What are your interests? What are your passions? They are different. They might share a codependency, but they are not one in the same. For example, let’s say you have an interest in painting, but your real passion is writing. You may have interests in several creative endeavors like painting, or photography or graphic design but if your passion is writing, that’s the one you’re going to master.

It doesn’t benefit you to be a jack of many trades and a master of none.

Although interests are vital and can turn into passions, it’s not truly a passion until you have a desire to master it, in my opinion. I could have an interest in video games, but it doesn’t mean that I want to be a video game developer.

When you enjoy only one aspect of an interest, it’s not a passion. Your interests are like a chapter in your book, but your passion is the book.

If I just liked to read but I didn’t enjoy writing, obviously my goals would align with reading several books but not writing any. Some of you are trying to make careers and a livelihood out of interests without realizing that all of those interests are not your passions. For example, I have an interest in songwriting and I do song write but not that often because I hate the business behind songwriting. I hate shopping the records. I hate the potential of the artist sitting on the record for months or years. I hate the unethical behind-the-scenes etiquette. I only have an interest in songwriting, but I lack a passion for all that songwriting entails thus it’s just a hobby really.

Think about what you are passionate about from a 360 standpoint not a 180.

Search for those passions, enjoy your interests and live life accordingly.