How to Live Your Passion and Love What You Do: Advice from Career Coach DJ Waldow

Nov 12, 2014 5 min readSelf-Improvement
Photo of Nicole Miller
Nicole Miller

Director of People @ Buffer

Speaker, podcaster and career coach DJ Waldow recently joined us for #bufferchat to discuss living your passion.

See the full Storify recap here.

live your passion

What does it mean to live your passion?

From DJ:

Do what you love, love what you do T-shirt

Other great insights:

  • “Living your passion is doing something you love, that you don’t consider a job. You want to wake and be excited!” @inboxtheapp
  • “Living your passion means getting paid but never working a day in your life.” @JoshStAubin
  • “You are living your passion when the best of you is surfaced. When you are the happiest and your work reflects that” @Christine_Chen6
  • “Living your passion means discovering your purpose & embracing it fully.” @susancross1
  • “Feeling like there’s nothing else you could or ever would do—including and especially on tough days. That’s passion.” @ChristinKardos
  • “Passion is for the things that make you LIVE.” @TheNameisCasie

How do you find what your passion or calling is?

DJ Waldow

From DJ:

  • “Try new things. What do you keep coming back to? What is the common thread that has been present in all jobs?”
  • “Finding your true passion—What do you do in your free time? What gets you JAZZED? What drives you batty? WRITE IT DOWN!”

Other great insights:

  • “Starting to believe it just comes to you. It’s all about being open to change, trying new things, and acting on ideas.” @ShannnonB
  • “It finds you, and it will find your over and over till you pay attention if you ignore it.” @kymberlaine
  • “Found my true passion/calling the old fashioned ways: 1-using Myers-Briggs & 2-my hobbies and extra-curric activ.” @harrisonia
  • “Ultimately, though, whatever feels ‘right’ or ‘natural’ often leads to your passion.” @CBarrows
  • “Trust your gut and what makes you happy. Try many different things if need be. Never say no to an opportunity.” @jenna_wb
  • “I think it’s much like social media marketing. Constantly test, experiment, don’t stand still, and listen.” @LifeofRileyNYC

How can you help others live their passion?

From DJ:

  • “Help others live their passion? Encourage. Hold them accountable. Dare I say, COACH them (or hire a career transition coach)”

Other great insights:

  • “Promote people’s strengths.” @HireQ_Inc
  • “You can actually support one another by looking at what you love & what you are great at. Then support each other.” @GailDavvis
  • “Leading by example. Live YOUR passion and people will get inspired!” @daniel3ub
  • “I think @ZigZiglar hit this when he said, help other people get what they want and you will have everything you want” @TheJonMartin
  • “The best way to help others is to be an example yourself. “Put your oxygen mask on before helping others with theirs”.” @camerondare
  • “My Social & Life Philosophy is simple.. #ShowUcare Nobody will say you care too much!” @iSocialFanz
  • “I love all the answers to Q4 that are around setting an example. So true that enthusiasm and courage are both contagious.” @christinkardos

Where do you go for inspiration and encouragement in your own passion?

From DJ:

  • “Where do I go for encouragement & inspiration? Family. Wife. Circle of Trust. Therapist <–everyone needs one!”
  • “Inspiration – Get off social media. Meet people face to face. Leave your phone/laptop/device at home!”

Other great insights:

  • “Nothing beats time alone, time with my dogs, or time on my horse in the mountains. It helps me refocus when needed.” @kontheinternet
  • “For encouragement in my own passion I go to The Mr and a select group of trusted friends.” @YouTooCanBeGuru
  • “Plus, setting up regular coffee meetings with people. That’s quite energizing and often very creative!” @swoodruff
  • “I find @JerrySeinfeld‘s Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee to be inspirational and fun.” @ErikJFisher
  • “I’m open to all flavors of inspiration. Truly – it can come from anywhere! Bust out of that comfort zone and explore. BE OPEN.” @madisonjonesHR
  • “TED Talks. So many TED Talks inspire and stretch my brain” @sethhinz

What books do you find inspiring or motiving?

Thank you to everyone who participated! Join us each Wednesday at 9 am Pacific/noon Eastern for #Bufferchat!

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