved in 2003 with my first domain name as I began to perfect the look, feel, structure, delivery of my offerings to the proper formats for my niche audience from my existing independent consulting services. My security blanket. Finding myself years later hiding behind my independent services, having spent less time with my boy, as I consulted for numerous enterprises never to get my perfect business model off the ground. I could have been at the forefront having originated my founded business model rather than watching similar businesses leap to great heights. For a decade I failed to work with what I had in efforts to push perfecting my niche progressing forward with my ultimate goal in mind. It angers me when I think of all the wasted time. I now know my ideas inside and out with yet to take action on them. Vowing now to take action here and now with what I have!
You share a remarkable talent relating to others. Bless you!
Thanks Brenda for the comment and all the support. You rock!
It seems we all go through these learning phases. And in a way, we never stop learning (or stumbling). So keep doing what you can, and don’t be in too much of a hurry.
Remember to enjoy your boys 🙂
Thanks. Managed to spoil those boys to the best of my ability.
FYI… the first internet browser when I started 1992 was Mosaic. Very slow but had the ability of reading article content.
believe me henry …the article and video you posted today ,,i was feeling exactly same today…i was so disappointed in me and everything around me…i was thinking there s nothing i can do make it better…i am very confused person..i still donot know what i really like to do…but there s something that i think i like..so i go for it..i did whatever i could..but whatever i do i still in same position where i started ..and i am starting to feel doubt in myself.seeing your post in this moment really help a lot..at least for today.so thank you.
Hey Sahana. Don’t be too hard on yourself. What’s helped me is to not push so hard. The fact of the matter is that you can never be in the same position. The planets move. Time moves. Everything changes. Just because you cannot see change doesn’t mean it doesn’t occur. Thanks for sharing!
thanks henry..thanks for your reply…
Your message about letting go of the rest truly resonates in me.
I just have to focus on doing what I love, do my best and let go of all the worries.
Besides I still have a lot to learn. Thank you for another great post. 🙂
Thank you for reading, Jon!
I’m really struggling to find that balance. I suppose it comes down to time management. I spend too much time thinking. I can’t seem to switch off from my business. I do want things now lol. But you’re right. It takes time. I’m learning to be patient. I must admit though I’m reading too many conflicting posts amongst bloggers. By the law of attraction it says we can achieve things in record time if we really want it. Why should we settle for taking its time. If you understand what I mean? However Henry I do like your views and it reassures me and I don’t beat myself up.
Notice how much stress your perception of the Law of Attraction is causing you. Then ask yourself if it’s worth it to try and push things. Even if you don’t settle, things will still take the time they take. Look at your life. You don’t have as much control as you think. It’s not all up to you. At least that’s what I’ve found.
Yes you are right. I understand what you mean. It’s perception. I need to change my lense.
Hey Henri,
you’ve shared the probably most important lesson I learned since working on my own business.
Back in March 2013 I started my blog on the side of a job I couldn’t care less about. The only times I enjoyed working where when I was working on my blog and learning more about online business, from 5pm – 2am at night.
To me it feels like we shouldn’t chase happiness. It’s not a thing we’ll ever catch if we’re basing being happy on our achievements. We can embrace happiness right now, we just need to focus on the things that are good in our lives currently. There will always be things to be grateful for.
Keep up the great work,
Jan
Henri,
Many thanks for providing the daily dose of inspiration that keeps me going each day despite my chronic procrastination. DO NOTHING TODAY (unpleasant things) is my daily motto.
Thanks to this posting, I finally understand what is holding me back. It is doing the work that I hate to do, in order to get to the place where I can do the work I love to do so that I can live a happy and financially comfortable life.
The longer it takes to get past this undesirable work the greater chance for us to never reach the goal of doing the work we love (which actually will no longer even be work).
How do we get through these hurdles and obstacles? Since retiring from the stress-filled “Hell” known as corporate life, I have become work-averse even though I still have a strong desire to create and produce things of use and value for others. What is holding me back is how long it seems to take to get to being able to focus on the enjoyable, meaningful work.
When I only focus on the good work, the neglected bad work has a tendency to build up to the tipping point and come crashing down on me. But how to eliminate the undesirable work forever is the real question?
It is not just about being in a hurry, but also about getting past the obstructions in order to start the good work.
Yes. Sometimes it is not about getting rid of the “bad” work, but changing your perspective about it.
And often it is a journey of self-discovery. There is no destination where everything is perfect. Life is always a mix of things, if you want to put it that way.
Thanks for the fantastic comment, Gord!
The farther I go with my own blog slash adventure through life, the more I see the truth in this. Learning Russian right now, generally considered a tough language, but I find it easy, fun, and exciting.
The idea also carries over to my blog, when I’m enjoying the topic, I’m faster, funnier, and it’s better content for readers as well as my own artistic spirit. Another gem Henri!
Henri,
I can’t thank you enough for this. I was feeling so down today (while hiding it from other people) because it seems like I’m going nowhere with building my online business. I want everything in a snap that the things I enjoy suddenly become chores because I’m forcing it. But youre right. Even if I got what I wanted, I’ll end up always wanting more (which isnt a bad thing), but acknowledging that fact makes me live in the moment. You have a very comforting voice that makes me feel secure and trust what youre saying.
Another amazing article, you always seem to pop up just at the right time 🙂
Thank you
Nice one, Henri. I always enjoy your fresh thinking and perspective.
Henry your book: find your passion, the stories isn’t allowing me to purchase it on Amazon. Could you look at it please so I can buy it?
Thank you