“Follow your own passion – not your parents’, not your teachers’ – yours.” – Robert Ballard
An excerpt from How To Become The Best at Anything, Chapter 1, Passion and Interest
“What is your passion? What are you passionate about? Are you passionate about a sport, say basketball, or surfing? Tennis anyone? How about art, or music. Perhaps you’re zeroed in on an academic field such as biology, or economics. Maybe you have a passion for exploring, with an eye on the Himalayas.
Don’t have a passion, then what are you interested in? Interest and achievement go hand in hand. It is easier to achieve in a domain if you have a strong interest or passion.
I have achieved a much higher level of expertise in something that I am passionate about, than in something I only have a strong interest.”
“If you have an interest in something, it can grow into something more than an interest. It may grow into a passion as you pursue your interest. Usually an interest is just that, an interest, it will help motivate you to achieve in that particular domain up to a point. You might become very good at your interest, although you need to be passionate about something to become the best.
You need to have a passion for whatever it is you are trying to become the best. It will help motivate you to persist in your deliberate practice to reach your goal (more on deliberate practice later).
Passion will help you get up and out and practice. Passion will keep you going through adversity. In the introduction I briefly described my passions and interests. I devoted more time and resources to my passions than my interests.
Your passion will be your motivation along your path to becoming the best at whatever you choose.
So again, what are you passionate about?
While passion is essential to becoming the best, you need more than passion. You need much more. This book will help you along your path to becoming the best that you want to be.”
