Stacey: When your work feels like a calling, like you’re the only one doing this thing and the world needs it (and loves what you do), but you have lost passion for it, what can it mean? Continual improvement and evolution feel too hard, and like ‘pushing’ all the time. But there is still belief in the thing, and still a commitment and responsibility (not so much obligation though) to continue to see it through. What sense to make of this, to find peace with it or to change something to find passion again?

Thank you, Stacey, for this juicy question.

If the work feels like a calling, if you’re the only one doing this, and if the world needs it, then yes, find peace with it. This is the work you are meant to be doing.

But what of the lost passion?

Sometimes that’s just like sunny weather. It comes and it goes. It’s nice when it’s there, but sometimes it isn’t.

Sometimes we need to find our passion somewhere else. Your business is more for the world than it is to keep you entertained or interested or passionate.

Sometimes we just need to create a new project within the business. We don’t need passion for answering the emails and putting out the rubbish. But it’s nice if there is some somewhere.

And sometimes it might mean a whole different way of doing the work. The calling is honoured, and the work is done, but how it gets done changes.