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Pursuing Your Passion

by Samantha on June 2, 2010

My mom recently took a trip on Southwest Airlines, and she tore an article out of their in-flight magazine for me to read. It was called “The Pursuers,” and it had the subtitle: Why a second (or third) job could be the secret to career happiness. The article tells the stories of four people, ages 31-76, who have taken on more than one career in order to live the most fulfilling life possible. Each of them has different ways of maintaining balance in their busy lives, and their jobs definitely span the spectrum, but they all have one thing in common: they’re happy.  Sure, they may be a little unconventional, but I think that’s a big part of why they’re so happy.  Heck, one guy’s a musician and an astrophysicist…how cool is that?!

All of this out of the box thinking, got me thinking. Maybe the solution to unhappiness in the workplace isn’t quitting our job, throwing caution to the wind, risking everything and starting over. If we like our job, but don’t love it, maybe we just need to take on another job, or a hobby, that lets us spend time doing what we’re truly passionate about. I certainly commend and admire the people who take a leap of faith and start over in order to pursue something they love. But, in this economy, not everyone can afford to do that…and even in a better economy, some people might not want to. That’s totally okay.

I have a great job, but I don’t write as much as I’d like to. That’s part of why I started this blog. I also love to copy edit. Finding and correcting grammatical and sentence structure errors makes me smile. Strange, I know.  But, I really do enjoy it. So, I’ve found ways to get my editing fix, occasionally reading over blog posts and e-books for friends. And yet, I’m not sure that’s enough. After reading this article, I think I might follow the example of the pursuers, and seek out some freelance work. If a 76-year-old man can be an assemblyman and a lifeguard, I think I can handle some writing and editing on top of my 9-5.

So, I want to hear from you. Do you have more than one job? How do you maintain balance? Why did you decide to take on another job? How do you integrate what you’re passionate about into your everyday life?

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Tagged as: Advice, career, happiness, Learning, society

  • emilyjasper

    I totally feel you. I like what I do, so why would I want to quit everything? Ok, well, I am because I'm going back to school, but you know what I mean. What has changed though is how much I keep falling in love with writing. Just the act of typing is therapeutic for me. I don't ever plan on being a world-famous writer, but I'd love to keep it up. That's kind of like my second passion, and I'm so happy I can keep it.

  • http://www.valeriemondesir.com Valerie M

    Hmm, I think the underlying theme is variety here … and that, I definitely love. So, yea for people who love variety but don't want to schedule much of it themselves, a 2nd or 3rd job may be an awesome solution. I personally wouldn't take a second job, unless that job offered a high level of flexibility. I'd rather make up my own projects and do it on my own time and pace.

    I can barely tolerate the 9-5 scheduling of my main job and I wish there were more flexible times (e.g. could I come from 12pm-8pm on some days? Or break it up from 8pm-12pm and 5pm-9pm?). But that's just me.

  • http://www.linkedin.com/in/saberap Sabera

    Samantha, this post goes straight into the 'Slash Jobs' network file on Brazen! :-) What you've written about is really what Slash Jobs is all about. Pursuing another career when you don't get everything you want out of life, by doing just one job. Of course there's a constant debate about whether each of these 'jobs' have to generate money for you.

    I started my Indian cooking classes and catering business simply because I was out of work, don't think I'll get one anytime soon, and needed a shift from constantly thinking of strategies to get myself employed. Honestly, the quest for self development to get hired was beginning to get unfair. This second business nurtures a completely different part of me. I hope I can make a 'career' out of it someday :-)

  • http://speaksoftlyandcarryaredpen.wordpress.com Mehnaz

    Great post! On the one hand, I love the 9-5 (which I lack right now because I'm freelancing), but having my own schedule allows me to pick and choose clients who combine my interests. Afterall, my interests and passions make me a better worker.
    And no, you're not weird for loving grammar. I'm a fellow logophile, and I get my fix by being on a volunteer editorial board. It doesn't pay, but we do good work, so in the end I end up feeling pretty darn good about myself.
    A second or third job, would serve the same purpose with an income to boot. Not a bad idea, as long as you remember not to bite off ore than you can chew!

  • http://modite.com Rebecca

    Why don't you just ask your boss if you could? Usually, it's just the way of phrasing of it right. Like I know my boss is a huge runner, so I said to him, “Mark, could I come in late some days so I could get to the gym in the mornings? I started going recently again, and it's so great. I've just been arriving a bit later and want to make sure it's okay with you.” He was all for it. I've used similar strategies to be able to work from home several days a month and so on and so forth.

    Also, execute really well. This week we had another conversation about how much flexibility I need (and I would argue everyone needs as much as I do), and he said something like, “No one else in the company has a schedule that's as flexible as yours… but since your work is so good, I feel like it's warranted.” I do really good work and am hopefully indispensable to the company so when I ask for something, we're usually able to come to a great result.

    So, ask! And then let me know how it goes :)

  • http://modite.com Rebecca

    I recently started working a second job, and I really love it. For me, as a job-hopper, I tend to start looking for another job when I'm not as challenged as I was in the beginning. But I really love my current job and all the people and have some great incentives to stick around (including stock options – hello!). So instead of leaving, I'm being creative in ways to make my current position more interesting (and still bring the results), while doing new things and facing new challenges in my side job. For me, the two help each other and nurture each other, and have actually increased my productivity all around. But I really like to be busy and really like to work, and I know not everyone is like that :)

  • Dmbosstone

    When I first moved to DC I was busy trying to establish a career post-college. Eventually I realized I needed more of a life outside the office so went back to a high school love, theatre. Now I work in social media during the day- and work in theatre as a stage manager at night. Sure it keeps me busy but I enjoy meeting new people, doing different work than my 9-5, and I feel it does make me a more well rounded person.

    Unlike a second job theatre jobs have a set start and finish so when I want a break I can take on jobs as I please. Perhaps what you are looking for isn't necessarily a second job but a second passion to pursue.

    I know a doctor who wanted to do something different and started to do stand-up comedy at night on the side. Now he's a full-time actor. You know him as Ken Jeong from The Hangover or NBC's Community. I bet he didn't think he needed a second job as a doctor- just something else to keep his life interesting.

  • http://www.lifeschocolates.com sameve

    I definitely don't think going back to school is quitting. With more education, you'll probably be able to pursue your passion even more vigorously than before. I love what you say about writing too, and I can totally relate! Thanks for the comment!

  • http://www.lifeschocolates.com sameve

    Valerie: Variety is definitely a theme here, but I also wanted to show that there is more than one way to pursue your passion. It doesn't have to be an all or nothing type of thing. Rebecca definitely makes a good point below. Have you tried talking to your boss about more flexibility? I haven't had that talk with my boss, but I have had to talk to him about some personal issues going on in my life. Bringing it up the first time was kind of scary, but I was so glad I did.

    Also, there is definitely something to be said for making up your own projects and setting your own pace. I think that's why a lot of people enjoy freelancing. There's usually a deadline, but it's up to them to get things done by then, however they can. Anyway, thanks for sharing your thoughts!

  • http://www.lifeschocolates.com sameve

    I'm glad to support Slash Jobs! It's a really interesting idea that I'd never really considered for myself before. I totally admire your story, and how you realized that sitting around thinking about how to get a job wasn't getting you anywhere. Your foodie blog and cooking classes sound so fun and enjoyable, and it's great that you found a way to pursue your passion. I hope it brings you great success! Thanks for the comment!

  • http://www.lifeschocolates.com sameve

    You make a very important point. When we're passionate about and interested in something, we're empowered, and we tend to work harder and do better work. I think that's how we can tell if we're truly passionate about our job, or we've just convinced ourselves that we are. Time flies when you're having fun, right?

    And, thank you! I'm glad I'm not the only grammar lover! That's so cool that you're part of a volunteer editorial board, I'd love to hear more about it. Not biting off more than you can chew is key, although sometimes it's easier said than done. Thanks for your insight, Mehnaz!

  • http://www.lifeschocolates.com sameve

    Wow, Rebecca! You're so ambitious, it's awesome! It sounds like you're doing what the people in this article are doing. I love how you say that you're being creative in ways to make your current position more interesting, that's a great idea. People are too quick to go to extremes when they're unhappy, instead of making the best of the situation they're in. Kudos to you for your creativity :)

  • http://www.lifeschocolates.com sameve

    I love it! It sounds like a great combination of activities and interests. You make a great point, that I (or anyone else) might not necessarily be looking for a second job, but a second passion. I'll have to think about that one! Thanks Patrick!

  • http://www.lifeschocolates.com sameve

    I definitely don't think going back to school is the same as quitting your job and throwing caution to the wind, etc. You're simply pursuing a way to better understand and work with your passion…if that makes sense. And I love the way you describe writing. I can totally relate! Thanks Em!

  • Felisha

    Wow, this article truly spoke to me. I am a single mother of 2 in my late thirties and have spent much of my life in this way. Working in an office setting 9-5 has never been enough for me so I have always found ways to do what I love creatively and making money (2nd & 3rd careers). My love for color and helping to motivate people has lead me to makeup artistry, and wedding coordinating as well as public speaking/workshop faciliting also.

    Sometimes your interest and passions lead you to do a variety of things and that's fine as long as you have some level of balance. I've found that knowing what role I can play in each of those areas of my life allows me to be balance and fulfilled. So my business of makeup artistry is my passion that I oversee completely while consulting with other established companies afford me the opportunity to do the other things. I simply love the diversity of the things I do and that makes me happy.

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