5 REASONS WHY PEOPLE are not doing what they actually love for a living?

Written by David Chong on 12 May 2018

In a 2015 Gallup poll, only about 31% of workers in the United States reported being engaged at their job (meaning, feeling invested in what they were doing and enjoying it). When you look worldwide, the numbers are even lower. Generally speaking, the millennial generation reports being the least satisfied group.

People are engaged at work when they feel valued, connected to something meaningful, and can be autonomous.

So the question is often being asked? Why don’t people do the something they love and not settle for something that they don’t? Here are some of the reasons I believe are the main cause:

1. Delusional mindset - one of the biggest and main reason why people don’t actually do what they love doing for a living is because they simply think that it is not possible or it is not sustainable for them. This can be due to where and how they were brought up in their environment. 

When a person is surrounded their daily reality, that environment will be the most real to them. For example, if you were brought up with your parents running a coffee shop, that day to day coffee shop environment is what you see, feel and experience as the closest reality in your life, your mind is subconsciously programmed to be the normal way of lifestyle and making a living. 

Everything outside that environment would be a little foreign, the further it is to what you know the more unreal it will be to you. This sets your mind to believe what is possible and less possible to do for a living.

Once your mind has determines what is doable and what is less doable, you will never think it is easy to do something you are not familiar with.

2. Opting for security - this is a very common reason for people to settle with jobs that may not be meaningful to them and it is just a job that pays the bills. This is especially the case for those who has commitments or have a family to look after. The risks are much higher to take on a new ventures that they may not be familiar with.

Staying in one’s comfort and security zone is usually the case that lock them into a position that maybe less desirable than an ideal one. 

3. The believe in LUCK - many people believe in the ‘idea’ of luck, a common comment they will say when they see someone doing what they love is, “ He or She is lucky to do what they are doing ” This believe is just another mindset illusion that basically says “ you won’t be able to do it even if you are capable and try, it’s all up to the randomness of the universe” Sad but true many people believe this is a fact! Ok let’s break this down, what is actually luck? In the dictionary this is what luck is define as 

“success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one's own actions”

Let me use a good example to explore the word luck, most people will associate luck with the lottery, the common believe is that you have to be lucky to win the lottery. 

For this explanation let's keep it simple, let’s say there are 2 (person A & B) people betting on a 10 possible number lottery, person A buy 1 number and hope to win, and person B buys 9 numbers. 

Now would you consider person B to be lucky if they won the lottery number, or would you say his chances were higher to win? So what really determines the winner here? The amount of chances they give themselves, so person ‘A’ could definitely win if he got all the 10 numbers. We can basically conclude from this exercise that the person who put themselves in the position where they can maximises their chances is more likely to win! And the word ‘luck’ is just word a replacement word for “Opportunity Maximising”. Isn’t that true?

4. Never really search - it is a very easy option for people to do what is available around them, stick to what they know and settle for something that pays the bill.

Have you ever been shopping for a particular type of outfit and have to go through a few different shops before you find the right one? This goes the same with a career. 

Many people don’t know what they really love doing because they don’t do enough shopping around. Or a good way to explain what I mean is, how do you really know what your favourite food is unless you have tried many different variety of food? And do you think that you will discover it if you always stick to the food that is convenient?

So what happens for those who don’t search, very simple they just settle with the options that are available to them. The level of job satisfaction and enjoyment will never be as high as if they found something that they really interested in and with time it could even go negatively when their job is something they despise and hate!

A very known fact is that usually the best jobs are not advertise in the conventional way. Only those who really search will find it the best career for them.

5. No proper guidance - knowing what you love to do is one thing, being able to do it successful is another.

Many people who search will usually discover what they love doing, they may find some success doing it but then get stuck somewhere and never pursue it any further. 

They may then treat it like a pastime or hobby but never a potential career or lifestyle because they can’t see how they can progress further and then sees it as reaching their limit of what they can do with that interests. When the fact is, they are just clueless as to how to make it work for them.

So what are the solutions? 2 very common solutions, the first one is to keep trying different paths, options and finding the one that fit best to their situation. 

This solution requires a lot of energy, effort, problem solving and time, it also requires the person to have unshakeable positive personal traits that can withstand consistent hard work, failures and setbacks. And it is no wonder why many would forgo their dreams and only a small percentage actually succeed.

The second solution are usually opted by the wiser people and that is to find a person who has achieved success in their desired position and to have them coach and direct them to get to their desired position. This solution is no big secret as we have seen many movies and stories about a master and the apprentice. Instead of testing and trialing different ways, a master can show the apprentice his way of getting there and guide him/her to be a master of his own one day.

A great real life example of this is professional athletes, you can ask any professional athlete out there how important it is to have an experience coach that have been through it all to guide them.

Time is a very limited and precious resource given to us, and if we want to achieve a certain goal in a short period of time without wasting too much time working out the best way to achieve it you would need to find someone who can fast track you to your desired position, they will be the best people to guide and direct you to avoid costly mistakes. Mistakes that could lead you to settle with what is available and always envy those “lucky” ones.