When pursuing a career in doing what you love, there are times when you need to confirm that you love what you are doing. This is not a measure affected by one’s actual passion for a craft. Instead, it is more so a feeling which can be warped by stress or mindset. Seeking success in a creative industry is often far from secure, and the fear that brings can tamper with the joy of doing what you want to do. This fear does not pair well with the stress of maintaining many projects, collaborations, and seeking growth with new ideas.

There is nothing wrong with feeling this way, but it's important to navigate these reactions to ensure that your hard work is lined with enjoyment and passion instead of displeasure. The biggest component in this issue is the balance between current plans and the bigger picture. From personal experience, I can say that the disparity between the grand ideas that I am trying to pursue and the steps I need to take is difficult to accept. This is a struggle that can only be helped with patience and a re-framing of mindset. I have found a good amount of concepts for easing these worries along the way, including:

Pushing to enjoy every part of the process

This sounds unimaginable initially, but even the hardest parts of a creative endeavor can be enjoyable. Even though the idealized parts of a creating oriented career choice are often seen as the rare moments of joy and success, there is much more to be had out of the experience. For example you can find stress in navigating a vacation, and find peace in taking a moment to wash the dishes. There are plenty of opportunities to step back and realize the challenging thing you “have” to do to get your project done is another good moment in your life.

Setting yourself up to successfully make progress

It seems that the modern ideas around hustle culture and entrepreneurship are reliant on intertwining stress and achievement. That is fine if you are simply trying to get as much done as humanly possible. But, if you want to avoid hating both yourself and the line of work you are pursuing, it is crucial to consider the settings and mindsets you are putting yourself into to get things done. For example, if you have two days left to complete a project, you may find yourself wanting to work until sunrise trying to get it completed early. This is a high stress choice, and it is no better in the long run than spreading the workload in an even and healthy manner. Between working at exhausting times and working on a balanced schedule, there are the same amount of hours in the day. Sometimes there is a flame lit from within, and you want to do nothing but accomplish the goal in front of you, but it is important to consider the most healthy way to approach it.

Communicating with those around you

I have experienced many encounters in different workplaces where two employees refused to get along. They disagreed about how to go about something, or didn’t like how one another operates with everyday activities. This usually leads to both parties writing the other off as simply being stubborn or annoying. Nobody wants to work with people they dislike, and such situations are bound to make the workplace more stressful and unsupportive. Taking a shot at breaking down these barriers and extending an opportunity for friendly collaboration is crucial. Interpersonal relationships at work are difficult, and it is easy to be bound up by assumptions of another’s intentions or character. Even if it requires “being the bigger person,” reach out to communicate your issues or extend an apology. Taking the time to ensure everyone understands the situation will ensure that you are not blindly disagreeing due to grudges. Enjoying the time you spend working with those around you will make all the difference.

You have goals for your life in mind, and you know that those goals will require hard work. No matter how you approach those goals, they will always take time. How you feel during that time spent is up to you. Enjoy the process, and seek out a good experience!