Contrary to popular wisdom, you don’t have to fall in love at first sight with a potential job. There’s more than one way to get a passion for your work.
“The good news is that we can choose to change our beliefs or strategies to cultivate passion gradually or seek compatibility from the outset, and be just as effective in the long run at achieving this coveted experience,” says Patricia Chen, a doctoral psychology student at the University of Michigan, and lead author of a new study.
The dominant mentality in America is the belief that passion comes from finding a fit with the right line of work, or “following one’s passion.” An alternative mindset is that passion can be cultivated over time as one gains competence in a line of work.
Researchers examined people’s expectations, choices, and outcomes associated with each of these two mindsets—termed as the “fit theory” and “develop theory.”
