In a study of recent graduate students, 90% listed “pursuing their passion” as a crucial prerequisite for jobs, yet only 20% reported feeling passionate about their work. How about you – are you currently passionate about your work? Have your interests changed over the years? 

In that commencement speech study, one perspective stood out– don’t focus on your passion – because passion doesn’t actually last.

A couple years ago, I felt like I was missing something. I finished a week going through the motions but didn’t feel like I accomplished anything that was meaningful to me. Yes, I earned a paycheck, but I didn’t feel like I was working towards anything in particular. I felt “busy” all week, but couldn’t tell where all that time was being spent, so I decided to perform an audit of my time, both at work and at home.

“That’s not how we do things around here.”

 “I don't have enough experience.”

 “I can’t change, this is my personality.”

Although we may say these things in a casual or sarcastic way, statements like these come from a fixed mindset. How do we escape these habits and develop a growth mindset?