What is your work?

Do what you love, and it just might love you back.

I read a post today by a friend from college and a few things he said resonated with me about the work we choose and the life we’re building around it. In reflecting back on his work career, he realized that in each case he did what was next because it was a stepping stone to, you guessed it, the next achievement. He was always forward focused, thinking about how each step might lead to the next. His regret was that during the process of moving from one stage to the next, he failed to think about [his] ideal day, week, month, and year in the life [he’s] trying to build. He was focusing on building a career, not necessarily building a life.

This path isn’t unfamiliar to many a generation of overachievers. He and I went to college together, and while our paths have been different, as young black men navigating education and the workforce our approach has been very similar. Step one, over-achieve at the secondary level in order to prove to everyone (including yourself) that you belong at an elite institution. Step two, do it again at the elite institution where you possibly start off feeling like a fish out of water. By the end of it though, we’d both conquered our respective spaces, like checking a box off our to-do list. Step three, garner an exclusive fellowship, internship, or post graduate job that expands your social capital and puts you on the path towards greater success (i.e. more money).

But at what cost? I was fortunate enough to learn this lesson early on, do what you love and it just might love you back. I walked into a business school class my freshmen year thinking that I would be on the fast-track towards a lucrative career in business. Only, I almost died of boredom. In all fairness, the class was Financial Accounting 101. I couldn’t bring myself to go back, assuming that all the business classes would be like that.

Even then I knew that as I built my life, I couldn’t see myself doing that particular work day in and day out. Now, in an ironic twist of fate I find myself doing some of this work as a co-founder. The only difference, is that I’m doing it on my own terms and with a team of folks I enjoy working with. Though I’ve changed careers a number of times, my life has stayed remarkably stable. I’ve maintained consistency around how I do my work and who I do it with over the past few decades by knowing what matters most to me.

At the end of his post, my friend notes offers some advice that I’ve been taking my whole life that I find valuable to share: Instead of doing something because of what comes next, what if we just did what we wanted to do and went on the journey with the people we care about most?

It’s never too late to start.